Cobra
by Joseph Henabery
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DVD details
Actor: Casson Ferguson, Claire de Lorez, Gertrude Olmstead, Hector Sarno, Rudolph ValentinoDirector: Joseph Henabery
Cinematographer: Devereaux Jennings
Cinematographer: Harry Fischbeck
Editor: John H. Bonn
Writer: Anthony Coldeway
Writer: Martin Brown
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Black & White, DVD, NTSC, Silent
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 70 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-08-03
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Image Entertainment
DVD Reviews of Cobra
DVD Review: Interested to see the Film
Summary: 5 Stars
I had read the book "Cobra" based on the film with Rudolph Valentino. It was in my mother's collection and I had thoroughly enjoyed it.
Was really interested in seeing the film and languishing over Rudy's looks. He was a good-looking man. Enjoyed the film immensely.
DVD Review: Rudolph's crazy wife
Summary: 5 Stars
slow start, but great movie with all artistic control in the hands of his crazy wife. Knowing what they spent getting real antiques, It is no wonder the studio heads were pulling their hair out, as they are almost never seen and play no part in the story.DVD Review: Unusual But Excessively Languid Valentino Vehicle
Summary: 4 Stars
The 1925 COBRA was among Valentino's last films--and it tends to divide the star's fans, who either rejoice at his appearance in a realistic drama or yearn for something that rivals his earlier, often outrageous seductive melodramas.
The story concerns Count Rodrigo Torriani (Valentino), an impoverished Italian nobleman with a penchant for torrid affairs that lead to endless and often monetary difficulties. Largely in order to escape such difficulties, Rodrigo agrees to work for American antiques dealer Jack Dorning (Casson Ferguson)--only to find himself little better off in New York, where he wavers between office secretary Mary Drake (Gertrude Olmstead) and Jack's femme fatale wife Elise (Nita Naldi.)
In a stylistic sense, COBRA shows what Valentino could do as an actor when he was not encumbered by the usual "great seducer" scripts pressed upon him--and he acquits himself very well. The supporting cast, most particularly Naldi, is also excellent. But there is no two ways about it: COBRA is so low-key that it feels excessively slow as it moves toward its none-too-surprising conclusion.
The film itself is beautiful to the eye. Valentino is very close to the height of his physical appeal and Naldi is stunningly beautiful in a series of Adrian-designed gowns; the art direction by William Cameron Menzies is excellent, and the cinematography by Fischbeck and Jennings has a velvety quality that is quite fine. Even so, and with a running time of just over an hour, COBRA feels excessively languid in tone. The DVD offers a handsome transfer and good music score, but little else. Recommended--but primarily for hardcore Valentino fans.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
DVD Review: Underrated and heartbreaking
Summary: 5 Stars
This really is one of those underrated things that you can't honestly or accurately judge or rate after just one experience. Something underrated, be it a film, book, or album, really needs to be given at least one more listen, viewing, or reading before it begins to grow on you and you can fully appreciate and like it. It's not one of those things whose instantaneous greatness hits you in the face the first time you see it. It's also a rare stroke of luck that the original print of this film was in practically picture-perfect condition and looks as good today as it must have back in 1925. I think a lot of biographers and critics tend to dismiss this film because it is so underrated, not something you can fully process after viewing it just once. You miss a lot of little things if you don't go back and see it again before casting your final judgment upon it. And, despite being a satisfying and well-told story, complete with very genuine and sincere and emotional body language and facial expressions (I agree with the other reviewers who mentioned that not only do you see every emotion, but you can feel it too, sometimes quite painfully), a lot of the things that made this a hit play when it was being performed onstage before being translated into a film version just aren't here. Blame whomever or whatever you want for this, but a number of events important to the plotline happen off-camera, and thus the plot or story might not feel as developed or smoothly-paced to some people. Everyone is great in this; they all did an excellent job with the material and how certain parts of the plot they could only do so much with because of how the Count's love affairs and fight scenes in the original play had to take place off-camera. And what happens at the end completely breaks my heart; you can just feel how much pain Rodrigo is in when he realises what he must do, even though it breaks his heart to have to do this.
Since this was never a major film in its own right, the extras are typically very limited, to just brief biographies and filmographies of the major actors in the picture and of Joseph Henabery, who wrote the play on which this film was based. I also was more than just a little upset by the ridiculous amount of time I had to wait for this film, far longer than the average time to ship given on the main page for the product.
DVD Review: A wonderful drama and one of Valentino's best!
Summary: 5 Stars
No doubt everyone has a favourite Rudolph Valentino film for different reasons, and mine is "Cobra". I simply cannot fault this film in any aspect: visually beautiful with perfectly-suited, lovely classical violin music, and perhaps the most emotionally-rivetting acting performance by Valentino I have ever seen. He manages to convey his emotions so powerfully that the viewer can really feel the emotions as well, and therefore relate to the character he plays. Although Valentino was the 1920's greatest heart-throb and has been typecast as a gigolo and ladies' man, his role as a womanizer in "Cobra" is far from the superficial stereotype. The film beautifully portrays a real person struggling with his emotions and predicaments, and in particular when it boils down to loyalty to his best friend. The story has considerable suspense as the viewer gets involved with the characters and their problems, wondering what the outcome will be. There are some twists and turns that the audience might not expect, and which might explain why "Cobra" was something of flop in 1925, but in retrospect this film counts as a shining example of the silent cinema. Add to this superb Valentino performance the role of the sensuous and seductive wife of the best friend, wonderfully played by Nita Naldi, who has played other similar 'vamp' roles. To top it all off, there is the attention to detail in the beautiful sets, thanks to William Cameron Menzies, who also designed the famous Fantasy set for "The Thief of Bagdad", giving "Cobra" a feeling of style and elegance. Overall, an excellent drama with some depth and a morale to think about, as well as simply visually enjoyable.
Description of Cobra
The legendary silent screen lover Rudolph Valentino as a passionate Count. Beleaguered by women in his native land, a promiscuous Italian Count, Rodrigo Torriani (Valentino) escapes to New York to work for an elegant antiques dealer. The ambitious young man cannot suppress the Don Giovanni within himself and is soon embroiled in a new series of romantic entanglements--until his best friend's new wife captures him in her Cobra-like gaze. Now, he will sacrifice all for one woman.General DVDs
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