Not since the Paul Dupree trilogy of 1943-44 that was really only good for one entry had Universal invested in a female menace that likewise would transform from woman into beast, so in that way 1955's "Cult of the Cobra" (working title "Cult of the Serpent") was a look back on reliable horror tropes actually set in the closing days of the Second World War. A close knit group of six GIs stationed in Asia (Burma according to the script, unspecified in the film) meet a member of the Lamian cult of snake worshippers, eager to see one of their ceremonies for evidence of man into snake. A striking dance sequence turns out better than expected, a clearly female form writhing out of a large basket to creep up the leg of a potential male victim, spinning in circles until the fatal bite that claims his life. Unfortunately, the drunken Nick (James Dobson) goes against strict orders of no photographs, one snapshot and all hell breaking loose, their trusting guide murdered and the high priest proclaiming a death curse upon them to avenge the cobra god. Nick was several steps ahead of the others, found with a bite mark on his neck (the stolen basket now empty), the venom drawn out in time for him to be well on his way to full recovery before morning. During the night we get a snake's eye view of its attack on luckless Nick (the same bubble technique used for the Xenomorphs in "It Came from Outer Space"), his comrades dumbfounded to learn of his death before they leave for home in New York City. Marshall Thompson's nominal hero is Tom, jilted by lover Julia (Kathleen Hughes) for roommate Paul (Richard Long), quickly finding a replacement in Lisa Moya (Faith Domergue), dark haired neighbor across the hall, newly arrived in town without a clue about city life. One by one the male cast members bite the dust until only Tom and Paul are left, Tom a firm disbeliever in Lisa being the snake goddess come to dispatch them, the finale set in a Broadway theatre where the truth is finally revealed to his horrified chagrin. Throughout its small screen reign this film proved a comfort to veteran TV series watchers, viewing several top stars in early roles: Richard Long from THE BIG VALLEY and NANNY AND THE PROFESSOR, Marshall Thompson from DAKTARI, Jack Kelly from MAVERICK, and particularly David Janssen from THE FUGITIVE and HARRY-O. Faith Domergue had that mysterious exotic look that often made her difficult to cast, able to bring everything to the table required here yet ultimately defeated by the lack of substance. This was by far her highlight year, also appearing in "This Island Earth," "It Came from Beneath the Sea," and "The Atomic Man." Hammer's 1971 "Vampire Circus" would also capture the sexual connotations of humans transforming into beasts, more subdued in black and white but still quite effective ("Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy" would try a similar looking nightclub sequence, 1972's "Night of the Cobra Woman" a quasi remake from the Philippines). The trailer puts forth a more daring explanation for its alluring lead in their definition of Lamia: "the head and breast of a woman, the body of a serpent."
Review of Cult of the Cobra
