Lovely young Santha Naidu (a vibrant and appealing portrayal by Lee Torrance) is born with the memories of Madame Vernoy, who died in a small Indian village leaving behind down on his luck husband Armand (nicely played by Jean Del Val) and skeptical college-bound son Krisha (an early adult role for a very young and then unknown George Hamilton). Naturally, both Armand and especially Krishna have trouble believing Santha's story. Director Herbert L. Strock and writer Stanley H. Silverman do a solid enough job of crafting a compelling story, treat the subject of reincarnation with admirable taste and restraint, and offer a flavorsome evocation of the Middle East, but a rather slow pace and a bit too much talk prevent this particular tale from working as well as it should. Moreover, Hamilton is none too convincing as an Indian. Fortunately, the supporting cast is very sound, with the always reliable Boris Karloff a definite stand-out as friendly and pragmatic professor Charles Goncourt. Both Howard Schwartz's crisp black and white cinematography and Leon Klatzkin's spare score are up to par. An overall acceptable show.
Review of The Return of Madame Vernoy
