Let me start this by saying my mother was a very wise woman. She nurtured me on horror and sci-fi films when I was young and created my love for all things film.
She was a huge fan of the gorgeous Maria Montez and introduced me to a film called "Cobra Woman: when I was very young. Since then I have been trying to find every film she starred in and have not had a whole lot of luck because most of them are just not available such as this obscure gem.
I have been trying to see this film since 1970 and finally, 50 years later I got to watch it. Yes, I enjoyed it very much and find it very sad this film has been so damned neglected over the decades.
The story, directed by John Brahm, takes place in 1575 and the Turks are at war with Italy. Scarpa (Massimo Serato) the Grand Inquisitor is planning to take over Venice but he runs into trouble with a man named Disani (Paul Christian) who is determined to kill Scarpa and keep Venice safe.
He enlists the aid of a beautiful woman named Tina (Maria Montez) who has many friends in the underground. Disani becomes a thief and steals the national treasury from Scarpa and this sets up the final confrontation.
There is plenty of action and adventure in this film and it contains the (in)famous torture scenes involving Montez. This is the only scene from the film I was able to see until I found the entire movie.
The print I saw wasn't in the best shape, but still very watchable. It's in black and white which isn't any big deal, but it's strange that Montez, who was called "The Queen Of Technicolor" appears in a black and white film.
Made in 1950, the film was delayed for two years and sadly Montez passed away in 1951 at the age of 39. I hope beyond hope that this film will someday be restored and presented to the masses on Blu-ray.
It was a real pleasure to see this film and if you can find it streaming somewhere you might want to check it out. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!
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