Wicked Stepmother (1989)

A mother and daughter pair of witches wreaks havoc on a suburban family.

Director:

Larry Cohen

Writer:

Larry Cohen

Stars:

Bette Davis, Barbara Carrera, Colleen Camp

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Bette Davis	...	Miranda Pierpoint
Barbara Carrera	...	Priscilla
Colleen Camp	...	Jenny Fisher
Lionel Stander	...	Sam
David Rasche	...	Steve Fisher
Shawn Donahue	...	Mike
Tom Bosley	...	Lt. MacIntosh
Richard Moll	...	Nathan Pringle
Evelyn Keyes	...	Witch Instructor
James Dixon	...	Detective Flynn
Seymour Cassel	...	Feldshine, Magick Shop Owner
Susie Garrett	...	Mandy
Laurene Landon	...	Vanilla
Bob Goen	...	Game Show Host
Robert Frank Telfer	...	Game Show Producer

Storyline

A mother/daughter pair of witches descend on a yuppie family's home and cause havoc, one at a time since they share one body & the other must live in a cat the rest of the time. Now it's up to the family's mother, a private detective and a suspended police officer to try and stop the witches.

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Plot Keywords:

cat | last film role for actress | fictional game show | witch | stepmother | 

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Taglines:

Which witch is which?

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG-13

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Bette Davis, she was so disgusted by the script that she demanded it be rewritten, and left when the filmmakers refused. The script was then reshaped to explain her absence. Larry Cohen says Davis had to leave for New York for medical reasons and that she later claimed she left because of the script because she was worried she wouldn't be able to get another job if people thought she was in too bad health.

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Goofs

After having Nathan pick the lock to let Jenny back inside. Jenny shuts the door and the door handle falls off, when "Priscilla" arrives a few minutes later the handle is back on the door.

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Quotes

Jenny Fisher: Priscilla, come quick!
Jenny Fisher: Hey!
[Priscilla enters. Jenny throws a bucket of water on her]
Priscilla: I'm melting, I'm melting!
[She laughs]
Priscilla: It didn't work, did it, Dorothy? This is reality, not MGM!

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Alternate Versions

The version of this film that airs on cable TV edits out much of the scene involving Priscilla and Steve fooling around, including all of the references to Priscilla going back into cat form. This version implies that the two did sleep together.

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Connections

Referenced in In Plain Sight: WitSec Stepmother (2010)

User Reviews

* out of 4.

One of the most troubled productions in cinema history, resulted in Bette Davis walking off the set after just one week! The film has a young couple shocked to learn that their ailing father has just gotten married to an evil witch (Davis). Lame humor, poor scripting, and cheap production design are just a few of its problems. Feels like more of a TV movie then an actual theatrical release, and a very bad one at that. Sadly Davis' final film.

Rated PG-13; Mild Violence, Sexual Situations and Profanity.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 February 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wicked Stepmother

Filming Locations:

Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$2,500,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Larco Productions, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Ultra Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1