Bell, Book and Candle

Kim Novak puts a spell on Jimmy Stewart, note dorsal view
I found Richard Quine's Bell, Book and Candle to be a bit of a trudge. A rote theatrical adaptation,  the film lacks visual dynamics with too many stationary dialogue scenes. There are some fun moments: Jimmy Stewart's double takes and some nice pantomime in a beat club. The cast is exemplary: Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Elsa Lanchester and Hermione Gingold do their best.

James Wong Howe's photography is appropriately fanciful, but Quine's camera placement is uninspired. Kim Novak and Stewart do have a nice rapport. It is interesting to contrast this with the contemporaneous Vertigo, the advantage is all to Hitchcock. However, the film contains gorgeous dorsal shots of Ms. Novak that compare to those of Kay Francis in her heyday. Unfortunately, Bell, Book and Candle is more laborious than spritely.



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