name of the cat/familiar?
pye wacket?
shareYou'd be amazed how many people name their cats Pyewacket :-(
Ah, the rapier wit of an armless D'Artagnan.
Did I read somewhere that Kim Novak kept the cat after the movie was completed?
shareThe origin of the name is under the Trivia section of this site. Interesting.
shareYou may have heard it, and Kim Novak is an animal lover, but it's untrue.
shareShe may have kept one because they used over a dozen siamese cats in this film to get just the right shot, it's not just one cat through out the movie. I read this in a book about cats a couple of years ago.
shareApparently, the original owner of the one and only cat used in the movie had some not so nice things to say about how his pet was treated during the making of this movie. Not sure I believe him but here it is:
That’s my cat, Houdini, three time grand champion All American Cat. My mother and I gave him that name because he was such a clever escape artiest. I was eight years old when those fat money grubbing suits from Hollywood took him from me. I was at a cat show with my mother in New Jersey and Houdini had just won his third All American Cat title when we were approached by casting scouts from Hollywood California. They pitched the movie they wanted him for repeatedly. It all sounded so glamorous and special. They assured us that even though Houdini was a full on hard-to-handle four year old tom cat he would be in the hands of the finest animal trainers. Later my mother and I were mortified when we were shown the raw dailies from Columbia
Studios of a terrified Houdini being posed and chased about while movie cameras filmed his every waking moment. We wanted him back, but in Hollywood a deals a deal. No other cat was used or even considered for the production of Bell, Book and Candle. Houdini’s seal point Siamese markings were so striking and distinct that every scene with Pyewacket could only be played by Houdini. When he was returned to us three weeks later he seamed none the worst for wear but four years latter he died from feline agranulocytosis (distemper). In those four years he sired but one last offspring, Daphne. When Daphne was breed she gave birth to but one beautiful kitten, Faydra. Because of complications at birth Daphne could not have another litter. Then my step father, Wilbur, in a drunken angry stupor slammed the hall door as four month old Faydra crossed the threshold thereby ending that spectacular bloodline forever.
http://thecatfiles.wordpress.com/2009/02/27/kim-novak-and-pyewacket/
That person was caught out as a fibber. The stories are not true.
I have read several sources saying that only one cat was used. I also have read in multiple sources that Kim Novak did keep the cat.
I suppose there always will be a balance of "cat tales".
By the way, we had a long-haired, grey female, extremely large, we named Pyewacket, Pye for short. She lived to be 23. In her honor, we named a foundling tortoiseshell female with a lengthy name ending in "Pye". Years later, when our "porch cat" Sophie had only one little grey female left from her final litter, we rescued both and named the baby "Pyewacket" because she looked like the original Pye, who was short-haired at first. Sophie now is fixed, as is her final daughter.
*** The trouble with reality is there is no background music. ***
Around ten years ago, Roy Disney had a 70' racing sled called Pyewacket and won the Transpac
shareMy parents had a Siamese named Pyewacket in the early 1960's. Unfortunately he died at a young age, three I believe, due to an abscess on his head. I think my mother was sad that she couldn't cast a spell to save him.
shareI came across a fictional book about witchcraft where the woman had named her cat Pyewacket too. I was curious if it was merely a reference to this movie or if the name had previous signficance.
I found the following article:
http://www.strangehorizons.com/2003/20030217/pyewacket.shtml
about the origins if anyone's interested.
Yes, it is the name of Kim Novak's cat in BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE. According to the encyclopedia the name orgin goes back to a witch trial in Essex, England when a woman acused of being a witch claimed that her 'familiar spirit' would appear in the form of 'like a white kittling'. My siamese is named Pye, full name Pyewacket after the enchanting movie.
share[deleted]
I also named my kitty Pyewacket. My friends would always tease me about it, until I sat them down and showed them the movie.
shareI've viewed the movie in Italy, where the name of the cat was "Cagliostro", like the count Alessandro Cagliostro, aka Giuseppe Balsamo, famous adventurer, occultist and freemason of XIX century.
shareIn Rosemary's Baby when the Rosemary and Guy hear the witches chanting through their bedroom wall, one of the words in the chant is pyewacket.
Why should I care? It wasn't me who got killed.
neat cat.{or cats} one of the best parts of the movie. my brother had a cat named Pyewacket.Kim Novak must be good with animals since the cats were willing to stay in her arms. they even looked content.
shareI will have to listen again. The only words I can hear in the chant are "Great Goat" right at the beginning.
There was one witch in Rosemary's Baby who had a cat, but it was called Flash. What a great name for a cat.
Pyewackett is a traditional name. It was taken from a list of familiars compiled by Matthew Hopkins, a notorious "witch finder" who is also the source of the "witches can't cry or fall in love" info. The list is in the Trivia section on this film.
You've got me?! Who's got you?!
Pyewacket but Pye for short.
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"I wish I had a million dollars...HOT DOG!" - George Bailey