The Cobra Queen and her handmaidens
Cobra Woman is a 1944 adventure film directed by Robert Siodmak.On the exotic South-Asian island of Harbour Island, Ramu and Tollea prepare to wed with the help of their friend Kado. However, before the marriage can take place, Tollea is kidnapped by the evil twin she didn't know she had and carried off to Cobra Island whose horrors top the nightmares of a drug-soaked brain. It turns out that Tollea's sister, Naja, is the despotic queen of the Island and high priestess of the cobra god. She also likes to feed people to the local volcano, and she hasn't had Tollea kidnapped for the sake of sisterly bonding. Ramu and Kado must save her.
Notable as a minor Camp classic.
"Geev Me Those Cobra Tropes!":
- Chekhov's Volcano: Cobra Island's volcano begins erupting after Martok kills the Queen. At the end of the climax, it actually stops erupting when Martok himself is killed.
- Evil Twin: Naja, the tyrannical High Priestess of Cobra Island, is the younger twin of the virtuous female lead, Tollea.
- James Bondage: In one scene Kado is being tortured by being strung up by his wrists on a tree while his feet are tied to the ground. Later at the film's climax, Ramu and Kado are tied up for their execution.
- Huge Guy, Tiny Girl: Hava and Veeda, two Cobra Islanders who assist in the plan to overthrow Naja, and whom Tollea entrusts with control of the island when she abdicates to be with Ramu.
- Lady-In-Waiting: Naja's got six who double as a chorus line during ceremonies.
- Obfuscating Disability: An example where a genuinely disabled character obfuscates another, unrelated disability: Hava pretends to be blind during the opening scene with him and Kado.
- Silly Simian: Koko the chimpanzee is the source of several moments of comic relief.
- The Speechless: Hava cannot speak because he has no tongue.
- Took a Level in Badass: Subverted. Tollea looks like she's going to take one when she starts to do the Snake Dance...then promptly passes out from fear.
- Unholy Matrimony: Naja and Martok are in love with eachother. The Queen rejecting their request to marry is a large part in why Martok kills her.
- Walking Shirtless Scene: Kado and Hava both spend most of the film bare-chested.
