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''Cult of the Cobra'' is a 1955 American
black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, ap ...
from
Universal-International Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Americ ...
, produced by Howard Pine, directed by
Francis D. Lyon Francis D. "Pete" Lyon (July 29, 1905 – October 8, 1996) was an American film director, television director, and film editor. He and Robert Parrish were co-recipients of the Academy Award for Best Film Editing for the 1947 film, '' Body and So ...
, that stars Faith Domergue, Richard Long,
Kathleen Hughes Kathleen Hughes (born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan; November 14, 1928) is an American actress. Early life Hughes' uncle, F. Hugh Herbert, was a playwright who authored ''Kiss and Tell'' and '' The Moon Is Blue''. Her desire to act was inspire ...
,
Marshall Thompson James Marshall Thompson (November 27, 1925 – May 18, 1992) was an American film and television actor. Early years Thompson was born in Peoria, Illinois. He and his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Laurence B. Thompson, moved to California when he was a ...
, Jack Kelly, William Reynolds, and
David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...
. The film was released as a double feature with ''
Revenge of the Creature ''Revenge of the Creature'' ( ''Return of the Creature'' and ''Return of the Creature from the Black Lagoon'') is the first of two Universal-International sequels to '' Creature from the Black Lagoon''. It was the only 3D film released in 1955 ...
''. Six American officers witness the secret ritual of Lamians (worshipers of women who can change into serpents). When the soldiers are discovered by the snake cult, the High Lamian Priestess vows that "the Cobra Goddess will avenge herself". Once back in the United States, a mysterious woman enters into the life of each service man, with disastrous results: "accidents" begin to happen, and before each death the shadow of a cobra is seen. Critics noted story similarities with
Val Lewton Val Lewton (May 7, 1904 – March 14, 1951) was a Russian-American novelist, film producer and screenwriter best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s. His son, also named Val Lewton, was a pain ...
's prior horror film '' Cat People'', released in 1942.


Plot

Before shipping home at the end of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, six American Army Air Force officers explore an Asian bazaar. Daru, a snake charmer, lets them photograph him holding a cobra. Paul Able mentions the cult of the Lamians, who worship snakes, and Daru says that Paul can see it for himself. He brings them to the Lamian temple, warning them that they will die if caught. They see a dance about the rescue of the Lamian people by their cobra goddess. As the dancer slides back into a woven basket, a drunk Nick Hommel photographs her. The Lamians are outraged, and their priest curses the intruders. Nick frees himself from two Lamians and grabs the basket. The Lamians kill Daru, and the servicemen set the temple afire to cover their escape. They speed away in their jeep and stop when they see Nick on the road with a woman standing over him. Tom Markel sees that a snake has bitten Nick, and Paul sees the empty basket on the road. In the hospital, Nick assures his friends that he can ship out the following day. As he sleeps, something slips into his room through an open window. It rears up over him, and Nick screams. Devastated by Nick's death, his friends plan to ship out; Paul says that the priest's curse may have been more than words. The others scoff, and their conversation turns toward civilian life. In his New York City apartment, Tom is startled by a scream from the apartment across the hall. He forces his way in and finds Lisa Moya, who talks about an intruder. Tom calms her down and persuades her to spend the day with him. Arriving home that evening, he invites Lisa into his apartment. She is very interested in a photograph of the six friends. Later that night, Rico Nardi (one of the six) closes his bowling alley and drives home. He sees something in the back seat in his rear-view mirror that strikes at him. The car swerves, crashes, and flips over, killing him. A crowd gathers, and Lisa slips away into the shadows (one of which moves like a cobra). Carl Turner and roommate Pete Norton (two of the six) host a party. Carl flirts with Lisa, and a jealous Tom punches him. Tom and Lisa leave; he returns to retrieve her gloves, but she is gone. She returns to the party, which is over; Carl is cleaning up. As he fixes Lisa a drink, a cobra is in the room. He hits the snake; it lunges at him, driving him backward out an open window. Bystanders gather as Pete returns and notices Lisa in the crowd, favoring her arm. The police question him; Lisa returns to her apartment. The next morning, Julia Thompson (Paul's fiancé and Tom's old girlfriend) joins them at breakfast. They receive a phone call about Carl's death and go to the police station while Julia cleans up. Lisa comes over and sees Julia looking through her book on cults and humans transforming into snakes. She feels threatened, but a dry cleaner arrives, and Julia quickly leaves for work. Paul tells the police about the curse placed on the six and his theory that Lisa might become a cobra to kill them out of revenge. After Tom leaves, the inspector dismisses the theory, but Paul requests toxicology tests be run on Carl and Rico. Pete surprises Lisa at Tom's apartment. He sees the scratch on her arm and realizes that she killed his friends. Lisa transforms into a cobra in response and attacks him. Toxicology tests indicate that Carl and Rico were killed by cobra venom. Paul and the police arrive at Tom's apartment, where they find Pete's body. Paul calls Tom at the theater about Pete's death, asking him to keep Lisa busy until the police arrive. Lisa goes into Julia's dressing room and waits; when Julia returns, a cobra attacks her. Tom rushes in, covers up the snake, and uses a
coat rack A hatstand (UK), hatrack (US), coat rack, coat stand, or hall tree is a device used to store hats and often coats on, and umbrellas within. Some upscale European catalogues market it as a portmanteau from the French ('carry') and ('cloak' ...
to push it out of their high window. The cobra transforms back into Lisa, as she lies dying on the sidewalk below. Now standing over her lifeless body, Tom covers her face and walks away through the gathered crowd of gawkers.


Cast

* Faith Domergue as Lisa Moya * Richard Long as Paul Able *
Marshall Thompson James Marshall Thompson (November 27, 1925 – May 18, 1992) was an American film and television actor. Early years Thompson was born in Peoria, Illinois. He and his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Laurence B. Thompson, moved to California when he was a ...
as Tom Markel *
Kathleen Hughes Kathleen Hughes (born Elizabeth Margaret von Gerkan; November 14, 1928) is an American actress. Early life Hughes' uncle, F. Hugh Herbert, was a playwright who authored ''Kiss and Tell'' and '' The Moon Is Blue''. Her desire to act was inspire ...
as Julia Thompson * William Reynolds as Pete Norton * Jack Kelly as Carl Turner *
Myrna Hansen Myrna Hansen (born August 5, 1934) is an American actress, model and beauty pageant titleholder who won Miss USA 1953. Education Hansen is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond E. Hansen. She graduated from Carl Schurz High School in Chicago, I ...
as Marian Sheehan *
David Janssen David Janssen (born David Harold Meyer) (March 27, 1931February 13, 1980) was an American film and television actor who is best known for his starring role as Richard Kimble in the television series '' The Fugitive'' (1963–1967). Janssen also ...
as Rico Nardi * Leonard Strong as Daru *
James Dobson James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FOTF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s he was ranked as one of the most influentia ...
as Cpl. Nick Hommel *
Edward Platt Edward Cuthbert Platt (February 14, 1916 – March 19, 1974) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of the Chief in the 1965–70 NBC/ CBS television series: ''Get Smart''. With his deep voice and mature appearance, he played an ...
as Snake cult priest


Production

Mari Blanchard Mari Blanchard (born Mary E. Blanchard, April 13, 1923 – May 10, 1970) was an American film and television actress, known foremost for her roles as a B movie femme fatale in American productions of the 1950s and early 1960s. Early life and c ...
started the film, but actress Faith Domergue replaced her a few days after shooting began.


Release


Home media

Universal Pictures released ''Cult of the Cobra'' as part of their DVD boxed set ''The Classic Sci-Fi Ultimate Collection Vol. 2'', which has four other genre features: (''
Dr. Cyclops ''Dr. Cyclops'' is a 1940 American science fiction horror film from Paramount Pictures, produced by Dale Van Every and Merian C. Cooper, directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, and starring Thomas Coley, Victor Kilian, Janice Logan, Charles Halton, ...
'', ''
The Land Unknown ''The Land Unknown'' is a 1957 science fiction CinemaScope adventure film about a naval expedition trapped in an Antarctic jungle. The story was allegedly inspired by the discovery of unusually warm water in Antarctica in 1947. It stars Jock M ...
'', ''
The Deadly Mantis ''The Deadly Mantis'' is a 1957 American science fiction monster film produced by William Alland for Universal-International. The film was directed by Nathan Juran from a screenplay by Martin Berkeley based on a story by producer William Allan ...
'', and '' The Leech Woman''). On August 25, 2020, Scream Factory released "Universal Horror Collection: Volume 6," a four-movie set in which "Cult of the Cobra" featured an audio commentary by Tom Weaver, David Schecter, Steve Kronenberg and Dr. Robert J. Kiss.


Reception

The Philadelphia Inquirer was as much amused as horrified: "the snaky lady goes into her reptilian act once too often and meets her doom leaving some unfinished business behind. It's all pretty silly, and...not even remotely frightening. The cobra-conscious lads whose sight-seeing gets them into trouble are played with a minimum of conviction by Richard Long, Marshall Thompson, James Dobson, William Reynolds, Jack Kelly and David Janssen."Martin, Mildred. "Stanton Offers 'Cult of Cobra." Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 April 1955.


See also

*
List of American films of 1955 A list of American films released in 1955. The United Artists film '' Marty'' won the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1955. A–B C–D E–H I–L M–R S–Z See also * 1955 in the United States External links 1955 filmsat ...


References


Bibliography

* Warren, Bill. ''Keep Watching the Skies: American Science Fiction Films of the Fifties'', 21st Century Edition (First Edition 1982). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, 2009. .


External links

* * * * {{Francis D. Lyon 1955 films 1955 horror films 1950s fantasy films American fantasy films American supernatural horror films 1950s English-language films Films about cults Films about shapeshifting Films about snakes Films directed by Francis D. Lyon Films set in New York City Universal Pictures films 1950s American films American black-and-white films