BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE

USA | 1958 | DCP | 103 min.
Director: Richard Quine
Cast: James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon
In the same year that they co-starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece Vertigo, James Stewart and Kim Novak were paired again for this underrated and wickedly amusing comedy. During the Christmas season in Greenwich Village, lonely young witch Gillian (Novak), who lives with her beloved cat Pyewacket and runs an art gallery, casts a romantic spell on her dashing publisher neighbor (Stewart). With a deep bench of supporting players, including Jack Lemmon, Elsa Lanchester, and Ernie Kovacs, and a light directorial touch from the versatile Quine, Bell, Book and Candle is a magical holiday delight. (JM)