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Cobra Woman
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Wikipedia article
'Cobra Woman' is a 1944 American South Seas adventure film from Universal Pictures, directed by Robert Siodmak that stars Maria Montez, Jon Hall, and Sabu. Shot in Technicolor, this film is typical of Montez's career at Universal, and, although mostly forgotten today by the general public, is venerated by film buffs as a camp classic for its legendary phallic snake-dance and Montez's words: "Geev me that Cobra jewl (sic)".
Avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger has called it his favorite film. Film critic Leonard Maltin gave the film three stars out of four and called it a camp classic.[http://mariamontez.org/cobra_woman2.html 'Cobra Woman'] at Maria Montez fansite; accessed March 15, 2014.
Plot
The beautiful Tollea is abducted and taken to Cobra Island, where she discovers that the Queen is her grandmother. Hava warns the angered Ramu not to go after her, but he sets sail for the forbidden island, with his young friend Kado accompanying him as a stowaway.
A panther attacks Ramu, who is saved by a dart from Kado's deadly blowgun. They continue the search for Tollea, unaware that the high priestess of the island is Naja, her twin sister. The queen has ordered Tollea to be forcibly returned to Cobra Island only so she can displace her evil sister.
Ramu mistakenly becomes involved with Naja, who falls in love with him. Kado is captured and tortured by the brutal Martok, but refuses to reveal Ramu's whereabouts. Martok proceeds to murder the Queen.
When they finally meet, Naja attempts to kill her sister with a spear, but plunges to her own death instead. The evil Martok insists that Tollea perform a forbidden cobra dance, whereupon the island's volcano begins to violently erupt. It ceases when Martok is killed by Hava. When Ramu is about to return home, Tollea asks him to remain by her side and help her rule Cobra Island.
Cast
* Maria Montez as Tollea/Naja
* Jon Hall as Ramu
* Sabu as Kado
* Edgar Barrier as Martok
* Mary Nash as the Queen
* Lois Collier as Veeda
* Samuel S. Hinds as Father Paul
* Moroni Olsen as MacDonald
* Lon Chaney, Jr. as Hava (billed as Lon Chaney)
Production
Universal announced the film in June 1942 starring Montez, Hall, and Sabu, even before shooting had begun on their production of 'Arabian Nights'. It was meant to follow that film but was pre-empted by 'White Savage'.
Filming took place in May 1943.
Siodmak later called the film "silly but fun...Montez couldn't act from here to there but she was a great personality and completely believed in her roles: if she was playing a princess you had to treat her like one all through lunch but if she was a slave girl you could kick her around anyhow and she wouldn't object: Method Acting before its time you might say."
In popular culture
Universal's theatrical release poster can be seen in the 2013 film 'Mama'.
See also
*List of American films of 1944
References
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