9 Lives

What to do with a film with only 35 minutes’ worth of leading lady, because she exited the project before its completion?

Try this one: In writer-director Larry Cohen’s “Wicked Stepmother,” Bette Davis’ character becomes . . . Barbara Carrera!

Well, it took some doing. The fantasy yarn about a witch, who threatens to destroy the blissful existence of a family, went through a transformation. See, the script originally called for Carrera to play a woman who was actually a cat (who had been transformed). The final film finds Davis’ character “transformed” into Carrera. Got that?

Cohen said, “I’m not certain this type of solution has ever been effected before, but then, not too many films have been done about witches.”

Of Davis’ departure, he remarked: “It was totally amicable. A couple of weeks into filming, she developed serious dental problems. She needed immediate bridge repair and while that was being done, further dental problems were discovered that needed immediate attention.”

Cohen wound up shooting around the actress for a week and then suspended filming for two weeks. He met with Davis and it was mutually agreed that she would depart, Cohen related.

Asked for her side of the story, Davis, reached at home, told us, “No comment. I absolutely will never comment on this film.”

MGM/UA lets loose “Wicked Stepmother” next February.