Cult Of The Cobra

This film isn’t often mentioned in B movie circles, probably because of the comparatively high production values and top-notch cast, but the oh-so-1950s story line makes Cult of the Cobra worthy of inclusion here. The silly premise (a woman turning into a snake to enact a curse) is like a house of cards, held erect only by fine performances from the likes of Faith Domergue, Richard Long, and Marshall Thompson. The story centers around six Air Force buddies who snuck into a ceremony conducted by a cult of cobra worshipers. When their presence is discovered, the high priest curses the men, condemning all six to death. Back in the States, and presumably with all that curse nonsense behind them, the men start dying mysteriously one by one. The series of deaths seem to coincide with the arrival of Lisa Moya, portrayed in a subtle performance by Faith Domergue. Lisa had moved into an apartment across the hall from one of our Air Force buddies, Tom Markel, skillfully played by Marshall Thompson. Tom was just “given the ozone” by his girl Julia, who in fact accepted a proposal from Tom’s Air Force bud Paul, so he starts putting the moves on Lisa. It’s Paul who first suspects that there’s something not quite right about Lisa, but Tom has already fallen in love with her, and oddly enough he’s managed to charm the cobra woman (heh heh) and the feeling is reciprocated. This ill-fated romance reaches a heartbreaking conclusion when Tom battles a cobra that’s menacing Julia, tossing it out a window. Below he sees that the snake has morphed into the dead form of Lisa on the street below.

As I alluded to earlier, Cult of the Cobra would have been a laugh riot had it been a lower-quality production. But Universal had more than a little experience with the horror genre, and the result is a genuinely suspenseful film. 

Trivia:
Cult of the Cobra was originally released on a double-bill with Revenge of the Creature. (B-Movie Madness)