There's More to Maria

I understand why certain viewers revel in "Cobra Woman" as some kind of so bad it's good experience. For me, it's merely preposterous and poorly constructed. Surprised that the very accomplished Robert Siodmak actually directed the thing. Of course, it made tons of money in its day. But I'm sorry that whatever lingering image Maria Montez retains seems to be largely based on this clunker. Certainly Montez was no Vanessa Redgrave. But - during her rather brief career - she made a surprising number of highly entertaining and accomplished films. And in all of them was certainly better than she is in "Cobra Woman". "Arabian Nights", the one that made her a star in '42, is a charmer from start to finish. "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves"('44) - with very pleasing musical elements that almost qualify it as an operetta - is also fun. And Montez, haughty and in high 40's glamour mode, is very effective in both even beyond her stunning looks. I love "Sudan" from '45, a rare - and eye-filling - 40's excursion into quasi-Egyptian peplum. "Pirates of Monterey"('47) -ravishing to look at and well-paced - is a color adventure set in Old California. "Siren of Atlantis" ('49) seems to be saddled with a bad reputation but I find it the best of all screen versions of "L'Atlantide". And Montez is particularly poised and commanding in it. Her co-star was real-life husband, the charismatic Jean-Pierre Aumont. The two relocated to Europe in the late 40's. And though I haven't seen "Portrait of a Killer" (Montez with Erich von Stroheim and Arletty), I can attest to the high quality of the moody "Hans Le Marin" featuring Aumont and Montez effectively joined by Lilli Palmer. Her final European films were also good "Shadows Over Naples", period Mafia-style stuff compellingly told - and "La Vendetta del Corsaro", an adroitly mounted swashbuckler (again with Aumont) that combined pirates and palace intrigue. But of all Montez's films, the best was probably Max Ophuls' "The Exile" with Douglas Fairbanks Jr. (made at Universal near the end of MM's Hollywood reign). It's an exquisite accomplishment on all levels. In spite of her top billing, Montez's role is essentially an extended cameo. But Ophuls extracts marvelous work from her; she's magnetic and fully equal to the witty dialogue. Her parting scene inevitably leaves audiences yearning for more. Also superb is "Il Ladro di Venezia" (1950), filmed on location in Italy under director John Brahm of "Hangover Square" fame. This one's in black and white but takes full advantage of Venice's architectural wonders, ultimately packing the same kind of visual wallop as Henry King's "Prince of Foxes" and Orson Welles' "Othello" . And the sprawling outdoor sword fight at the end matches anything in the genre. So there you have it - a whole brace of excellent films - any or all of which serve as lovely legacies for Maria Montez and her career.