In the late 1950s, Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak) is a modern-day witch living in New York City’s Greenwich Village. When she encounters charming publisher Shepherd Henderson (James Stewart), she decides to make him hers by casting a love spell. Gillian takes added pleasure in doing so because Henderson is engaged to her old college rival (Janice Rule). However, Gillian finds herself actually falling for Shepherd, which poses a problem: She will lose her powers if she falls in love.

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[youtube https://youtu.be/S1McjAZp5Gs?si=JBCLTAIh6-NOFLZY&t=2818]

Video Quality

Bell, Book and Candle debuts on Blu-Ray in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio from an older master that looks terrific. This film was previously released on Blu-Ray in 2012 by Twilight Time, but that release is long out of print. We do not have that release to compare, but from what we can tell this is derived from the same source. There are no unsightly instances of print damage such as nicks or scratches, as the source seems to have been preserved well over the years.

The natural film grain remains intact and resolves favorably while bringing discrete detail to the forefront. Some of the optical shots take a brief downturn in quality, but everything largely stays consistent. Every unique element stands out with notable clarity, especially in the textures of the clothing and elements of the production design. Colors are deep and vibrant as they bring out the possibility of each hue. Black levels are deep without any substantial blocking or compression artifacts, and the highlights stay firm. This Blu-Ray is good work from Sony, but we would not pass up a 4K UHD Blu-Ray if that ever materializes.

Audio Quality

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment brings us this Blu-Ray with a perfectly agreeable DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono track that represents the movie well. Dialogue comes through clearly without being drowned out by any of the music or environmental effects. The score establishes the mood of the narrative with a strong presence in the mix that only has a handful of moments that become somewhat shrill. The environmental sounds of the club and in the office are faithfully defined and given a sturdy presence in the speakers. Sony has done an excellent job of bringing this to viewers. There are optional English SDH and French subtitles provided.

Special Features

Bewitched, Bothered and Beautiful: A nearly ten-minute featurette in which you hear the voice of Kim Novak reflecting on her time making this film, her love of witchcraft, her memories of Jimmy Stewart, the fun she had with the character, and more.

Reflections In The Middle Of The Night: A 15-minute retrospective on the little-known 1959 Paddy Chayefsky drama Middle of the Night costarring Frederic March with the voice of Kim Novak returning.

Backstage and At Home with Kim Novak: A 10-minute piece with the voice of Kim Novak discussing the costumes of Jean Louis, her love of fashion, and more. This piece is slightly different as you get to see some new footage of Novak leading a tour around her house.

Theatrical Trailer: The two-and-a-half-minute trailer is provided.

Final Thoughts

Bell, Book and Candle is a unique holiday tale in which the spooky mysticism of Halloween bleeds over into Christmas for a bit of lighthearted fun. It is always a treat to have Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart in a film with one another, and the chemistry in this one is soft and endearing. We could use a bit more mystical fun to really put this over the top, but this one works quite well as is. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray with a great A/V presentation and a few welcome special features. If you are wanting something witchy for the holiday season, definitely consider this one. Recommended

Bell, Book and Candle can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.