The Flying Serpent (1946)

The Flying Serpent: Directed by Sam Newfield. With George Zucco, Ralph Lewis, Hope Kramer, Eddie Acuff. The demented archaeologist Dr. Andrew Forbes discovers a living, breathing serpent creature known to the Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl, the Killer Bird God, and accidentally kills his wife by giving her one of the beast’s feathers, causing the creature to track her down and slaughter her. Now Dr. Forbes uses this twisted knowledge to extract revenge upon his enemies by placing one of the serpent’s feathers on his intended victim and letting the beast loose to wreak havoc.

“Archaeologist George Zucco has discovered an ancient Aztec treasure along with the mythical bird that guards it. Heu0026#39;s mad, quite mad….He keeps the treasure hidden in a cave and visits it secretly.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBack in town, his step-daughter has noticed that heu0026#39;s been acting strangely—disappearing for days on end, talking about some great imminent discovery. She shares her concern with an ornithologist friend….who soon thereafter is found savagely murdered, his throat cut and all of the blood drained from his body. What is up? Did the ornithologistu0026#39;s death have anything to do with the mysterious feather that Zucco had dropped at his house? u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eCut to New York: a radio station is sending (handsome young) mystery writer Dick Thorpe to New Mexico to investigate the strange crime and to broadcast daily reports from the field. As the plot thickens and bodies begin to pile up, Dicku0026#39;s daily remote broadcasts get better and better: u0026quot;Ladies and gentlemen, thereu0026#39;s been a murder at the studio. Professor Louis Havener was struck down by the feathered serpent as he stood at the window examining the feather we had just found….Weu0026#39;ll be back on the air again tomorrow morning at the same time.u0026quot; u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe radio writer and the step-daughter (Ralph Lewis and Hope Kramer – not household names for me, Iu0026#39;m afraid) eventually team up on the investigation; however, while the young couple are ostensibly the protagonists in the story, it is unquestionably Zucco who has the meaty role in the picture.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor example, why does he keep the treasure hidden? u0026quot;Because itu0026#39;s mine. Mine, do you hear? All mine. Iu0026#39;m the richest man in the world!u0026quot; u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOh, the bird is good, too. Special flying effects combined with a dramatic music score actually combine well enough to make the attack scenes just a bit spooky.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eItu0026#39;s very silly, really not very good…but great fun nevertheless.”