Dir: Robert Siodmak | Cast: Maria Montez, Jon Hall, Edgar Barrier, Sabu | Fantasy thriller 71’
Bette Davis once denied posterity the chance to savour the young Bette in Technicolor since for her it was the script that counted and if a script was any good it didn’t need the ‘gimmick’ of Technicolor so colour was her salad days usually synonymous with lousy writing.
‘Cobra Woman’ certainly provides yet a further demonstration of how awash Hollywood was with talent during the forties in Universal’s ability to squander a classy German director and the miracle that was Technicolor – photographed and designed by the same team that only the year before had collected an Academy Award for photography and art direction – on such a load of ripe hokum with a leading lady the limits of whose ability was photographing well in Technicolor.
But when you see Miss Montez perform her dance of death you’ll find that’s quite enough, thank you. @RichardChatten