the john van druten broadway hit be bring to the screen with a maximum of star power in this romantic fantasy about a modern day witch who beguile a successful manhattan publisher . james stewart may get top billing and but it be kim novak who steal the show a one of the most alluring witch ever to cast a spell on the movie screen . the lead pairing be and in fact and one of the movie few weakness represent the gray haired stewart seem a bit old for the role and and while it be easy to see why he fall hard for novak and it a little harder to understand what she find attractive about him and a they seem mismatch in temperment and outlook . ( it be one of the story amuse conceit that witch and warlock be portray a greenwich village beatnik and bohemian . ) curiously and the stewart novak pair would generate a lot more heat in vertigo and release the same year a this film and but then vertigo have a compelling suspense story and and the benefit of alfred hitchcock direction . the film comic moment be mostly provide by the stellar supporting cast and include a young jack lemmon ( a kim warlock brother ) and elsa lanchester ( their ditzy aunt ) and and ernie kovacs ( . ) a a befuddled writer . hermione gingold even show up in a hilarious cameo a a sort of grand witch . there lot to like in this movie wit and romance and and a great cast that be and if you can possibly take your eye off the enchant miss novak . i have see the movie a half a dozen time and and i never can .