By CRYSTAL GULLIROY

Hi, readers. Before I start my (half) witty dissection of the movie du jour, I first want to wish Renfield and the HORROR-WOOD staff a happy anniversary! Thank you, Renfield, for a great Webzine, which is a fine resource to us monster fans all over the world. (Maybe if I go on like this I can get out of doing this article.) No? Oh, well.

The movie I am going to tackle this month is Cult Of The Cobra and I can hear the mistaken cheers of young adults right now. Yes, there are some that think I am going to talk about the evil organization of COBRA and their battles against GI Joe. Well, sorry to burst your bubble there, troops, but I am talking about the movie starring Richard Long (the professor of Nanny And The Professor) and Faith Domergue (of This Island, Earth).

This flick borrowed some elements of Curse Of The Cat People. It was released from Universal-International in 1955. The movie was directed by Francis Lyon (who was the editor of the classic sci-fi movie, Things To Come) and had Bud Westmore and his team to handle the makeup. (Do you think they worked for scales... ah…scale? Get it? Scales, cobras…never mind.)

The tape I acquired had the trailer for this movie, which practically gives away the villain of the piece! Gee, and we thought trailers gave away too much of the movie these days. However, considering some of the movies nowadays, that may not be such a bad thing.

I digress, so I will get on with the plot of this movie. It opens up in 1945 (so why is everyone dressed in 50's fashions?) somewhere in Asia and we see a group of soldiers playing tourist. The fellows are busy buying souvenirs for their loved ones back home (especially Tom and Paul who share the same girl) and taking pictures.

Just then we see a snake charmer bringing out his cobra for a crowd. Our group barely misses the show and wants the snake charmer, Daru, to repeat the performance for a photo op. Alas, the cobra is a union member and is taking its 10 minute break right now.

The GIs were very persuasive (a little bribery goes a long way) and Daru brought out the cobra for that photo op. While the shutterbugs were busily snapping away, the group was discussing the possibility of snakes turning into people and vice versa. Oh, come on, haven't you have conversations with friends like this?

Professor Paul mentions about a religious group called Lamians who believe such a thing. At that moment, a strange look comes over Daru's face as the dollar signs show up in his eyes. It was their lucky day, for Daru was a card-carrying Lamian and tonight was one of their meetings! For price of $100 (which was a lot back then) they would get to see the ceremony and get some cool robes as well. However. Daru had to lay down some rules:

1) No eating or drinking.
2) Please stay seated until the ceremony is at a full stop.
 3) No flash photography.

Later on, the soldiers are hanging out at a seedy bar waiting for their guide to show up. Professor Paul in the meantime is expressing his views on people changing to animals and vice versa. (Oh, big deal, in New Orleans we see frat boys turning into animals every Mardi Gras!) The lecture is interrupted by Daru showing up, much to the group's relief.

Daru then hands out robes and the password for the men to give to the bouncer at the door. Gee, some clubs are so hard to get into, eh? Before the ceremony starts, Daru tells them that there is a reenactment of how the Cobra Goddess saved her people.

The next thing we see are dancers enacting a battle on the stage. How about this, for $100 the guys got cool robes, and a floor show! All of a sudden we see a girl slither out of the basket and crawl up to the warrior. (Cobra Goddess got back!) We see the dancer twirl the cobra goddess around but then he is bit and she slithers back to her basket.

Now remember the rule about "no flash photography." Well, one of the soldiers decided to ignore that silly rule. After all, there is no way they could notice a big old flash of light during a ceremony, right? Oops! They did notice the big flash of light! Doh! Needless to say, all hell breaks loose as the soldiers use a little American know-how (which involves fists and lighting curtains on fire) to get out of there.

Meanwhile the guilty photographer, Nick, drunkenly grabs the cobra basket and runs out of there. As they are leaving, a Lamian declares that they will die one by one. The group hauls ash out of there, only to have one of their men nearly killed by a Lamian. Luckily for him, the Lamian missed him.

The soldiers drive on, wondering what had happened to their comrade, Nick. Well, that question is answered when they find Nick face down with a woman standing over him. The woman runs off and one of the soldiers runs after her, but loses her in an alley. Meanwhile,
the soldiers are trying to help Nick, who was has a snake bite on his neck.

So Tom immediately performs first aid on Nick, but cutting the wound and sucking some of the poison out. Its a good thing Nick didn't wake up at that moment otherwise Tom would have gotten a black eye for his trouble. The fellows then take Nick on to the hospital where he does recover and can go home the next day.

However, fate had other plans (cue incidental music). Yep, as we can see by the cobra-cam something is coming for Nick. Gee, how convenient that the hospital room window didn’t shut all the way, huh? The next day, Paul gets the sad news that Nick won't be joining them on their trip home after all. Needless to say the loss of Nick put a pall over the joyous homecoming plans. Why, not even Rico's betting pool concerning who a girl back home, Julia, would kiss first lightened the mood.

Eventually, the surviving members of the group get back to civilian life, and that is where we find Paul and Julia who have just gotten engaged. So, I guess that means she is no longer going to date Tom, right? They stop by Rico's newly inherited bowling alley (is this the only time a bowling alley is featured in a horror/sci-fi flick?) to gently break the news to Tom.

Well, its a good thing the ball was not in his hand--otherwise Tom would have done some damage to the pins. I don't think Tom took it all that well, for he made a catty comment concerning Paul's salary.

The scene changes to the evening where Tom's dog senses a disturbance in the force and barks. Tom is about to get a Valium-laced sausage for the pooch and vodka-laced milk for himself when he hears a blood- curdling scream from across the hall! Being the All American male he is, he breaks down to the door only to find a comely but terrified young woman.

The young woman, Lisa Moyer, just arrived into the city and had a strange man break into her apartment. Tom is about to call the police but she stops him from doing so which strikes him as odd, indeed. What's even odder is that she doesn't drink or smoke!

Well, its apparent Tom wants to find out for he asks Lisa out on a date so he can show her the city and she accepts. Later on, Lisa and Tom are out on the town where he treats her to a fine lunch, at a hot dog stand. This may seem to be an odd place to have lunch, but I think its so Tom could see how she handles a hot dog.

Well, after an eventful afternoon Tom brings her back to his place where she meets his roommate, Paul. She then becomes oddly interested in the picture he has of his friends, so much in fact that dramatic music plays in the background. Say, shouldn't Tom have gotten suspicious about her questions or the dramatic music?

Tom wants to spend more time with Lisa but she has an errand to take care of. (Maybe I am looking at this with a cynical, modern mind but does anyone else find it odd that Tom and Paul share the same bedroom? Yes they are in separate beds but I still find that odd in a "Bert and Ernie" sorta way.)

While Tom is hitting the hay, we see the lovely Lisa going out for a stroll. She walks along but her pace in interrupted by a hissing cat in her path. Anyone else noticing here how strange that animals act odd around her? Gee, you'd think she was a member of "The Cat People" or something!

Rico (where's his diamond?) in the meanwhile is closing up his bowling alley, stopping to pick up a case of beer for the group's party Sunday night. So right now Rico is alone in the bowling alley, when all of a sudden a bowling pin drops!

Rico fixed the pin and is putting the beer in the backseat of his car when we see something creeping up to touch him on the shoulder. Rico (shouldn’t his last name be Suave?) turns around to face the fearful visage of--a Salvation Army lady! The lady is gently shaking down Rico for a donation and Rico gives gladly.

So we survived two false scares and we are thinking Rico is out of the woods, right? Well, the cobra shadow shows us that we are indeed wrong! Poor Rico gets bitten, which causes him to get into a horrible wreck. Meanwhile, running away, Lisa gets away from the scene.

Well, the next day, this group gathers for Rico's funeral, where someone considers not to have the party. It is then decided to go ahead and have the party since it has been so long since they have all seen each other! (Excuse me? Aren't they all together now?)

Lisa and Tom walk towards the car when they encounter a horse, which is clearly agitated. Amazing, yet another animal upset at the presence of Lisa…curious indeed. Right about now, Paul is noticing that something is odd about Lisa. Well, it’s about time!

Meanwhile time goes on and it is Carl's party for the group. Carl, being the gracious host he is, makes sure Lisa has a wonderful time. However, Tom does not appreciate Carl's efforts and shows it with his fist. Needless to say, this brings a slight damper on the
evening as Tom and Lisa leave.

Paul has just met up with his lovely fiancée', Julia, who just got back in town. Paul then expresses his concerns about Lisa to Julia, and then tells her the fantastic story about their visit to the Lamian meeting. As you can imagine Julia is expressing disbelief at this story, and I have to admit I would. too.

Tom and Lisa are having a quiet moment at his apartment talking about their relationship. It appears that Tom has fallen in love with the exotic Lisa, much to her bewilderment. Tom shows her by giving her a passionate kiss, which makes her want to leave. However. she left her gloves on the table, so he, being the good neighbor, brings them back to her. She didn't answer her door, so he went on in since he had her key! (She gave it to him earlier so that he could get ice from her place.) Tom looks for Lisa and sees that she is not there, much to his bewilderment.

Now, he could just leave the gloves on the table and head on out of the door, but that wouldn’t be neighborly, would it? Why, the breeze from the slight open window could blow the gloves off of the table! Tom, being the good sport, decides to hang around her apartment ‘til she returns.

Lisa, in the meantime, has gone out for an evening stroll to meet up with Carl. She apologizes to Carl for Tom's behavior, so Carl offers to make her a drink. Lisa, in the meanwhile, decides to slip into something more comfortable—snakeskin!

Carl throws a vase at the cobra but no dice, the serpent falls over the ledge. Carl's friend returns back to the apartment to find the shocking scene. Lisa is about to lead him away (after all, he's next) when the police escort him away for questions. Lisa then returns to her apartment and finds Tom there and greets him warmly.

Excuse me, but if I found someone at my place if I had not known about it first, I would be peeved. However, she starts to confess her confused feelings to him, causing him more frustration. I mean, this is causing a conflict of interests for her since he is one of her intended victims. The two still make plans to go to Julia's opening and they say goodnight.

The next morning, Paul is fixing breakfast and they have a chat when Julia waltzes in. She is all excited about the opening of the show she is in. She wants them all to hang out in her dressing room before curtain so that they could be "so gay" she won't be nervous. The happy feeling faded once the phone rang and it turned out to be news about Carl's death. 

The police meanwhile are investigating Carl's death, noting that there was a different blood type with Carl's at the scene. The police interrogate Carl's roommate but go on to Tom and Paul that day. The police seem very interested that Tom pushed Carl at the party the night before. When they question Paul, he begins to tell them his fantastic theory concerning the Cobra Cult and their hit woman Lisa.

Meanwhile Lisa comes to visit Tom and Paul's place where she meets Julia. Julia blathers on about Paul's theory concerning the cobra cult and how all the deaths were on account of a curse. Lisa acts very suspicious and begins to slowly walk towards Julia as the dramatic music plays again. However, a man delivering Paul’s shirts spares Julia’s life!

Some time later, Lisa is getting ready for her big night on the town. She is expecting Tom but gets Carl's roommate who has one thing on his mind when he roughly takes the wrap from her shoulders. He finds the scar that a piece of Carl's vase left on her. He then wants to know if she is a Lamian and would she go to the police station to take a blood test. Gee, don't you hate that when an accusation of murder interrupts getting ready for a date?

Lisa then tells him that her passport can prove she is innocent but she needs to get it from the bedroom. In any other movie that would have been a come-on line, but in this movie it is a death sentence.

Through an effective use of shadows (these were the days before CGI) we see Lisa changing into a cobra and then taking care of the pesky accuser.

We then see Lisa refreshed and ready to go out on a night on a town with Tom. The two have a romantic moment in which Lisa reveals that she loves him. However, Lisa is a little too concerned about Paul being at the play tonight for some reason. Meanwhile the police has gotten the toxicology reports from the CSI crew and they found that there was venom
from a large cobra in two of the victims! Paul was released from his straightjacket and told that they would bring Lisa in for questioning.

Don't you hate it when you forget to take care of something before you go somewhere? Well, in Lisa's case, she forgot about the body of her latest victim which the police discover that moment. So right now the police are on her tail while she is at the theater.

Lisa and Tom separate once getting to the theater and she goes off to Julia's dressing room. I somehow imagine she's not going there for an autograph! Julia then goes back into her dressing room and to her horror discovers a cobra!

Oh yes, she is used to seeing rats and mice in this theater but cobras? Tom hears a blood curdling scream (is there any other kind of scream?) and rushes to Julia's room. Wow, the Crocodile Hunter has nothing on Tom, who successfully fended off that cobra armed only with a coat rack.

The cobra is thrown over the ledge and we see it turn back into a woman (a fully-clothed woman no less)! Yes, it was Lisa lying on the pavement as the police just arrived (isn't that always the case in these movies?).

As the movie ends, we see a distraught Tom with his head in his hands and planning to join the priesthood.

There are some thoughts I do have about this movie, which I am going to share right now. First, I have to wonder how much money do the Lamians have? I mean, they set Lisa up with a nice apartment and provided her with the finest of clothes, I know that is not cheap. You'd think the Lamians would have looked at the proposed budget for this mass hit and realized that it was too costly, so they should let the foreigners live. Ah, but that would be logical and we can't have that can we?

I also found it interesting to see the conflict inside Lisa. Here she is, basically a hit woman who falls in love with her own target! I have to wonder if Lisa allowed herself to be pushed off the ledge rather then to kill Tom. It is said that Ms Domergue was rather wooden in most of her roles, but in this movie it added to her mysterious allure.

Oh well, I'd better and wrap up this article.

Again, happiest of anniversaries to the best Webzine on the planet. (Maybe sucking up to the editor will get me better movies to review.)