Fury at Smugglers' Bay (1961)

Director:

John Gilling

Writer:

John Gilling

Stars:

Peter Cushing, John Fraser, Bernard Lee

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter Cushing	...	Squire Trevenyan
John Fraser	...	Christopher Trevenyan
Bernard Lee	...	Black John
Michèle Mercier	...	Louise Lejeune
June Thorburn	...	Jenny Trevenyan
William Franklyn	...	The Captain
Liz Fraser	...	Betty
Miles Malleson	...	Duke of Avon
George Coulouris	...	François Lejeune
Katherine Kath	...	Maman
Juma	...	Juma, the boy
Christopher Carlos	...	The Tiger, a pirate
Tommy Duggan	...	Red Friars (as Thomas Duggan)
Maitland Moss	...	Tom, the butler
Humphrey Heathgate	...	Roger Treherne (as Humphrey Heathcote)

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

sergeant | pirate | independent film

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Genres:

Adventure

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

December 1963 (USA)

Also Known As:

Die Bucht der Schmuggler

Filming Locations:

Abereiddy, Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

John Gilling Enterprises, Mijo Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

82 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Due to an oversight by the National Screen Service, none of the eight stills that were issued in the UK as part of this film's Front-of-House set contained an image of the film's star, Peter Cushing.

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Soundtracks

"Jolly John"
(uncredited)
Music by Harold Geller
Lyrics by Tommie Connor

User Reviews

I really wanted to like this film.

This tale of shipwreckers in rural Cornwall was inspired by the real history of the area. The brutal tradition of shipwrecking has been covered in a number of films and is truly worthwhile subject for dramatization. One would have thought that with a director like John Gilling and a star like Peter Cushing that a well done tragic story would result.

Peter Cushing plays Squire Trevenyan. The Squire is the sole judge and jury for the area and is periodically backed up by soldiers. His efforts succeed in nabbing a group of smugglers/wreckers, but only provokes more violence. Soon, his beloved son is the target of a kidnapping plot aimed at obtaining freedom for the captured criminals.

This is truly a well crafted film. It seems to have the makings of an excellent film: strong cast, excellent shooting locations, good cinematography, and strong production values. Unfortunately, the story just didn't grab me. The result was tepid. In fact, "dull" is closer to the mark. Nevertheless, die hard fans of Peter Cushing, John Gilling, or the genre should probably still give it a chance. Perhaps others will see something in it that I missed. I really wanted to like this film, I really did.