Bell, Book and Candle

Based on John Van Druten's hit play, this adroit romantic comedy stars Kim Novak as a witch living in modern Manhattan. She wishes to fall in love, but fights the impulse, as it would mean the loss of her powers. Enter Jimmy Stewart as a handsome publisher. Lovingly directed by Richard Quine, scripted by Daniel Taradash and beautifully filmed in New York by James Wong Howe, it treats the world of magic with a straight face, making it all the more believable. The splendid cast also includes Jack Lemmon as Novak's mischievous brother (who moonlights as a bongo player in a beatnik nightclub), Elsa Lanchester as their batty old aunt, and Ernie Kovacs as a self-obsessed author who thinks he's onto something, as well as Hermione Gingold, Janice Rule, the Candoli Brothers, and Pyewacket (Kim's cat). It received Oscar® nominations for Art Direction and Costume Design, and was the 50-year-old Stewart's last film as a romantic leading man. Amusingly, many people began naming their cats "Pyewacket" when it was released, and to this day, it remains one of Novak's most beloved pictures.