The third and final collaboration between Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Sabu saw their talents complemented by one of Universal’s biggest names, Lon Chaney, and two filmmakers who would achieve great distinction, Richard Brooks (co-screenplay) and Robert Siodmark. If you had to pay your dues, why not on enjoyable tosh like this?
This one starts with Maria and Jon already going out – they’re engaged to be married, plans which are thrown when Maria is abducted by her people and taken to Cobra Island. It turns out that Maria is actually descended from a nasty tribe, and Jon heads off to fetch her with Sabu.
This film feels very Tarzan, complete with a lost civilisation ruled by an evil princess, plenty of action, and a comic chimpanzee. It is more fantastical than their other movies, with outrageous head gear and a strong element of magic. Maria has been brought back in order to help her people against her evil twin sister, also played by Maria… causing Jon Hall to innocently go the pash (one time rather awkwardly under water), and getting into all sorts of strife. Unlike the baddie in Arabian Nights we know evil Maria is evil because she’s really into human sacrifices.
The best thing about the film, apart from the beautiful Technicolour photography, are the sets. The image of evil Montez sitting in her cobra throne with cobra headdress has become deservedly famous (it’s the image of Montez that is best known). Some of it is a bit ludicrous.
The camp highlight is Montez doing a cobra dance around a cobra then pointing at various young women who are to be sacrificed – she looks like she’s having a fit at Studio 54 or something. Also funny is when evil Montez dies by walking backwards out a window (still with ten minutes to go). This set a template – Douglas Dumbrille would kill himself by walking backwards in Gypsy Wildcat.
But the story is perfectly serviceable, it’s got a woman coming to the rescue of a man at the end instead of the other way around (although it’s not too feminist – she gives up her crown for him at the end), Lon Chaney plays a dumb ally of Hall and Sabu, there is a fun climax with fighting, swinging on ropes and a volcano exploding.
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