Kim Novak names the greatest movie of her career: “It was such a beautiful story”
Many stars have left the ‘Old Hollywood’ sky, but, at the time of writing, Kim Novak is still alive and well.
Born in 1933, she is best known for her dual role opposite James Stewart in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, which she followed up with roles opposite Kirk Douglas in Strangers When We Meet and Dean Martin in Kiss Me, Stupid, before entering semi-retirement in 1966. Her most recent appearance to date was in a movie called Liebestraum, but even that came out over three decades ago.
Prior to her retirement, another of Novak’s most memorable appearances came in the romantic comedy Bell, Book and Candle. Jousting with a same-year release as Vertigo, it told the story of Gillian Holroyd, who runs an art gallery in New York City with a twist: she’s a witch. After developing feelings for her neighbour, played by returning co-star Stewart, she attempts to use her magic to win his affection, only for things to go wrong in the process.
Considering it was released in the same year as a film many regard to be the greatest ever made, you might think that Bell, Book and Candle would have slipped from Novak’s mind almost immediately. However, the star, who is set to be played by Sydney Sweeney in an upcoming biopic, is still incredibly fond of it.
“It was such a beautiful story,” she told Turner Classic Movies (TCM), “I loved playing a witch, but a witch that did good things, that believed in fun and laughter and love… That movie was a total joy from every aspect. I think that’s…my favourite movie, actually, because it had everything I love from the appetiser to the dessert.”
Novak also enjoyed another chance to work with her co-star, a man she said she always felt “comfortable” around. “Jimmy Stewart and I formed a wonderful relationship when we worked on Vertigo,” she said. Another prominent figure on set was director Richard Quine, also Novak’s fiancé, and she also formed a close relationship with costume designer Jean Louis, nominated for an Oscar for the film. Safe to say, the process was a rightly personal affair.
Unfortunately, Bell, Book and Candle failed to make much of a splash with either audiences or critics upon its release. It has quite an interesting legacy, though. A TV series based on the film was planned, and a pilot was even aired on NBC, but it was never picked up. Disney was planning on remaking it in the 2000s with Alicia Keys in the Novak role, but that never went anywhere either. It did reportedly serve as an inspiration for the sitcom Bewitched, in which Elizabeth Montgomery plays a witch who gives up her magical life to marry an ordinary man.
Vertigo might have changed movie history, but in Novak’s eyes, it doesn’t stack up against its similarly aged cousin. Book, Bell and Candle is one of those films where, if you saw it at the right time in your life, you probably loved it. As for Novak, it’s a reminder of the power of good, honest cinema. Plus, she got to make out with Jimmy Stewart some more, which also probably helped.
