User reviews

When a sailor discovers his girlfriend has dumped him while he's been away, they argue, she pulls a gun, he gets it away from her, and then shoots her several times. A streetwise British girl from Cardiff, who does nothing but lie and cause trouble, is the only witness. She eventually befriends the Polish sailor and helps him hide. What could've been a cloying story--even perverse--is handled with impeccable taste and turned into a very moving, human tale. Cinematographer Eric Cross and his camera obviously adore Hayley Mills' 12-year-old face (her round, inquisitive eyes in particular); the scene-stealer is shown off to an incredible advantage in her acting debut. Real-life papa John Mills (as the investigator of the murder) and Horst Buchholz are also fine. An intriguing, absorbing film, though with a somewhat padded conclusion. *** from ****

Tiger Bay is the first picture of famous child star Hayley Mills. Daughter of John Mills, who also costars in this film about love, murder and unlikely friendship. Hayley Mills play a rebelious girl who lives with her poor aunt in a cheap housing block. She witnesses a murder in an adjoining flat. After initially running from the murderer, he catches her and she forms an unlikely friendship with him. Subsequently she lies to protect him and some fascinating drama ensues. John Mills plays a policeman on the crime case. Hayley Mills steals the show and is absolutely fantastic. John Mills is great as well, he's still alive believe it or not, in his mid 90's now I think. Lots of tension, drama, and plenty of chase scenes. If you like this you might want to check out 'Whistle Down The Wind' another Hayley Mills classic. I give this one 4 stars out of 5.

There were plenty of British crime thrillers about at that time. They were pretty black and white not only in photography. Here we have one that strikes out on its own. Here the differences between good and bad are blurred. Indeed towards the end, we find ourselves hoping that the Polish sailor gets clean away.

Unusually for a crime thriller, we have some pretty good acting from the two central characters, one of them a child, played by the daughter of John Mills (who plays a detective). German actor Horst Bucholz plays the part of the Pole.

The setting is Cardiff, and some of the street types are pretty good, and very atmospheric.

At a time when Britain was turning out some pretty rotten stuff, this is a film that is very watchable, quite well written and well acted.

I was 2nd Radio Officer aboard the British cargo ship OSWESTRY GRANGE, which sailed regularly between the UK and the River Plate, from June 1958 until February 1959. At the beginning of October 1958, we were in Avonmouth (Bristol), when the "Tiger Bay" cast and crew came aboard to film the dock scenes, which were supposed to be in Barry. The ship's name was over-painted with the name LA PALOMA, and the white Maltese Cross on the funnel was transformed into a white square. When we sailed, we had to have our correct ship's name painted on boards, which were suspended over the bows, and only removed when filming was taking place. Our unique funnel must have caused a lot of puzzlement aboard other ships.

We then sailed up and down the Bristol Channel for a few days, while the filming of John Mills' arrival and boarding from the pilot boat, as well as the chase and jump involving the Hayley Mills character, took place. The jump was performed by a stunt woman, who was very much bigger than Hayley. It was a cold day, and the Bristol Channel looked very uninviting, but the stunt girl was cheerful and unperturbed. Fortunately for her, only one take was needed! The film people, including John and Hayley Mills, were very friendly. Of course, we had no idea what it was all about.

I didn't manage to see the film until I was serving with the Zim Israel line, when it was shown in a cinema on Mount Carmel in Haifa in June 1960. I'd expected to see myself in the scene where the ship was leaving Barry docks (i.e., Avonmouth), but I'd ended up on the cutting room floor.

I now have the film on DVD, and love re-watching it, because it's a really good film, with an amazing performance by Hayley Mills, and also, of course, because I can see my old ship again, and recall my youth and those fascinating days with the cast and crew.

this is a hidden gem... quickly, the film transports you to a different world, one of varying shades of gray, skies, people, emotions, degrees of truth.... the cinematography is surprising and fresh for a movie that is more than 40 years old, the camera angles that tell more in a one-second frame than a lot of movies nowadays take minutes to set up and then fail to do... there are no special effects, but there are plenty of moods and thoughts carried on faces in close-up and in backgrounds that move the story along.. hayley is great, the scene where she re-enacts the murder alone is worth watching the movie for.. and buchholz also is fun to see and totally credible in how his heart has pushed him in ways he never thought he would go.... a very brave man indeed..

This film stars the Cinema Idol Horst Bucholz as a Polish Sailor returning to his girl-friend, only to find her in the arms of another man. In a jealous rage, he shoots and kills the woman. The only witness to this crime of passion is a 12 year old girl (played by newcomer Hayley Mills), who saw everything through a letter-box.

What follows is a suspenseful chase by the law, as well as a bitter sweet character study of the likable murderer and the girl who may hold the power to tip the scales of justice. The ending is not much of a surprise, but it's great fun getting there! In glorious black & white photography, this is a true Classic! Not only do we get introduced to the pre-Disney sweetheart Hayley Mills (who won a Special Juvenile Oscar for her outstanding performance), but we see the celebrated James-Dean-like heart throb Horst Buchholz in one of his early, and much acclaimed roles.

Like a lot of people, I suppose, I was familiar with young Hayley Mills through her Disney films of the early to mid-60s. It's somewhat of a shame that she was shuffled into less challenging child-oriented fare when she offered such a fascinating performance in this, her very first film. I was pleased to find a copy of it, especially being that the vast majority of her early non-Disney pictures are quite rare if not forgotten altogether.

Although it was Mills that brought "Tiger Bay" to my attention, it has much more to offer than that. J Lee Thompson, whose greatest and most known achievement was "Cape Fear", handles the direction of this film with a kind of grace and style uncommon to 1959. There are things that place it squarely in the period - the soundtrack, for one - but it has a very free, alive feeling that overcomes convention. There is a lot of on-location shooting, and the black & white cinematography is both realistic and very engaging.

The other actors are all good, though somewhat on the over-the-top side at times. I liked Horst Buchholz (who I'd seen before, but never noticed). He plays the role of the spurned lover quite well, but the character goes from being angry and violent to downright likable far too quickly to be completely convincing. John Mills (Hayley Mills' father) plays the serious detective-type quite well, very intense.

I really enjoyed "Tiger Bay" it has enough energy and pace to keep you engaged. It never drags or gets lost on its way to conclusion. For a film of its kind from the period in which it was produced, this is one of the best I've seen. This is a great little thriller.

Mills, Hayley that is (in her first screen role), completely steals the movie, from more seasoned film veterans. It is easy to see why Walt Disney was struck with her talent, and placed her under contract. The film has heart to spare, and is a real gem. It may be hard to find, but it is more than worth the search. Hayley and the entire cast are great!

Director J Lee Thompson had already directed one of my favourite British movies, "The Woman In The Dressing Gown" a couple of years before and would go on to direct Hollywood blockbuster "The Guns Of Navarone" and one of my top 20 all-time movies, the original "Cape Fear", so I had high expectations of this crime-melodrama set in Wales.

Claimed by some as a bridgehead for the British New Wave "kitchen-sink" dramas of the early 60's (the same could also be claimed for "Woman In The Dressing Gown"), this was a fast-moving, well acted and directed contemporary thriller. Probably most famous for introducing the young Hayley Mills to prominence, she's certainly a beguiling presence as tomboy schoolgirl Gillie, who witnesses a crime of passion carried out by a handsome young Polish sailor. She forms a strange attachment to the murderer for what reason isn't made exactly clear - is he a father figure (she lives with her aunt, with no sign of any parents around), make-believe brother or could it even be the first hormonal stirrings of attraction for the opposite sex in the young girl.

Hayley's dad John plays the flat-foot cop on the killer's trail, even though the girl's various lies and misdirections help as much as hinder him. Their scenes together are intuitively played by both and directed with intelligent restraint by Thompson.

Thompson garners further plaudits for his clever use of location shooting, imaginative shot set-ups and drawing fine performances from his cast, in so doing capturing something of the flavour of daily life, particularly of the poor, in late 50's Britain. The story itself may be.a touch hackneyed and the ending overdramatic, but there's no denying the entertainment value here. Interesting to note that in a few short years young Hayley would make a similar splash in a succeeding British film, Bryan Forbes' "Whistle Down The Wind" where she plays another young teenager who puts her misplaced faith in a handsome stranger who's actually a criminal on the run.

I wouldn't say that this is better than "Whistle...", but it's easy to see why the film was a hit in its day and it still entertains more than satisfactorily today.

Tiger Bay was a great movie for a number of reasons. I will admit the kid and the killer plot is very familiar territory, and while the film offers very little new it is still a remarkable and I think underrated movie. The best element was the truly terrific debut performance of Hayley Mills. Quite frankly, her performance is one of the greatest child performances ever, that's how good it was. The plot about a young girl befriending a murderous sailor and her attempts to hinder the detective's investigation is still suspenseful and clever, and still manages to be intriguing in the slower moments. The cinematography is fabulous, and perfectly captures the sights of the Cardiff docklands and of Hayley's photogenic face. Also J Lee Thompson is a fine director of children, and directs Hayley with care and precision. Even more remarkable is the credible characters and the supporting acting of Hayley's father the wonderful John Mills and Horst Buchholz. All in all, a very good movie. 9/10 Bethany Cox

Gillie (Hayley Mills) is a most unusual child. She's an orphan...and also a strange kid as well as a pathological liar. Her reactions throughout the movie are NOT typical of a child of 11, that's for sure!

Early in the film, Korchinsky (Horst Buchholz) returns from a long sea voyage to his fiance. She has vanished...which is odd as he's been paying her rent during his time at sea! When he eventually finds her, it turns out she doesn't care a bit about him and has been using him and other men for money. In a rage, he attacks her. She pulls out a gun but he ends up using it on her and she is dead. During this entire confrontation, Gillie is watching...and she soon takes off with Korchinsky chasing after her. Much of the movie consists of him trying to find the girl...and when they meet up, it's very odd and confusing. Instead of killing her, they hit it off and become friends! What's next? See the film.

Hayley was very enjoyable to watch as a terrible brat....and she easily upstaged the other actors. Her performance seemed very natural and the film is well worth your time.

Tiger Bay is the colourful and unusual name of the large bay harbour of the Welsh port of Cardiff, where this story is entirely set in the 1950s. This is the film which introduced the twelve year-old Hayley Mills to the screen. It made a huge impact at that time and has remained famous ever since, not least because it is a powerful and intense psychological thriller, with a friendship between a young girl and a grown man who has unwittingly committed a murder at its heart. From the very first instant that we see Hayley Mills staring through an iron grill in the street where she lives, with her huge expressive eyes and her sandy lashes, something happens to us. We realize that this is not an ordinary child actress we are seeing, but an apparition. No one can ever understand those ineffable personal qualities which combine to produce a human presence on screen which force everyone to watch, so that we cannot take our eyes away for a second. Hayley Mills's qualities go way beyond mere charm and have nothing to do with being cute. She embodies something, one cannot say what, but certainly it includes freshness and spontaneity and a complete lack of self-consciousness or vanity. She is heedless of how she looks, and if she furrows her brow or scrunches up her face (two of her endearing mannerisms) she does not care a jot about what this might possibly look like. As a child actress, she was the diametrical opposite of Shirley Temple, whose mother was always fussing over her before each take and just before the director would say 'Action!' she would harass her child by shouting: 'Sparkle, Shirley, sparkle!' Miss Mills's father John Mills on the other hand was very laid back and did not require any vicarious satisfaction through his child. The story is very famous in cinema history that the director J. Lee Thompson dropped by John Mills's house for lunch in the London suburb of Richmond, plagued with his problem of casting the lead child in his next film. Mills's younger daughter was playing in the back garden and lolloping around in a rather tomboyish way when she unexpectedly caught Thompson's eye and he became riveted by her rather unusual personality, which might be described as 'somewhat quirky'. In a TV portrait of him late in life, John Mills was asked by the interviewer about this incident, and he frankly described his younger daughter at that time as 'a funny little thing', and said no one had ever imagined her becoming a child actress. But it was just those indefinable qualities of being unlike other people despite looking normal that made Hayley Mills perfect for this part, and it made cinema history. She is called Hayley after an ancestor, the English writer and poet William Hayley (1745-1820), a friend of William Blake and William Cowper, author of numerous volumes and patron of the painter George Romney and others. Before her, no one ever had the first name of Hayley, and all the thousands of girls named Hayley in the world today are named after her whether they realize it or not. The film actress Hayley Atwell (born 1982), for instance, enjoys telling people that she is named after Hayley Mills. It is impossible to overestimate the cultural and social influence which Hayley Mills exerted in her career simply by existing. When this film was released, it was spotted by Walt Disney, who signed her up to play the lead in one of his most influential films, POLYANNA. Miss Mills's earnest and heedless cheerfulness, her insouciant optimism and irresistible smile, made her an instant international icon of hope that everything might really turn out all right in a difficult world. It was after this that the more cynical and world-weary of the chatterati began to refer to her as 'Little Miss Sweetness and Light', because all that shining goodness in her face was simply too much for them. And she went on and on, in film after film, radiating goodness and good cheer and inspiring hundreds of millions of people all over the world, not least the entire population of Middle America, that vast space between the two coasts inhabited by ordinary people whom the trendies of the media so utterly despise because they have such unfashionable traits as values and morals. To them, Hayley Mills might as well have been an angel come down from heaven to bring them joy, but what made this work was that she herself was entirely oblivious of the effect she was having on a large proportion of the population of the entire world, and she imagined that she was quite ordinary. Such lack of ego was, of course, the essential ingredient. She was born a good person, and in some respects the secret of her appeal is as simple as that. And, unlike Shirley Temple, Hayley Mills did not have to be told to 'sparkle', for she radiated all that sweetness and light with all the naturalness of a frolicking lamb which leaps in the sun just because it is a fine day and the grass is green. I daresay that no film actress has ever had a greater impact upon the world than Hayley Mills, not even the sultry and mysterious Greta Garbo. She became the world's tonic. You might be depressed, but if you went to see a Hayley Mills film, you would emerge convinced that everything might really turn out all right after all. And yet the character of Gillie Evans which she plays in TIGER BAY is that of a disturbed girl who is a compulsive liar, and she is not sweet at all. The German actor Horst Buchholz plays the Polish sailor with whom she becomes entangled. He learned to speak Polish for the part. The film is extremely intense and is a true classic of its time.

Tiger Bay seems to be a pastiche of two earlier British movies, Carol Reed's The Fallen Idol (1948) and Charles Crichton's Hunted (1952). It's clearly below their standard, they already have said it all, and said it better, what can be said about children who feel lonely, are attracted to „strange men" and find themselves burdened with responsibilities too heavy for a child. So Tiger Bay appears to have been made mainly for the purpose of launching the career of child actress Hayley Mills. She plays a wild tomboy of a girl that can be cute but is often just plain nasty or annoying. She is introduced to the audience as she is tripping up a boy who is running past, without apparent reason. She is given more screen time than would have been necessary and overacts the way children do when they are provoked and „heated up". German heartthrob Horst Buchholz plays the „strange man". Frankly, he is no match for either Ralph Richardson or Dirk Bogarde who played the part in the afore mentioned movies.

Weird detail. The adults all wear pullovers or heavy coats. Their breath steams which indicates that it must be pretty cold. Yet Hailey Mills at all times has nothing on but a thin, short sleeved T-shirt. None of the adults offer her an additional garment so that she keeps warm. This may have been intentional to show the alienation or the cruelty of the adult world, I found it just unnecessarily unkind and also distracting as I seriously started to worry about the child's health.

I can warmly recommend Tiger Bay to people who are interested in movie presentations of specific townscapes. In this aspect it is a great movie with a lot of outdoor scenes, not unlike On the Waterfront, in fact. Tiger Bay was a real place, in the town of Cardiff, capital of Wales, Great Britain. It took me three clicks in the internet – what a great invention! – to find out about the location. Here is what www.bbc.co.uk says: Tiger Bay was notorious. A slice of red-light district and gambling dens between Cardiff's city centre and its docks, and home to a rich mix of multi-racial communities (singer Shirley Bassey came from here), it had a powerful character of its own. Its rundown terraces, pubs and shops were demolished in the late 1960s, and now restaurants and sought-after executive flats stand in its place (unquote). In the movie an amazing amount of attention is given to the multi racial aspect. The children who roam the neighbourhood are of different ethnic backgrounds and seem to mingle freely. Hayley Mill's character sings in the racially mixed church choir while a wedding of Caribbeans is performed. Later, in the dark of the night, she and Buchholz watch from afar the Caribbean wedding party from a distance, with Calypso songs and the sound of a small steel band. It is the most beautiful scene of the whole, very well photographed movie.

It's been a long time since I first saw this movie, but it's one that I'll likely never forget. Hayley Mills is truly a joy to watch. She portrays the many moods with ease and is deservedly one of the best-loved child stars. Horst Buchholz gives a very believable portrayal of a young man betrayed and bewildered by the action of his girlfriend and of his murdering her. Hayley as Gillie is the strong one in this movie. She is the one who hides him and protects him after getting the gun from him. She seems to relish her role. As others have said already the ending seems to be lacking true zest. I actually can't remember what happened. However, the rest of the movie, showing the wonderful interaction between Gillie and the sailor is more than worth the price of admission or the DVD.

This film is absolutely magnificent. The period is captured perfectly in authentic black-and-white. The on-location shooting is now, itself, a historical document in its own right. The characters are totally believable and portrayed to perfection by the faultless and charismatic actors: Horst Buchholz, Hayley Mills and her father John Mills. Each of these produces a performance as good as any that they had produced or were ever to produce. Not one of these three could be said to be the principal actor or to outshine the others. Despite the fact that this was the first time Hayley was to appear in a film, it was certainly no amateur, novice or childish performance; the degree of maturity is unbelievable and itself a thing at which to marvel. Horst Buchholz manages to show to perfection a character of greatly mercurial temperament, ranging from great anger to great tenderness in seconds - a truly outstanding piece of acting and his is a character with which the viewer finds himself/herself sympathising completely. Altogether, this is a film to treasure and to see time and time again.

Tiger Bay is a victim of the Movie Code. The Movie Code indicates that anyone who commits a crime must pay by the end of the film. No one watching the film is rooting for that type of ending. Buchholz does a filne job in the film, as does daddy Mills and daughter Haley. She is quite photegenic. The conclusion ruins a perfectly good film up until that point. Why someone as good-looking as Buchholz would want a skank like the one who sells herself for a TV set is beyond me. I wouldn't adopt her from a dog pound. Enjoy the film despite the disappointing conclusion.

'Tiger Bay' is undeniably an original film. But even the most original films take inspiration from other films to some degree. That is impossible to avoid. Even if only in mere details. I'd say that the inspiration for 'Tiger Bay' came directly from one of the finest movies ever: 'The Window' (1949). At least in both a child witnesses a murder.

John Mills, a honorable actor, stars in this but the great surprise is his daughter, the no less famous Hayley Mills. This was her acting debut, before her Disney days. She had no acting experience before, which is almost too difficult to believe, considering her brightness. Horst Buchholz is great too.

Hayley Mills plays Gillie, a tomboy. Despite that and her boy-like hair, she's utterly cute. Ironically she looks innocent yet she's not all that innocent. In fact, she is wayward and has the habit of lying. Through the mail slot, Gillie witnesses a murder committed by a young polish sailor (played by Horst Buchholz).

There are many authentic scenes with children playing in the streets, settings of docks and other stuff and shots of docks filmed in great angles.

The whole church sequence, from when Gillie sings in her choir until she is chased by the criminal into the attic (it's all dark and she's alone with him) and confesses what she saw is very good and well-done. It's a tense and suspenseful scene. The film is generally quite good until well beyond that. Later on, it's still good enough but not as good. The ending sort of redeems itself, thanks to its greatness.

An engaging little crime drama thriller, the film is as expertly directed as one would expect from J. Lee Thompson, and both the lighting choices and camera angles fit the film quite well. Hayley Mills gives off a lively and realistic debut performance, which includes delivering a number of witty lines. The investigative police characters are rather two dimensional, and the ending of the film is far too drawn out for its own good, but along the way, the picture offers a mix of thrills, charm and wit, which is sufficient enough to keep the material at a quite interesting level almost the whole way through.

Although Tiger Bay was the official debut of Hayley Mills, she was actually seen in another of her father's films So Well Remembered years earlier as an infant. I guess we should call Tiger Bay her conscious debut.

In Tiger Bay Hayley's a London slum kid who's a tomboy and likes nothing better than playing cowboys and Indians with the boys and their cap pistols which were as popular there as this side of the pond. She also gets a gun of her own, only it's a real one recently used to murder one of her neighbors.

The neighbor is Yvonne Mitchell who likes her gentleman callers. When Horst Buchholtz a Polish sailor returns on his merchant ship and finds her sleeping around he loses it and pumps several shots into Mitchell. Mills sees him do it, but she develops a curious relationship with Bucholtz and imagines him to be the one who will take her from her dreary slum life.

I read here that the original story and part was intended for a boy and it might make better sense had it been done that way. Tiger Bay comes very close to having Bucholtz be a child molester.

Saying that however Hayley Mills's talent is pretty clear and note how Walt Disney feminized her image a bit to get her the success she had as his child star meal ticket in the early 60s. Besides Bucholtz, Hayley's best scenes are with her father John Mills who plays the Scotland Yard man on the homicide case. She willfully misleads the police so much so that as an adult she'd be charged with obstruction.

Tiger Bay is a good film, but they should have made it with a boy protagonist.

I was disappointed when I watched this film again.

I saw it when I was a kid but it doesn't stand up to the test of time.

The relationship between the killer and the girl just wouldn't work now in modern cinema.

In this their friendship is innocent (no pun intended), but I am sure if this film was remade, Hollywood would put a much sinister slant on it. It's unavoidable in a way. She's 11 and he's early 20s.

The film drags on far too much, and when all is said and done there isn't much of a story. It's a disjointed film, uneven and boring in parts.

I didn't like it much and couldn't wait for it to end. The bleak surroundings and black and white print didn't help much.

The acting is average. The ending unsurprising. Just 4/10.