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CREEPY CLASSICS presents... |
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THE FEBRUARY 26 CREEPY CLASSICS MOVIE MOVIE WAS:"CULT OF THE COBRA" (1955) Military men stationed in India sneak into a snake cult's ceremony for laughs. The cult doesn't think it's funny and curses them all. A mysterious woman (Faith Domergue) enters the lives of the men when they get back to the states. One by one the group begins to die. Marshall Thompson stars with Domergue perfect as a cold, alluring temptress that has the habit of becoming a very large snake. Obviously owes a lot to CAT PEOPLE and the style of Val Lewton. Some really effective moments! Suggested by Dan Brenneis, Strongsville, OH. Just got to this movie on Tuesday following the weekend. Really enjoyed this. Only the second time I've seen it and the crew on this one definately had Val Lewton films as a template as they utilized a lot of his film's techniques. Shadows, nice photography and really telling of Lewton, jump scares utilizing common day sound effects...tea kettle style. The cast is likable with Marshall Thompson and Richard Long (HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL) really working well as the two main leads. -Ron Adams, Ligonier, PA
All I can remember about the first time I saw CULT OF THE COBRA on TV was that I was still in grade school and still at an impressionalble age. Some of us (including me) would race home to watch the last few minutes of DARK SHADOWS and then, sometimes, I'd go right over to my next door neighbors - the Nora's - instead, because the boys in the family got to watch DARK SHADOWS without any hassle from their mom, and right after that, their were two TV stations in Chicago that ran movies at 3:30 in the afternoon - WBBM (Channel 2 - CBS) and WLS (Channel 7 - ABC). This particular day, "The Early Show" on Channel 2 ran CULT OF THE COBRA.
ear Ron and all fellow monster(ous) "fiends" , I am finally getting around to writing my review for this fun flick! Really looked forward to watching this seldom talked about gem this past late Saturday night around the stroke of midnight! Here are my astute observations for all of you to peruse:
Above: Vintage photo of Superhost and fan.
Though I had seen the movie a few times, I did not recall that this 1955 flick had so many stars in it. There was my hero from It! The Terror From Beyond Space, Mr. Marshall Thompson. Oh, and there was our suave cowboy from The Big Valley, Mr. Richard Long. Who could forget Bart Maverick, Mr. Jack Kelly. And, of course, there was the beautiful heroine from This Island Earth, the lovely Faith Domergue. By this time, 1955, Universal had long since passed its glory days of horror films, and was thick in its churning out of Sci-Fi films. Even though it is a horror piece, Cult of the Cobra looks very much like its Sci-Fi brethren from the famous studio. I did enjoy, though, one of the last scenes. Our hero is pushing a cobra out the window, forcing it out with a large coat and hat hanger/stand. Just as the cobra is about to go over the edge,down the dizzying heights of a multi floor building, the cobra stares into the camera, as if Domergue’s character, Lisa, is pleading with our hero to let her live. It’s not to be, though, and she plummets to her death, even as she battles the pangs of love awakening within her.
-John DeGarmo, Monticello, GA Add your comments about this movie!
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I was old enough to be attracted to the beauty of Faith Domergue as the cursed cobra-woman, and I instinctively wanted her to fight off her werewolf like transformation and NOT kill off all the U.S. soldiers who had been sentenced to die, after they had accidentally witnessed one of the cobra-cult ceremonies.. I can still remember the fascination and horror when I saw the shadow of the cobra-woman in the shower change from a woman to ... a ... COBRA!!! Yyyyaaaaahhhhh! THAT was scary!
3) Faith Domergue (1924-1999) simply reeks of tortured evil in this movie role. Of all her science-fiction/horror credits, this is perhaps her best performance and most certainly her best developed and written character. She also starred in "This Island Earth" and "It Came From Beneath The Sea" that same year! Other genre appearances for her include: "The Atomic Man" (1956) "Voyage To The Prehistoric Planet" (1965) and "The House Of Seven Corpses" (1972) Born in New Orleans and part Creole, Faith was of Irish and English descent. Which explains her great, yet sensual beauty. It`s interesting to note that when she was 15 years old, the legendary filmmaker, producer and inventor Howard Hughes bought out her contract from Warner Brothers and signed her to RKO Studios immediately thereafter! It seems the eccentric billionaire had a serious fling with the young starlet and for a time, wanted to make her the next big star in the Jane Russell type of mode. Alas, it was not to be, and Faith became known primarily over time for her roles in these classic fantasy B-movies! From what I`ve read, she was not a fan of our genre. Sad to say. Too bad, for her acting in this thriller really stands the test of time and is one of the best potrayals of an evil suductress in this decade!
Indeed, this Universal film is loaded with past and future stars. Yet, it doesn’t really click. Sure, there are some important and timely themes, such as our American soldiers running rampant through a culture and land that is different than their own. Of course, their actions lead to trouble later on. But the movie comes across as flat, and not very dramatic. Perhaps it is due to the many stilted and dull sets the film takes place in.
