On this day, February 3, 1989, the dark comedy Wicked Stepmother premiered in theaters. Directed by Larry Cohen, the film starred Bette Davis and Barbara Carrera in a bizarre supernatural tale about a witchy stepmother who wreaks havoc on her new family.
The film is mostly remembered for its troubled production, as Bette Davis, who was initially the lead, left the project after only a few days of filming due to health issues and disputes with the director. Her role was rewritten, and Barbara Carrera took over as a shape-shifting version of Davis’s character, leading to a disjointed and unusual final product. With a budget of $2.5 million, Wicked Stepmother performed poorly at the box office, earning just $43,000.
Fun fact: Wicked Stepmother was the last film of Bette Davis’s legendary career, though she later distanced herself from it due to creative differences.
Trivia question: What was the name of Bette Davis’s character in Wicked Stepmother
The film is mostly remembered for its troubled production, as Bette Davis, who was initially the lead, left the project after only a few days of filming due to health issues and disputes with the director. Her role was rewritten, and Barbara Carrera took over as a shape-shifting version of Davis’s character, leading to a disjointed and unusual final product. With a budget of $2.5 million, Wicked Stepmother performed poorly at the box office, earning just $43,000.
Fun fact: Wicked Stepmother was the last film of Bette Davis’s legendary career, though she later distanced herself from it due to creative differences.
Trivia question: What was the name of Bette Davis’s character in Wicked Stepmother
