Released at the end of 1945, "Spellbound" was a hit, ranking as the third-most successful film of 1946. "Spellbound" was well received by critics at the time, as was Peck's performance. Bosley Crowther of "The New York Times" praised the film, stating that Peck's performance "restrained and refined, is precisely the proper counter to Bergman's exquisite role;" Frank Miller of Turner Classic Movies has written that the movie continued the rise of Peck into a Hollywood star and even "a major sex symbol." Producer David O. Selznick noted that during preview tests of the movie, the women in the audiences had substantive reactions to the appearance of Peck's name during the opening credits, stating that during his first few scenes the audience had to be shushed to quiet down. "Spellbound" was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, although it was not in the National Board of Review's top ten films of the year.