TheLittleSongbird Review of Tiger Bay

Tiger Bay (1959)

A great, underrated movie, with one of the greatest child performances ever

[9/10 · 6 December 2009]

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