Plot
During the Christmas holiday season, 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 African art to use the telephone, after Gillian's aunt Queenie (Elsa Lanchester) put a spell on his phone. When she learns he is about to marry an old college enemy of hers, Merle Kittridge (Janice Rule), Gillian takes revenge by casting a love spell on Shep, and she eventually falls for him herself. She must make a choice, as witches who fall in love lose their supernatural powers. When she decides to love Shep, Gillian's cat and familiar, Pyewacket, becomes agitated and leaves.
Sidney Redlitch (Ernie Kovacs), the author of the best-selling book Magic in Mexico, arrives in Shep's office (thanks to a little magic) after Gillian discovers Shep's interest in meeting him. Redlitch is researching a book on witches in New York, and he 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. Shep becomes angry, believing she enchanted him just to spite Merle, and the two quarrel. Gillian threatens to cast various spells on Merle, such as making her fall in love with the first man who walks into her apartment, but she finds that she has lost her powers because of her love for Shep. Meanwhile, Shep finds he literally cannot leave Gillian, because of the spell. To escape, he turns to another witch, Bianca De Pass (Hermione Gingold), who breaks the spell. Shep confronts Gillian and leaves her heartbroken. He then tries unsuccessfully to explain to Merle that Gillian is a witch. Months later, Shep returns and discovers Gillian has lost her magic powers because of her love for him. When he realizes her love is true, the two reconcile.
from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell,_Book_and_Candle
Cast
James Stewart as Shepherd Henderson ジェームズ・スチュワート
Kim Novak as Gillian Holroyd キム・ノヴァク
Jack Lemmon as Nicky Holroyd ジャック・レモン
Ernie Kovacs as Sidney Redlitch アーニー・コバックス
Elsa Lanchester as Aunt Queenie Holroyd エルザ・ランチェスター
Academy Awards
Nominated
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
今日の映画は1958年公開の「媚薬」です。媚薬とは勃起不全の治療に使われる薬を言うそうです。広義には性欲を高める薬、恋愛感情を起こさせるような薬を言う。日本語の題名ははっきり言って映画の内容とは関係ありません。
なんで媚薬という邦題になったのかよくわかりません。
映画はラブコメといったところでしょうか。また主人公の一人、ギルと家族は魔法を使えるというのでファンタジーとも言えるかもしれません。スチュワートとノヴァクは同じ年に公開された「めまい」でも共演しています。
出版社に勤めるシェパードと魔女のギルの恋愛物語です。
ジャック・レモンはこの頃には主役を多くやっていましたが、この映画では助演としての出演です。
Magic in Mexicoの著者を演じたのはアーニー・コバックスという人です。コメディアンだったそうで多くの映画にも出演しています。しかし1962年交通事故のため42歳の若さで亡くなっています。
このブログでは内容について細かく日本語で書く事はしません。
