{"id":28540,"date":"2012-11-15T12:01:17","date_gmt":"2012-11-15T19:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28540"},"modified":"2023-09-09T11:53:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-09T18:53:39","slug":"bell-book-and-candle-1958","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28540","title":{"rendered":"Bell Book and Candle (1958)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;It might be pleasant to be humdrum once in a while.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Poster-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Poster-1-121x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"121\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-42621\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Poster-1-121x300.jpg 121w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Poster-1-52x128.jpg 52w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Poster-1.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 121px) 100vw, 121px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA modern-day witch (Kim Novak) living &#8220;underground&#8221; in New York City with her brother (Jack Lemmon) and aunt (Elsa Lanchester) secretly casts a spell to lure her neighbor (James Stewart) away from his fiancee (Janice Rule). Meanwhile, her brother foolishly cooperates with an occult author (Ernic Kovacs) on his latest book, threatening to expose their true identities.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Elsa Lanchester Films<\/li>\n<li>Jack Lemmon Films<\/li>\n<li>Janice Rule Films<\/li>\n<li>Jimmy Stewart Films<\/li>\n<li>Kim Novak Films<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptations<\/li>\n<li>Romantic Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Witches and Wizards<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that people who &#8220;saw this mild comedy&#8221; &#8212; an &#8220;adaptation of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/John_Van_Druten\">John van Druten&#8217;s<\/a> play&#8221; &#8212; when it was released in theaters may &#8220;have a soft spot for it&#8221;, but warns that &#8220;otherwise you&#8217;ll be disappointed, even bored&#8221;. He notes that while a &#8220;dream comedy cast was assembled&#8221;, &#8220;everyone seems to have taken tranquilizers&#8221;, and argues that the &#8220;picture cries out for wildness, even slapstick humor&#8221;, thanks to &#8220;lifeless direction by Richard Quine&#8221;. I&#8217;m in full agreement with Peary&#8217;s assessment of this disappointing &#8220;follow-up&#8221; to Novak and Stewart&#8217;s romantic pairing the same year in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28420\"><em>Vertigo<\/em><\/a>. Novak, while appropriately sexy and seductive, seems decidedly bored throughout much of the film: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2-1024x556.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"348\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2-1024x556.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2-300x163.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2-768x417.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2-1536x834.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2-497x270.png 497w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak2.png 1829w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>while Stewart brings nothing new to his rather thankless role as a spellbound chump. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart-1024x546.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"341\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart-1024x546.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart-1536x819.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart-506x270.png 506w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Stewart.png 1817w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Lanchester is typecast in a throwaway role as Novak&#8217;s ditzy aunt:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2-1024x547.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"342\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60604\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2-1024x547.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2-768x410.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2-1536x821.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2-505x270.png 505w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Lanchester2.png 1825w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and Lemmon is merely serviceable as Novak&#8217;s foolhardly brother. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak-1024x549.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"343\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-60607\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak-1024x549.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak-300x161.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak-128x69.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak-768x412.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak-1536x823.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak-504x270.png 504w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Novak.png 1823w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Smidgens of relief come from both Janice Rule as Stewart&#8217;s smug fiancee, and <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Ernie_Kovacs\">Ernie Kovacs<\/a> as the perennially befuddled &#8220;occult&#8221; author, but they ultimately can&#8217;t save the predictable storyline from itself. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Janice Rule as Merle Kittridge<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Rule.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Rule.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Rule.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Rule-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Rule-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Ernie Kovacs as Sidney Redlitch<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Kovacs.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Kovacs.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"384\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-28544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Kovacs.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Kovacs-128x68.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/Bell-Book-and-Candle-Kovacs-300x160.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo; this one isn&#8217;t must-see viewing. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0051406\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1958\/12\/27\/archives\/screen-a-witch-in-love-bell-book-and-candle-at-fine-arts-odeon.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.scifilm.org\/musing1985.html\">SciFilm Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=2739&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3857bell.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.moriareviews.com\/fantasy\/bell-book-and-candle-1958.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/68407\/bell-book-and-candle#articles-reviews?articleId=85225\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It might be pleasant to be humdrum once in a while.&#8221; Synopsis: A modern-day witch (Kim Novak) living &#8220;underground&#8221; in New York City with her brother (Jack Lemmon) and aunt (Elsa Lanchester) secretly casts a spell to lure her neighbor (James Stewart) away from his fiancee (Janice Rule). Meanwhile, her brother foolishly cooperates with an occult author (Ernic Kovacs) on his latest book, threatening to expose their true identities. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Elsa Lanchester Films Jack Lemmon Films&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=28540\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-28540","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28540","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28540"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28540\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":91365,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28540\/revisions\/91365"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28540"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28540"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28540"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}