Cookie Cutter Supernatural Thriller that Reeks of Anthology TV, like "The Twilight Zone" or "Thriller". Popular Shows in the Late Fifties and Early Sixties. Troy Donahue who was Almost but Not Quite a Major Hollywood Star that Shined for a Few Films and then Burned Out on TV Gigs and Booze. William Conrad Directs without much Enthusiasm and the Movie Suffers from Bland Cinematography, Sets, and Dialog and is only the Least Bit Interesting Outdoors.Joey Heatherton was a Cutie that Never Attained a Long Career but was a serviceable Actress with a High Pitched Voice and a Highly Curvaceous Body. Barry Sullivan Chews the Scenery Playing the Domineering Father and Cutthroat Capitalist. He Thrashes about and Yells a lot, but is still Upstaged by Jeanette Nolan as a Sympathetic and all Knowing Aunt. Nicolas Coaster is the Third Wheel of the Reincarnation Romance between Troy and Joey and it's a Pretty Good Performance.But its all so Routine without as much as a Boo and the End Chase Scene goes on Forever where Nothing much Happens and is very Predictable. Overall, the Movie Barely makes Passable Entertainment, with just Enough Talent hanging around the Set to make this Watchable, but In the End it is a Styleless and somewhat Silly Misfire.

Plot—A polite but obscure young man gains entrée into a wealthy household by claiming he and the family's daughter are reincarnations of past lovers. He's got just enough family secrets to lend some credence to the outlandish claim.For a psychological thriller (why else the title) the film never achieves needed menace. Frankly the role is outside actor Donahue's limited range. Here he comes across more as a blandly mixed up beach boy than anything psychopathic. Thus the narrative unfolds rather than rivets. Heatherton is okay as the object of Gunther's (Donahue) obsession; at the same time, I almost forgot my Gidget flashbacks during the beach scenes. Actually I was most impressed with the unknown Coaster as the buttoned-down attorney, Harry. His sudden turnabout in that showdown scene with Merrivale (Sullivan) is impressive. Harry goes from a passive yes-man to a razor sharp critic in a scene that is both well scripted and acted, and may very well be the film's best.Too bad RKO of the late 40's didn't get the project first. For b&w photography, they would have known what to do with noir material like this. Here the narrative is unfortunately filmed in flat style, at the same time the direction remains largely impassive. Consider what Anthony Mann or John Brahm could have done with, say, the boyish Robert Walker of Strangers on a Train (1951) as Gunther. Perhaps that's not very fair. But considering the potential this film shows, some such comparison is irresistible. Anyway, Donahue's rather sad career again shows the hazards of Hollywood. After all, like many youngsters, his brief moment depended more on youthful good looks than on talent. Too bad he didn't transition into a post-Hollywood career or marriage as many of his peers managed to do. All in all, I prefer to remember him from A Summer Place (1959) rather than for this obscurity.(In passing--The topic of reincarnation briefly seized public attention in 1956 when a Colorado housewife, under hypnosis, claimed to be a reincarnation of an Irish girl, Bridey Murphy, from a century earlier. Apparently, the housewife had the brogue down pat and was just convincing enough to invite serious attention. For a while, many folks were undergoing hypnosis to maybe investigate their own previous lives. Anyway, the fad soon died out, but, for better or worse, I'm reminded of it by this movie.)

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.

This silly potboiler starts out promisingly enough to get you hooked, but sadly veers off track toward the end. However, the plot is not the reason to watch this film. It's the 1965 trappings - the cars, the clothes, the sharp-focus black & white photography - that keep you glued to this picture. It's an inadvertent but accurate time capsule. Viewers with a camp sensibility will have a field day with Jeanette Nolan's hairdos alone. Each scene she's in brings yet another mind- blowing creation which we're supposed to believe she whips up on her own. Joey Heatherton sports a few odd coifs herself. Joey was a fine 60's-style sex kitten and her look is immortalized here. Troy Donahue's acting skills, which were passable in previous films, here prove why his career didn't last much longer. Nice scenery along California's 17-mile Drive. Watch this film for a guilty wallow in 1965 mindset.