Bell, Book and Candle by John Van Druten

This classic romantic comedy play was an inspiration for the TV show Bewitched. A simple story set in one apartment, yet it was so engaging that I didn't want it to end.

The scene is Gillian Holroyd's New York apartment, the first floor of a converted brownstone in the East thirties. The curtain rises on Christmas Eve, with upstairs neighbor Shep Henderson knocking at her door. Her Aunt Queenie, who lives above him, has been entering his locked apartment without permission to snoop, and he wants it to stop. She also recites in the night, and whatever she is conjuring in her kitchen smells rancid. After his last complaint, his phone went dead - just a little trick Queenie cast to annoy him. For Gillian and her Aunt are part of the modern witch community. Gillian finds him attractive but is hesitant to cast a love spell, until she finds out he is about to marry her old college rival Merle - and with a few chosen words to her feline companion Pyewacket, Shep looks into her eyes and declares his enduring love. It is a fact that witches cannot fall in love, cry, or blush, and Gillian feels guilt about bewitching him. The only thing to do is renounce her powers and confess to Shep the truth, ignoring the standard love potion disclaimer: "Shake well and don't tell."

This classic play has been continually produced, perfect for a small cast and set. The author John Van Druten directed the first Broadway production in 1950 starring Lilli Palmer and Rex Harrison. Harrison reprised his role in London in 1953. Kim Novak and James Stewart starred in the 1958 film. The charming characters are all on the page, and it's a pleasure to read.

Bell, Book and Candle is available to read free online at Internet Archive.

1950 / Hardcover / 168 pages