ThrillerCrime

Tiger Bay

- MURDER...enacted before the eyes of a little girl. She alone has the proof the police are searching for.

In Tiger Bay, the docklands of Cardiff, rough-and-tumble street urchin Gillie witnesses the brutal killing of a young woman at the hands of visiting Polish sailor Korchinsky. Instead of reporting the crime to the authorities, Gillie merely pockets a prize for herself — Korchinsky's shiny black revolver — and flees the scene. When Detective Graham discovers that Gillie has the murder weapon, the fiery young girl weaves a web of lies to throw him off course.

Release Date : 1959-03-01

Language :EnglishSpanishPolish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Independent Artists

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Superintendent Graham

Original Name : John Mills

Gender : Male

Character Name : Korchinsky

Original Name : Horst Buchholz

Gender : Male

Character Name : Gillie

Original Name : Hayley Mills

Gender : Female

Character Name : Anya

Original Name : Yvonne Mitchell

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Phillips

Original Name : Megs Jenkins

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barclay

Original Name : Anthony Dawson

Gender : Male

Character Name : Det. Sgt. Harvey

Original Name : George Selway

Gender : Male

Character Name : Christine

Original Name : Shari

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poloma Captain

Original Name : George Pastell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Poloma First Officer

Original Name : Paul Stassino

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doctor

Original Name : Marne Maitland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Williams

Original Name : Meredith Edwards

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. Williams

Original Name : Marianne Stone

Gender : Female

Character Name : Mrs. Parry

Original Name : Rachel Thomas

Gender : Female

Character Name : Dal Parry

Original Name : Brian Hammond

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Seymour

Original Name : Kenneth Griffith

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr Morgan

Original Name : Eynon Evans

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspector Bridges

Original Name : Christopher Rhodes

Gender : Male

Character Name : Det. Con. Thomas

Original Name : Edward Cast

Gender : Male

Character Name : Desk Sergeant

Original Name : David Davies

Gender : Male

Character Name : Boy with Cap Gun (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Anderson Jr.

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bridegroom (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Baird

Gender : Male

Character Name : Seaman (uncredited)

Original Name : Tom Bowman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Pub Customer (uncredited)

Original Name : Jim Brady

Gender : Male

Character Name : Seaman (uncredited)

Original Name : Peter Halliday

Gender : Male

Character Name : Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Hubert Hill

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective at Police Station (uncredited)

Original Name : Glyn Houston

Gender : Male

Character Name : Detective (uncredited)

Original Name : John Howard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr Willis (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack May

Gender : Male

Character Name : Man in Bar (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Phipps

Gender : Male

Character Name : Referee (uncredited)

Original Name : Stan Simmons

Gender : Male

Character Name : Police Line-Up (uncredited)

Original Name : John Wilder

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

I spy, I spy you. Tiger Bay is directed by J. Lee Thompson and written by John Hawkesworth and Shelley Smith. It stars Horst Buchholz, Hayley Mills, John Mills, Megs Jenkins and Anthony Dawson. Music is by Laurie Johnson and cinematography by Eric Cross. A young girl witnesses a murder and complicates the investigation by becoming attached to the killer. The Lord's My Shepherd. Set in the Principality of Cardiff, South Wales, Tiger Bay is a boffo noir drama in the tradition of the excellent Charles Crichton/Dirk Bogarde picture, Hunted (1952). The core of the story is about the friendship that forms between a murderer and the child that saw him do it. There is nothing remotely risqué in this friendship, it's tender and pertinent given the absence of parents and kin in Gillie's (H. Mills) life (she lives with her Auntie played by Jenkins). Korchinsky (Buchholz) is not a madman psychopath, his crime was a moment of madness, a crime of passion, and he is very likable and therefore it's believable that young Gillie would take him for surrogate kinship. If you want to be happy and live a king's life, never make a pretty woman your wife. The drama comes from the investigation led by Superintendent Graham (J. Mills), who has to stay on top of things whilst being spun lots of yarns by the precocious Gillie. Things are further spiced up by the presence of another suspect played by Dawson, who is all jittery and suspicious, this is a very good splinter in the narrative, ensuring that the pic never relies on being just about a special/odd friendship. The writers also provide much intelligence as regards the era, with nods to sexual politics, the changing of attitudes with children, while there's a multi cultural background to the play. Pat on the back is deserved as well for incorporating a thread about the opposing laws of maritime and those of the land. Yes, I have, and a very brave man. The aged dockside locales keep things earthy, as does the run down and cramped housing arrangements, these allow Thompson & Cross to cover it with noirish tints, the dockside scenes (and the church interiors) are all shadows and shimmers, it really is gorgeous work, the black and white compositions perfectly lit. Cast are superb, has Buchholz - away from the iconography of The Magnificent Seven - ever been better than he is here? J. Mills is class, but then he almost always was, Dawson is quality old boy, but it's young Hayley's movie, a stupendous performance from one so young, it's easy to see why she would carve out a considerable career in acting. A little irk exists about the complete lack of any scene showing Gillie's Auntie being worried that her charge has gone missing, especially since there has been a murder in the block, but it's a small itch to scratch. Tiger Bay, smart, pretty and dramatic. 9/10