Bell Book and Candle Stars Pyewacket, Siamese Cat

Bell Book and Candle is a popular name for shops that sell Wiccan and pagan goods – and there's a reason for that: a movie (featuring a Siamese cat, too).

It was a 1958 romantic comedy starring James Stewart and Kim Novak, their second film together (their first was Hitchcock's Vertigo) – as well as Jack Lemmon. And it was so beautiful it was nominated for a 1959 Oscar both in art direction/set design and for best costume. Unfortunately for the Bell Book and Candle, this was the year of Ben-Hur, which walked off with 11 of its 12 nominations, a record until it was matched four decades later by Titanic.

In the Bell Book and Candle, Kim Novak plays a Greenwich Village witch called Gillian Holroyd, who has a familiar – magical companion/helper animal – called Pyewacket, a Siamese cat. Interestingly, witchcraft trials in England in 1644 revealed a woman who eventually cracked under interrogation and provided her torturers with the name Pyewacket. He was probably an imp familiar, since the only cat mentioned under this particular interrogation was Holt, a white kitten.

The work was originally authored by John van Druten as a Broadway play which ran for nearly a year and featured Rex Harrison and Lily Palmer. Van Druten was also the author of many works and of I Am a Camera, which was later made into Cabaret.

According to film critics, there are three ways of enjoying Bell, Book and Candle.

The first is 'as is', a beautifully produced, lavish sweep of wonderful modern interiors. Remember the Oscar nomination for art direction? It is a true treat for the eye, especially for people interested in 1950s décor. Not least, too, are the actors' fantastic comic performances throughout.

The second way of seeing this film is through a social lens that foretold the feminist movement. The protagonist is an independent, sassy naïve-art gallery owner who dresses differently and doesn't care much what people think. But she'll have to change into those uncomfortable pointy shoes if she wants to get her man…

The final way of approaching Bell Book and Candle is through the undercurrent of homosexuality that runs through it. Its author, van Druten, was gay but in the 1950s no film/play could portray that world and get away with it. So he used the setting of Greenwich Village, center of New York's alternative world, and witches and warlocks to introduce a gay subtext in a subtle way, so subtle it was never noticed by the then censors. This obviously wasn't a gay film, but it did appeal to the gay viewer.

While not definite, there may be a new remake of the film. It appears that Alicia Keys has signed a multi-year first-look film production deal with Disney in which she would play the witch lead. And what self-respecting witch doesn't have a cat?

In fact, the name Pyewacket has gained a following among Siamese cat owners who want Wiccan cat names for their Siamese.

Bell Book and Candle may have been based on an earlier 1942 comedy I Married a Witch, but this predecessor had a far more complex plot. It is believed that the immensely successful 1960s television series, Bewitched, may have been based on Bell Book and Candle. There are other links to Pyewacket as well. In 1967, a children's novel by Rosemary Weir featured a one eyed cat with magical powers also called Pyewacket but her cat was not a Siamese.

Meaning of Bell Book Candle?

No one really knows how the Bell Book Candle trilogy became a film name, but it would appear somehow linked to the Catholic Church. In that church, especially in the middle ages the act of excommunication – expelling someone from the faith – was done with a tolling bell (as was the announcement of a death). As for the book, it was the authority given to the Bishop to excommunicate someone, and also may have referred to the Book of Gospels. This book was officially closed when an excommunication was announced. As for the candle, it was then snuffed out. All this seems to have resulted in the common statement to "condemn with bell, book and candle". This treatment was reserved for grave misdeeds or for people of standing.

You can find out more about the movie Bell Book Candle, and other fine films, at moviediva.com.

And if you’re an avid book collector, as I am, a mere $182 should get you a first edition with a well-preserved dust jacket and I saw some signed by the author.

Return from Bell Book and Candle to Famous Cat Names