This is a stylish British-made thriller about an attempted kidnapping thwarted by a deadly snake. A young American boy, Philip Hopkins(LANCE HOLCOMB), is left in the care of his grandfather Howard Anderson(STERLING HAYDEN) at the family's London townhouse when his mother goes to Rome on business. The maid Louise(SUSAN GEORGE) and the chauffeur Dave(OLIVER REED) have conspired with one Jacques Muller aka Jacmel(KLAUS KINSKI), an international master criminal, to kidnap young Philip and hold him for ransom. The plan goes awry when Philip breaks away from Louise and hops a cab to a local pet shop to pick up the newest addition to his ever-growing menagerie- a harmless African house snake. What Philip doesn't know is that a mix-up occurred and what he's taking home with him in that wooden box is far from harmless. The London Institute of Toxicology inadvertently winds up with the house snake and Philip gets what the Institute had ordered- and it isn't pretty. It's a Black Mamba, one of the most lethal and dangerous snakes on Earth. It's the snake with the most macabre reputation on the African continent. It strikes hard and fast and carries an extremely toxic venom that can kill an adult within a few minutes. When a doctor at the Toxicology Institute(SARAH MILES) comes to realize the horrific implications of what occurred, she calls the police to try and track down the recipient of the mamba before the box is opened. Alas, it is too late. The maid opens the box, gets struck three times in rapid succession and dies a very ugly death in less than six minutes. An investigating police sergeant arrives at the townhouse and is shotgunned to death by Dave the Chauffeur, whose hair-trigger temper seems to match that of the mamba's. An armed standoff ensues, with the police surrounding the townhouse and the kidnappers(minus one) inside with their hostages. Oh,yes- the snake is now also loose and this plot element serves to ratchet up the tension and suspense considerably. A battle of wits ensues between Jacmel and the police commander in charge(NICOL WILLIAMSON) as each tries to outfox the other. In addition to a $100,000 mechanical mamba used for those scenes where the snake gets up close and personal with the cast, a real Black Mamba was also used in the filming of certain scenes for purposes of authenticity. David Ball, the reptile curator at the London Zoo, was hired by the producers for this purpose. The snake took direction very well- rearing, hissing and adopting threat postures on cue. This film is highly underrated. It has all the classic elements of a good suspense thriller along with an excellent cast of distinguished actors. The photography and editing are superb and convey a sense of claustrophobic terror. The sequence where Louise the maid gets bitten is one of the most nerve-wracking and disturbing things I've ever seen on film. In this, the producers did their homework well. This is how you die when you're bitten by a Black Mamba. Once you see it, you'll never forget it. If you want nail-biting, edge of your seat suspense, check out this minor gem. I give it a 10 out of 10. A word of caution, though- don't see it alone and don't turn out the lights and try to go to sleep afterward- at least not before checking under the bed.
