This was James Stewart's final appearance as a romantic lead. This was because many of the leading ladies that were playing his romantic interest were becoming younger and a few were half his age. The critics in 1958 felt that Stewart was miscast as a suave New York businessman, and he apparently agreed. After this film he would concentrate more on roles that portrayed him as an everyman or as a father figure.
Kim Novak's hair color had a touch of lavender in it to make her blonde hair unique. Her color was "lavender blonde."
The film's title is a reference to exorcising a witch: "ring the bell, close the book, quench the candle."
Gillian's cat is named Pyewacket. This is a sly historical reference to a real-life cat associated with witch hunting. Pyewacket was one of the supposed familiar spirits of an alleged witch accused by Witchfinder General Matthew Hopkins in March 1644 in the town of Manningtree, Essex, England.