For other uses, see Bell, Book & Candle.

The phrase "Bell, book, and candle" refers to an archaic method of excommunication for one who had committed a particularly grievous sin. Apparently introduced around the late 9th century, the practice was once used by the Roman Catholic Church. This ceremony involved a bishop, with 12 priests, reciting an oath on the altar:

"We separate him, together with his accomplices and abettors, from the precious body and blood of the Lord and from the society of all Christians; we exclude him from our Holy Mother, the Church in Heaven, and on earth; we declare him excommunicate and anathema; we judge him damned, with the Devil and his angels and all the reprobate, to eternal fire until he shall recover himself from the toils of the devil and return to amendment and to penitence."

After reciting this the priests would respond "So be it!" The bishop would ring a bell to evoke a death toll, close a holy book to symbolize the excommunicant's separation from the church, and snuff out a candle or candles, knocking them to the floor to represent the target's soul being extinguished and removed from the light of God.

Cultural references

• In Christopher Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus, the lead character is subjected to excommunication using this process: "Bell, book, and candle; candle, book and bell, / Forward and backward, to curse Faustus to hell." (Scene 7, lines 83-84)
• William Shakespeare referenced the practice in King John: "Bell, book, and candle, shall not drive me back / When gold and silver becks me to come on" (Act 3, Scene 3).
• In Lord Jim, Richard Brooks's film interpretation of Conrad's book, the character Gentleman Brown says:
• :Ring the bell. Close the book.
• :Quench the candle.
• :What's that? Never heard the final sentence of excommunication?
• The track "Tetragrammaton" from The Mars Volta 2006 album Amputechture contains the lines "We summon by candle, by book and, by bell."
• In the early computer game Zork (1977-79), the player must gather a bell, a book, and a candle in order to gain access to the lowest regions of Hell. The same set of items for roughly the same purpose is also found in the later games NetHack and Ultima IV.
• In the 1992 computer game Hugo 3: Jungle of Doom, a bell, book, and candle are required to exorcise an evil spirit to enter a cave.
• In the computer game Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim, one of the first and easiest missions one can play is named "The Bell, The Book and The Candle". In it, the player must retrieve the three stolen artifacts from monster-infested ruins and shrines.
• T. S. Elliot's Jellicle Cats are described as "familiar with candle, with book, and with bell."
• The Broadway play Bell, Book and Candle by John Van Druten and the Hollywood film into which it was adapted, starring Kim Novak and Jimmy Stewart, is a romantic comedy involving a coven of witches living in Greenwich Village.
• The Rolling Stones' "Winter" (1973) includes the lyrics, "But I been burnin' my bell, book and candle."
• John Lennon's song "Scared" contains a line "No bell, book and candle will get you out of this".
• In Charmed, the song "Bell, Book and Candle" by Eddie Reader is played during the funeral procession of Prue Halliwell.
• "Bell, Book, and Candle" is a song written by British musician Boo Hewerdine. It appears on his 2001 CD A Live One and, in reference to his efforts to rid himself of thoughts and memories of a previous lover, contains the line "Every night I see your face when I have to pray. I need a bell, book and candle to keep your ghost away". The song has also been recorded by Eddi Reader and appears on her 1998 CD Angels and Electricity (Blanco Y Negro 3894-22816-2).
• Used for much comic relief in Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
• In the board game Castle of Magic, the bell, book and candle are used as items in the Ritual Spell.

Sources

• "Bell, book, and candle." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2005.
• Mabillard, Amanda. "Shakespeare FAQs: Bell, book, and candle." About.com. 2005.

Bell, Book and Candle is a 1958 romantic comedy directed by Richard Quine and starring James Stewart and Kim Novak in their second on-screen pairing (after the Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo). The film, based on a play written by John Van Druten and adapted by Daniel Taradash, was Stewart's last film as a romantic lead.

Fans of the film point to similarities between it and the earlier I Married A Witch and especially the television series Bewitched, speculating that this picture may have been an inspiration.

Plot

Greenwich Village witch Gillian Holroyd (Kim Novak), a free spirit with a penchant for going barefoot, has been unlucky in love and restless in life. She admires from afar her neighbor, publisher Shep Henderson (James Stewart), who one day walks into her gallery of primitive art to use the telephone. When she learns he is about to marry an old college enemy of hers, Merle Kittridge (Janice Rule), she takes revenge by casting a love spell on him, but begins falling for him herself. She must eventually make a stark choice, as witches who fall in love lose their supernatural powers. Gillian's cat and familiar, Pyewacket, becomes agitated and leaves her when she decides in Shep's favor.

Meanwhile, the author of a best-selling book, Magic in Mexico, whom Shep has expressed an interest in meeting, arrives on the scene (thanks to a little magic). Sidney Redlitch (Ernie Kovacs), who is researching a book on witches in New York, acquires an "inside" collaborator when Gillian's warlock brother Nicky (Jack Lemmon) volunteers his services - in exchange for a portion of the proceeds.

Gillian uses her magic to make Shep lose interest in Nicky and Redlitch's book and then confesses her identity as a witch to Shep. He becomes angry that she enchanted him just to spite Merle, and the two fight. Gillian attempts to cast various spells on Merle (such as making her fall in love with the first man that walks into her apartment and sending her around the world), but finds that she has lost her powers because of her love for Shep. Shep meanwhile, tries unsuccessfully to explain to Merle that Gillian is a witch. He then finds that he literally cannot leave Gillian, because of the spell. To escape, he turns to another witch, Mrs. Bianca de Passe (Hermione Gingold), who breaks the spell. He leaves, leaving Gillian heartbroken. Months later, Shep returns and discovers that Gillian has lost her magic powers because of her love for him. The two reconcile.

Reception

Cast

• James Stewart as Shepherd 'Shep' Henderson
• Kim Novak as Gillian Holroyd
• Jack Lemmon as Nicky Holroyd
• Ernie Kovacs as Sidney Redlitch
• Hermione Gingold as Bianca de Passe
• Elsa Lanchester as Aunt Queenie Holroyd
• Janice Rule as Merle Kittredge

Soundtrack

• "Stormy Weather" - performed by Jack Lemmon on the bongo drums with the band at the Zodiac Club (the Brothers Candoli on trumpets, and an unknown guitar player)
• "Deck the Halls" - performed by James Stewart by whistling
• "Jingle Bells" - played during the opening credits

Awards

Academy Awards

• Best Art Direction - (Cary Odell and Louis Diage)
• Best Costume Design - (Jean Louis)

Golden Globes

• Best Motion Picture - Comedy

References

External links

• Bell, Book and Candle at IMDB
• "Overlooked Classic of the Week: Bell, Book and Candle (1958)", movie review by Jeremy Richey
• Original movie soundtrack at Amazon
• Bell Book and Candle Webstore inspired by the movie