Cobra Woman

The fourth of a half-dozen romantic adventures starring exotic Maria Montez and beefy Jon Hall made by Universal between 1942 and 1945, this goofily opulent 1944 piece of kitsch is usually considered the best, or at least most memorable. Montez plays twin sisters—sweet Tollea, who is kidnapped just as she is about to wed sailor Ramu (Hall), and evil Naja, who rules Cobra Island as the chief priestess of its snake cult. Tollea has been brought to the island by its aged queen, who intends for Tollea to displace Naja and rule justly, ending the human sacrifices to the volcano god that Naja and the wicked high priest have employed to keep people under their thumb. Ramu follows Tollea to Cobra Island and, with the help of his wisecracking sidekick Kado (Sabu), helps his fiancée end Naja’s tyranny and restore peace and harmony. Cobra Woman, which was co-written by Richard Brooks and directed by Robert Siodmak, also features Lon Chaney, Jr. as a hulking mute who abducts Tollea but turns out to be a good guy. The film is festooned with absurd dialogue and ludicrous bits of business, not the least being Montez’s hilarious cobra dance, performed in a tight-fitting dress of silver sequins. But it is also an almost perfect showcase for Montez, richly earning the star her nickname as the “Queen of Technicolor.” Bowing on Blu-ray with extras including an audio commentary by film historian Phillipa Berry, this acknowledged camp classic is recommended. (F. Swietek)