My Blood Runs Cold

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.