Cult of the Cobra
| Cult of the Cobra | |
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| Directed by | Francis D. Lyon |
| Produced by | Howard Pine |
| Written by | Jerry Davis |
| Starring |
Faith Domergue Richard Long Jack Kelly David Janssen Marshall Thompson Edward Platt |
| Cinematography | Russell Metty |
| Distributed by | Universal-International |
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Release date
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Cult of the Cobra is an independently made 1955 American black-and-white horror film, produced by Howard Pine, directed by Francis D. Lyon, that stars Faith Domergue, Richard Long, Jack Kelly, William Reynolds, and David Janssen. The film was released by Universal-International on a double bill with Revenge of the Creature.
Six American officers witness the secret ritual of Lamians (worshipers of women who can change into serpents). When the soldiers are discovered by the snake cult, the High Lamian Priestess vows that "the Cobra Goddess will avenge herself". Once back in the United States, a mysterious woman enters into the life of each service man, with disastrous results: "accidents" begin to happen, and before each death the shadow of a cobra is seen.
Shortly before shipping home at the end of World War II, six American Air Force officers explore an Asian bazaar. A snake charmer, Daru, allows the men to take pictures of him holding a cobra. Paul Abel mentions the strange cult of the Lamians, who worship snakes and believe that there are people who can transform into them. Daru says quietly that, for a price, Paul can see this for himself.
Daru takes the men to the secret Lamian temple, impressing upon them the danger of what they are doing and warning them that if caught, it will mean their deaths. The six observe a ceremonial dance symbolizing the rescue of the Lamian people by their Cobra Goddess. As the lithe female dancer slides back into a woven basket, the drunk Nick Hommel disregards Daru's warnings and takes a photograph. The temple erupts as the Lamians react in outrage, and their high priest pronounces a death curse on the intruders.
Nick fights free of two Lamians and grabs the woven basket (now containing a cobra) from the temple's platform before fleeing. Daru is killed by his fellow Lamians, while the other servicemen set fire to the temple to cover their escape. They speed away in their jeep, but slam to a halt when they see Nick lying in the road, a woman standing over him. Tom Markel pursues the woman, but she vanishes. He returns to Nick, who is suffering from a snake bite. As Tom tends him, Paul looks worriedly at the empty woven basket lying in the road.
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