Tiger Bay **** (1959, Hayley Mills, Horst Buchholz, John Mills, Yvonne Mitchell) – Classic Movie Review 3,669

Director J Lee Thompson’s taut, carefully scripted, well-acted 1959 thriller Tiger Bay stars 12-year-old Hayley Mills, who is superb in her film début as Gillie, a Cardiff dockland tomboy waif who observes Polish merchant marine Korchinsky (Horst Buchholz) kill his faithless girlfriend.

The sailor abducts her and goes on the run, but she bonds with him and tries to protect him from the long arm of the law and thwart a police inspector, Superintendent Graham (John Mills), and Detective Sergeant Harvey (George Selway) in their investigation.

John Hawkesworth and Shelley Smith’s screenplay, based on the novel Rodolphe et le Revolveur by Noël Calef, is both credible and thoughtful and intelligent. It is ideal material for the acting talent available here. Cinematographer Eric Cross shoots in eye-catching black and white.

Tiger Bay was a deserved big hit for the Mills father and daughter team, and for its British production company, the Rank Organisation. Hayley was so appealing that she was snapped up by Disney and went on to win a special Oscar for Pollyanna, the Juvenile Award for the most outstanding juvenile performance during 1960.

Hayley Mills fell madly in love with Horst Buchholz.

John Mills recalled: ‘Hayley fell madly in love with Horst, who gave a terrific performance in the film.’

Also in the cast are Megs Jenkins, Anthony Dawson, Yvonne Mitchell, Meredith Edwards, Shari, Christopher Rhodes, Kenneth Griffith, George Pastell, Paul Stassino, Edward Cast, E Eynon Evans, Rachel Thomas, David Davies, Marianne Stone, Marne Maitland, Brian Hammond, Michael Anderson Jr, and Glyn Houston.

Tiger Bay is directed by J Lee Thompson, runs 105 minutes, is made by Independent Artists, is released by Rank, is written by John Hawkesworth and Shelley Smith, is shot by Eric Cross, is produced by Julian Wintle, Leslie Parkyn and John Hawkesworth, is scored by Laurie Johnson, and is designed by Edward Carrick.

J Lee Thompson went on to direct the original Cape Fear (1962).

Horst Buchholz went on to appear in One, Two, Three (1961) and The Magnificent Seven (1960).

Hayley Mills went on to appear in Whistle Down the Wind (1961), The Parent Trap (1961), Summer Magic (1963) and The Moon-Spinners (1964).

Esteemed composer Laurie Johnson worked on many popular TV series, including The Avengers, The Professionals, Animal Magic, This Is Your Life and Jason King. His film credits include Dr Strangelove, Tiger Bay and It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet.

Esteemed composer Laurie Johnson died at the age of 96 on 16 January 2024. He worked on many popular films and TV series, including TV’s The Avengers, The Professionals, Animal Magic, This Is Your Life and Jason King. His film credits include Dr Strangelove, Tiger Bay and It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet. He became co-owner of Gainsborough Pictures, which filmed Barbara Cartland novels A Duel of Hearts, Hazard of Hearts, The Lady and The Highwayman and A Ghost in Monte Carlo, which he also scored.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3,669

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