My Blood Runs Cold

One of our local TV channels used to show this movie frequently on the late show--but not at all in the last 10 years, so it appears "My Blood Runs Cold" is another in the long line of forgotten '60s potboilers. Too bad, because it's dopey fun. Joey Heatherton proves she's quite the little thespian here, portraying swinging single meeting a strange young man who is convinced he was her lover in a past life! Story is fairly tight, until the last reel when it begins to unravel. The chase-climax is straight off the assembly line. However, Joey is really charismatic here and had me glued to the screen. She overcomes the obvious exploitation angle director William Conrad takes and gives the picture a big boost. **1/2 from ****

Young 21-year-old Julie (Joey Heatherton) is dating old but dependable Harry (Nicholas Coaster). Then she meets young hunky Ben (Troy Donahue) who seems instantly smitten with her. It seems he thinks she's the reincarnation of a woman he loved in another life! He knows a lot about her family that there's no way he could have known. Is it true?

Obscure little thriller. The basic plot is interesting and it moves quickly enough. Donahue and Heatherton are certainly an attractive couple and shown in their bathing suits often. But this movie has problems. It's flatly directed and Barry Sullivan and Coaster are dreadful in their roles. Donahue and Heatherton are bad too but Donahue tries and is actually very good at times. Old pro Jeanette Nolan however is superb as Aunt Sarah. The ultimate resolution was disappointing but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained. I give it a 6.

There are a lot of things to enjoy about this film. When I first saw the low 5.6 rating, I figured that this must be in part due to several people who are comparing this film with Troy Donahue's romance drama films such as 'A Summer Place', 'Parrish', and 'Susan Slade'. Some of the reviews that focus less on this film help to prove my point about this.

Ben Gunther (Troy Donahue) has the seductive characteristics of a homme fatale who puts forth an over-the-top story that initially causes skepticism from Julie Merriday (Joey Heatherton), but this gradually takes a backseat to the hypnotic attraction she has for him. Some of the intimate scenes between Donahue, who slightly resembles Chris Hemsworth in some camera angles, and Heatherton are some of the sexiest I've seen in a film in a long time. Heatherton appears very comfortable in this genre that unfolds a mystery and I really enjoyed her natural style of acting. In the scenes where Ben (Donahue) is alone experiencing emotional and physical anguish, I couldn't help but think about art imitating life as this would have been near the end of Donahue's career with Warner Brothers, and appears to be a bit of a foreshadowing of him drinking more heavily, becoming bankrupt, and losing his home. Despite the eventual and unfortunate circumstances surrounding Donahue's real life, his chemistry with Heatherton is excellent here and you truly believe the attraction that the two have for each other in their scenes. This is particularly the case in the scene inside the boat where they kiss, and Heatherton slides her hands through Donahue's messy blond locks. Very hot!

The entire cast, in fact, has great character chemistry and what we learn about how the characters feel about each other, whether confidentially or through open confrontation, offers some nicely paced dramatic scenes. Actors Barry Sullivan (born 1912) and Jeanette Nolan (born 1911) are within a year apart from each other in real life and it was nice to see their roles as brother (Julian Merriday) and sister (Aunt Sarah). Oftentimes, in films throughout the 1940s to the 1960s, you had actresses in their 40s and older playing mothers of actors who were the same age as them in real life, so it was refreshing and believable to see these actors as sibling characters. I agree with all the other reviewers commenting on Jeanette Nolan giving a standout performance (interesting tidbit from the IMDb credits for Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho' is that she is one of three uncredited actors of the voice of Norma Bates). There's a scene with her and Julian (Sullivan) where she comments on the rocky relationship between him and his ex-wife Marian, who is said to have left him due to his temperament, and is pushing his dysfunctional and alienating relationship with Julie in the same direction where he may lose her as well. The scene is one that provides context of the history of their family dynamic and nicely balances the narrative so that the supporting characters are also given multi-dimensional importance within the film.

For fans of Troy Donahue who've seen 'Susan Slade', you will likely recognize and enjoy the beautiful scenery and coastlines of the Monterrey Peninsula in California that were also seen in that film. For fans of the cinematography and location shooting found in film noir and neo noir, there is a very enjoyable chase sequence at a salt mine in nearby Marina, California, as well as some wonderful long shots and pans of the Santa Cruz Harbor (acting as the Merriday Marina that the Merriday family dedicates to the people of Dolphin Bay). The well-cast two blond leads along with their relaxed attire, Donahue's snug-fitted white pants (which almost appears to be a trademark if you've seen his other films), and the bright sunlight in many scenes give the film a relaxed viewing experience while also keeping you engaged with the narrative. The black and white format really allows the higher key lighting to show off the summery sunlight more so than if you had multiple saturated colours competing with one another in a colour film. To me, it all works well in black and white to emphasize an organic and picturesque coastal California lifestyle.

Overall, enjoy the film. Don't compare it to Troy Donahue's performances in the brightly coloured romantic dramas of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Enjoy those when you're in the mood for them. But when you're watching this film, don't try to take it too literally and cerebrally - just enjoy the experience.

Troy Donahue plays a most unusual role. In "My Blood Runs Cold", he plays Ben...a man obsessed with Julie (Joey Heatherton) and insists they knew each other in a previous life. The closest thing to proof is a locket with a portrait of Julie's great-great grandmother who apparently was the spitting image of her. But he insists they are destined to be together forever...which really creeps out Julie's father as well as her boyfriend. Inexplicably, Julie falls for Ben...and you can't help but think she's in for trouble as Ben is most likely psychologically imbalanced. Again....this is most unusual for Donahue as he usually played heartthrob roles that were a bit bland. Here, he's anything but bland!

So is it any good? Yes...but not great. One big problem I have about the story is that Julie comes from a rich family who is worried about Ben. Yet, they never have a private investigator look into who he is...had they even done a quick examination of his past, they would quickly learned the truth. A minor problem is that Julie is a really annoying character--impulsive and selfish. Heatherton's acting, especially at the end, was 'different'. So, worrying about her character's plight isn't very likely. Making her character more naive, less whiny and more likable would have helped the film. And, the ending was...well...a bit weak (that's putting it nicely!). Apart from these things, it's not bad and Donahue is a bit better than you'd expect. Worth watching mostly because it's different.

Well, not any more.

You can tell by the production values in "My Blood Runs Cold" that Troy Donahue's stock had taken a nosedive at Warners. It's in black and white, is directed by William Conrad, a serviceable but by no means A list director, and it makes use of the Doheny Mansion, a common setting for lots of movies. The film was made in 1965; by 1966, Warner Brothers had dumped him.

Here, Donahue plays a mysterious man named Benjamin Gunther. In another life, he was in love with Barbara Merriday, the great-great grandmother of Julie Merriday (Joey Heatherton). He believes that Julie is a reincarnation of Barbara, and that they are meant to be together. He gives her a necklace with Barbara's picture in it, which looks just like Julie, and takes her to a cave where the lovers would meet. However, the two were separated by Barbara's father, and she would up marrying Merriday.

Julie finds herself drawn to Ben in spite of herself; her father (Barry Sullivan) and boyfriend (Nicolas Coaster) disapprove.

Are Julie and Ben intended to live Barbara and Ben's love story? And will they meet the same sad ending this time too? Troy Donahue by 1965 was 29 and, due to his drinking, was looking bloated and pasty. For a time he was a huge heartthrob, and this film was intended to appeal to young people, despite the fact that Donahue wasn't playing his usual nice guy.

Donahue possessed, in the beginning anyway, striking looks and a good speaking voice. But he comes off as wooden; he wasn't an unlikeable actor, he just didn't have much range. Joey Heatherton was better, even in baby doll pajamas. Jeannette Nolan, as her aunt, is the best in the cast.

"My Blood Runs Cold" is an entertaining film, probably not for the reasons it was intended, but nevertheless, viewers who don't take it too seriously will enjoy it.