Friday, July 31, 2020

Movie review - "Tiger Bay" (1959) *** (re-watching)

Lovely location photography in Cardiff. Solid acting from John Mills, Nice brooding stuff from Horst Bucholz. Brilliant work from Hayley Mills - one of the great acting debuts of all time.

It's a little long. There's no mystery. We know he did it - so it's just a matter of time before he's captured. The final scene on the boat drags especially for me. It might have been better had we been unsure - or if Anthony Dawson, as the creepy guy Yvonne Mitchell was cheating on the sailor with, was actually guilty.

Interesting look at multi racial Britain, then not often emphasized on screens. There's a black woman living in Mitchell's old house.

Mitchell's character has a quasi feminist speech - the influence of J Lee Thompson's then wife Joan Henry? Mitchell plays what I call the "Diana Dors" part. Was her character in a concentration camp? She refers to being in camps. Maybe a refugee.

Superb Hayley Mills. Love her scenes with John.

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