Tiger Bay (1959)

A twelve-year-old tomboy witnesses the murder of a woman by her Polish merchant marine boyfriend, but bonds with him and thwarts the police in their investigation.

Director:

J. Lee Thompson

Writers:

Noël Calef (short story "Rodolphe et le Revolver") (as Noel Calef), John Hawkesworth (screenplay)

Stars:

Hayley Mills, Horst Buchholz, John Mills

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Mills	...	Superintendent Graham
Horst Buchholz	...	Bronislaw Korchinsky
Hayley Mills	...	Gillie
Yvonne Mitchell	...	Anya
Megs Jenkins	...	Mrs. Phillips
Anthony Dawson	...	Barclay
George Selway	...	Det. Sgt. Harvey
Shari	...	Christine
George Pastell	...	'POLOMA' Captain
Paul Stassino	...	'POLOMA' 1st. Officer
Marne Maitland	...	Dr. Das
Meredith Edwards	...	P.C. Williams
Marianne Stone	...	Mrs. Williams
Rachel Thomas	...	Mrs. Parry
Brian Hammond	...	Dal Parry

Storyline

Gille Jenkins (Hayley Mills), a twelve-year-old tomboy and compulsive liar living in a sordid tenement with her single parent mother, witnesses the murder of an immigrant Polish woman living in an nearby apartment by her former boyfriend, Bronislaus Korchinsky. The young merchant marine becomes distraught when he discovers that she has become the mistress of a married British sports announcer and shoots her with her own gun. Gillie lies about the circumstances in order to keep the gun which she discovers where Korchinsky hid it. She ultimately bonds with him and misleads the police in their investigation.

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Plot Keywords:

murder | tomboy | liar | british noir | foreign language adaptation | 

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Taglines:

A Spellbinder that beats with the pounding suspense of Manhunt!

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Superintendent Graham and his antagonistic child witness Gillie were played by real-life father and daughter Sir John Mills and Hayley Mills.

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Goofs

Gillie drops her cap bomb outside William's flat making it go off with a loud bang, she then runs up the stairs and hearing a row in Anya's room looks through the letter box and sees George shoot Anya. In fright she drops the cap bomb and it goes off, yet she hadn't reloaded it.

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Quotes

Korchinsky: [Last lines] Well, you've got your man.
Superintendent Graham: Yes, I have and a very brave man.

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Connections

Referenced in Horst Buchholz... mein Papa (2005)

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Soundtracks

The Lord's My Shepherd
(uncredited)
Lyrics by Francis Rous
Music by Jessie Seymour Irvine
Performed by Hayley Mills

User Reviews

One of a Kind

I saw this movie on television as a child. After almost 40 years, it still stays in my mind, and I can, even now, remember certain scenes, especially the ending. To me, this is what movies are all about. I don't own a DVD player and, unfortunately, this movie seems to be available only on DVD. Ah well, I suppose I'll have to buy a DVD player soon. Give yourself a rare treat and watch this movie. I guarantee you'll be moved. You may even find yourself with a tear in your eye.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English Polish Spanish

Release Date:

14 December 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mystery at Tiger Bay

Filming Locations:

Newport, Gwent, Wales, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Independent Artists

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1