Trauma

TRAUMA-1962-After walking around in the dark, 15 year old Emiline discovers her murdered aunt's body floating in a pool. After the credits, it's 6 years later and Emiline (Lyn Bari) returns to the house where it happened with her husband Warren (John Conte), a weird friend of her dead aunt’s who seemed to propose marriage to her when she was 15. Caretaker Luther (Warren Kemmerling) and his nephew Craig (David Garner) are there to greet her. Unfortunately Emiline has suffered a trauma and can only remember 6 of her last 21 years. After talking to Mr. Hall (William Bissell), who's handling the estate, it's obvious Warren has an ulterior motive involving her money. Later when Emiline is out canoeing alone numb skull Craig overturns her canoe as a joke. She becomes hysterical but it seems to jog her memory. While exploring a closed wing she gets very excited when she finds an old doll of hers. Then she discovers the picture of a young boy. Later Warren tells her the boy is Everett, Aunt Helen’s son who died in Geneva after having an accident that affected his brain. While Warren is away someone destroys Emiline’s painting. All we see is a gloved hand and hear some snorting.

Craig has a problem with the horse stables. They were made bigger for some reason. He thinks it's strange. He and Emiline break into the shuttered stable and find a room fully furnished, leading them to believe Everett may not have died in Geneva. Later Hall tells Craig that Warren is a con man after his wife's money so he can pay off some big debts. After Emiline has a dream that Everett is in her room (was it a dream?), Craig makes a suspicious phone call that he has to drive Warren somewhere. During their ride Warren reveals he’s sent two men to kill Emiline. He makes Craig continue the trip at gunpoint. While they tussle for the gun, Emiline has an encounter with a stuffed gorilla. 

The stupid end comes with a Treasury agent’s explanation wrapping up some loose ends and the real murderer of aunt Helen is revealed as most of the other suspects are cleared. This low budget psychological thriller has some good scenes but the ending seems tacked on. This is the only film directed by Robert M. Young a screenwriter for TV who also penned Disney's ESCAPE FROM WITCH MOUNTAIN.

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