Search/Recent Changes
DBTropes
...it's like TV Tropes, but LINKED DATA!

Bell, Book and Candle

 Bell, Book and Candle
type
TVTItem
 Bell, Book and Candle
label
Bell, Book and Candle
 Bell, Book and Candle
page
BellBookAndCandle
 Bell, Book and Candle
comment
Bell, Book and Candle is a 1958 romantic comedy/fantasy film adapted from a 1950 play of the same name by John Van Druten, directed by Richard Quine and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, Jack Lemmon, and Ernie Kovacs.Shep Henderson (Stewart) is a Manhattan book publisher who happens to live above a dealer in African art named Gillian Holroyd (Novak). In addition to being an art dealer, Gillian is a witch from a family of witches that includes her aunt Queenie (Elsa Lanchester) and brother Nicky (Lemmon). Gillian takes an interest in bachelor Shep, and when she finds out that he's about to marry her old college enemy Merle Kittredge (Janice Rule), she casts a spell to make Shep fall in love with her instead. Complications arise when Nicky gets in touch with Sidney Redlitch (Kovacs), an author of books about witchcraft, and threatens to expose Gillian's secret life.Bell, Book and Candle was the follow-up to a far different Stewart-Novak pairing from earlier that same year, Vertigo. It is also notable as the last film in which Stewart played a romantic lead. The TV sitcom Bewitched, which premiered six years later, borrowed several elements from this film. (It didn't hurt any that this was a Columbia Pictures film and Bewitched was produced by Columbia's Screen Gems subsidiary.)It was remade as a 1976 Made-for-TV Movie, directed by Hy Averback and starring Yvette Mimieux, Michael Murphy, Doris Roberts, John Pleshette, and Susan Sullivan.
 Bell, Book and Candle
fetched
2023-11-21T02:01:02Z
 Bell, Book and Candle
parsed
2023-11-21T02:01:02Z
 Bell, Book and Candle
processingComment
Dropped link to DisposableFiancee: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 Bell, Book and Candle
processingComment
Dropped link to POVShot: Not a Feature - UNKNOWN
 Bell, Book and Candle
processingUnknown
DisposableFiancee
 Bell, Book and Candle
processingUnknown
POVShot
 Bell, Book and Candle
isPartOf
DBTropes
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_138fe57e
type
All Witches Have Cats
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_138fe57e
comment
All Witches Have Cats: Gillian has Pyewacket, a Siamese that she uses as her familiar. (Shown Their Work as that's a genuine name for a witch's familiar although the original list by Matthew Hopkins specifies the cat's name was Holt, while Pyewacket was an imp.)
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_138fe57e
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_138fe57e
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_138fe57e
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_14a8974a
type
Love Potion
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_14a8974a
comment
Love Potion: A spell, actually. Gillian might have been able to make Shep fall in love with her the regular way, but Shep's getting married tomorrow, so she has to act quickly. She uses Pyewacket to cast a love spell on Shep.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_14a8974a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_14a8974a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_14a8974a
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_18d15922
type
Title Drop
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_18d15922
comment
Title Drop: Sidney quotes the "ring the bell, close the book, quench the candle" ritual, and later Shep refers to Gillian and her circle as the "bell, book, and candle set."
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_18d15922
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_18d15922
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_18d15922
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_1f250372
type
I Need a Freaking Drink
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_1f250372
comment
I Need a Freaking Drink: Shep downs one with a shaking hand when his inability to leave their building finally convinces him that Gillian is not kidding and is actually a witch.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_1f250372
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_1f250372
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_1f250372
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_22cf536c
type
Chekhov's Gun
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_22cf536c
comment
Chekhov's Gun: It is established early in the film that witches (and likely warlocks) can't cry or blush, and that falling in love results in a witch losing her powers. At the end, Gillian falls in love and loses her powers, and Shep realizes she loves him for real when she blushes and cries.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_22cf536c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_22cf536c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_22cf536c
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4371a515
type
Beatnik
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4371a515
comment
Beatniks: The setting is Greenwich Village in The '50s, so Gillian and Nicky adopt this persona as their masquerade.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4371a515
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4371a515
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_4371a515
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4a0ec47a
type
Cheshire Cat Grin
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4a0ec47a
comment
Cheshire Cat Grin: Nicky often sports one throughout the movie.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4a0ec47a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_4a0ec47a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_4a0ec47a
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5028baf2
type
What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5028baf2
comment
What Is This Thing You Call "Love"?: Witches can't fall in love lest they lose their powers. When Queenie finds out this has happened to Gillian, she asks her what it's like.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5028baf2
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5028baf2
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_5028baf2
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5103ab7b
type
Sexy Backless Outfit
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5103ab7b
comment
Sexy Backless Outfit: Ms. Fanservice Kim Novak wears two different such outfits over the course of the movie.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5103ab7b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5103ab7b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_5103ab7b
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5740acf7
type
Chickification
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5740acf7
comment
Chickification: Gillian is an icily sexy witch who mainly dresses in black beatnik pants outfits or vivid red dresses, and runs a cool, vaguely spooky art dealership specializing in African and Oceanian folk art. When she's de-powered, she takes to wearing yellow or white sundresses, and she turns her shop into a seashell emporium.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5740acf7
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5740acf7
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_5740acf7
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5beef860
type
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5beef860
comment
Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: Merle hates thunderstorms.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5beef860
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_5beef860
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_5beef860
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_614ab353
type
Witch with a Capital "B"
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_614ab353
comment
Witch with a Capital "B": Shep's jilted fiancée Merle almost calls Gillian the b-word.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_614ab353
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_614ab353
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_614ab353
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_619bc34b
type
High-Class Gloves
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_619bc34b
comment
High-Class Gloves: Fashionable Hot Witch Gillian wears them with one of her Sexy Backless Outfits.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_619bc34b
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_619bc34b
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_619bc34b
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_6a696742
type
The Power of Love
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_6a696742
comment
The Power of Love: Will make a witch lose her powers.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_6a696742
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_6a696742
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_6a696742
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_75d98040
type
Magical Barefooter
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_75d98040
comment
Magical Barefooter: Gillian (she even used to go to her classes without shoes). In full accordance with the trope, when she loses her powers, she also loses her penchant for going barefoot.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_75d98040
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_75d98040
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_75d98040
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a27c0c2c
type
Artistic License – Religion
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a27c0c2c
comment
Artistic License – Religion: Artistic License – Witchcraft? The mantra "ring the bell, close the book, quench the candle" quoted in the movie is characterized as an exorcism rite when it was actually an excommunication rite.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a27c0c2c
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a27c0c2c
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_a27c0c2c
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a667c3a6
type
Emerald Power
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a667c3a6
comment
Emerald Power: Magic, when visible, is depicted as green. (The particular shade is reminiscent of the kind seen in Novak and Stewart's previous film, Vertigo.)
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a667c3a6
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a667c3a6
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_a667c3a6
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a7ec3027
type
Rom Com Job
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a7ec3027
comment
Rom Com Job: Shep's a book publisher. Gillian owns a shop dealing in African art.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a7ec3027
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a7ec3027
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_a7ec3027
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a8cff6a
type
Familiar
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a8cff6a
comment
Familiar: Pyewacket, the Siamese cat that Gillian uses to cast spells. In the end, after Gillian is de-powered, Pyewacket leaves her and moves in with Queenie.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a8cff6a
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_a8cff6a
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_a8cff6a
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_b032e4ed
type
Ms. Fanservice
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_b032e4ed
comment
Ms. Fanservice: Gillian wears two Sexy Backless Outfits, a series of tight dresses, and a silk robe with a Navel-Deep Neckline.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_b032e4ed
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_b032e4ed
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_b032e4ed
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bd5e8cd9
type
Urban Fantasy
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bd5e8cd9
comment
Urban Fantasy: Witches in 1958 New York.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bd5e8cd9
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bd5e8cd9
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_bd5e8cd9
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bf3d0873
type
Where Everybody Knows Your Flame
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bf3d0873
comment
Where Everybody Knows Your Flame: It eventually becomes clear that the Zodiac club where the witches hang out is also a gay bar.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bf3d0873
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_bf3d0873
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_bf3d0873
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_c9d9a85f
type
Hot Witch
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_c9d9a85f
comment
Hot Witch: Novak at the height of her sexiness, wearing a series of flattering, revealing outfits throughout the movie.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_c9d9a85f
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_c9d9a85f
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_c9d9a85f
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_caa28b82
type
Cloudcuckoolander
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_caa28b82
comment
Cloudcuckoolander: Queenie is a somewhat flighty lady.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_caa28b82
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_caa28b82
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_caa28b82
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_d0c30f35
type
Did I Mention It's Christmas?
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_d0c30f35
comment
Did I Mention It's Christmas?: The first part of the story takes place on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_d0c30f35
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_d0c30f35
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_d0c30f35
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_dc579c91
type
Contrived Coincidence
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_dc579c91
comment
Contrived Coincidence: The bachelor who lives above Gillian's store is engaged to Gillian's worst enemy from college.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_dc579c91
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_dc579c91
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_dc579c91
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_e0e3a0ba
type
Salem Is Witch Country
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_e0e3a0ba
comment
Salem Is Witch Country: Not directly stated but hinted at with the Holroyds, whom Queenie describes as "an old Massachusetts family". Gillian also describes her witching life to Shep as "early American".
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_e0e3a0ba
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_e0e3a0ba
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_e0e3a0ba
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_ee2a3bfc
type
Prefers Going Barefoot
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_ee2a3bfc
comment
Prefers Going Barefoot: One of the first peculiarities we're shown about Gillian is that she prefers to be barefoot all the time, and when she's first introduced, the camera pans out to draw attention to her bare feet. She will wear shoes for appearances' sake only. In conversation, she mentions that she has started wearing shoes in public to avoid being criticized. She outgrows this habit after losing her powers- and after running out into a cold and slushy street full of snow.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_ee2a3bfc
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_ee2a3bfc
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_ee2a3bfc
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_f37c192
type
Wanton Cruelty to the Common Comma
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_f37c192
comment
Wanton Cruelty to the Common Comma: The actual onscreen title is shown as Bell Book and Candle, even though the play's title officially had the comma after "bell". And there's no "bell book" anywhere in the film. Still, most people still use the comma when writing about the film. Of course, whether there should be an Oxford comma after "book" is another issue.
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_f37c192
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_f37c192
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_f37c192
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_name
type
ItemName
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_name
comment
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_name
featureApplicability
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_name
featureConfidence
1.0
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Bell, Book and Candle / int_name
 Bell, Book and Candle / int_name
itemName
Bell, Book and Candle

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
All Witches Have Cats / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Artistic License – Religion / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Commitment Issues / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Disposable Fiancé / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Hot Witch / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Love Is a Weakness / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Magic A Is Magic A / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Prefers Going Barefoot / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Right-Hand Cat / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Rom Com Job / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Romantic Comedy / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Salem Is Witch Country / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Single Tear / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
The Film of the Play / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
The "I Love You" Stigma / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Urban Fantasy / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Where Everybody Knows Your Flame / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Witch with a Capital "B" / int_7ddd965e
 Bell, Book and Candle
hasFeature
Witch Works / int_7ddd965e
 Bell Book And Candle (Theatre)
seeAlso
Bell, Book and Candle