Tiger Bay (1959) Brat Attack From Lie Machine Hayley Mills

Little Hayley Mills is a trendsetter. I used to rock that mop style haircut in the 70’s and here she is parading around the streets of Cardiff in 1959! I must of been so outta fashion. I guess I have my Mum to blame for that? Stick a bowl on my head and cut around it.

It’s quite the testament to her young talents that a twelve year Hayley Mills really carries this film in her debut major film role. She plays the tomboy little rascal Gillie Evans. A headstrong almost street urchin, who has a flair for telling porky pies, lies. She’s a machine, each and every time she’s cornered, her knack for quick fire on the spot stories is second to none. Soon she will meet a young Polish sailor and become embroiled in a manhunt police investigation.

The happy smiling, all chiseled cheeked Polish merchant seaman Bronislav Korchinsky (Horst Buchholz) has just arrived back in Cardiff. He’s been at sea for many months and he’s eager to see his sweet love, Anya (Yvonne Mitchell). She wasn’t at the docks to meet him! He’d surprise her back that their flat. The surprise is on him, well and a stranger. My eyes nearly popped out as the “intruder” is caught in her curvaceous super tight black undies. This gorgeous woman named Christine (Shari) is living in his apartment? It’s not long before it’s revealed his Anya has moved out. Bronislav is at his wits end. Where has she gone? He’s been sending his merchant wages to her to pay for the rent. What could of happened? I’d be happy to just move in with Christine, if she’d have this here hairy wolf?

Our Polish sailor does some fine detective work, discovering Anya had been evicted and now shacked up in a new apartment a few blocks away. With a chance encounter with a sausage dropping cowboy wannabe, Bronislav bumps into Gillie who lives in the same block of flats.  Ever the nosy inquisitive young girl our Gillie can’t help herself listening to conversations and spying through letterboxes. To her shock, this leads to more than she could imagine but she does receive the perfect cowboy accessory for her troubles.

Tagline – A Spellbinder that beats with the pounding suspense of Manhunt!

With the turn of events leading to a police investigation lead by Superintendent Graham (John Mills). Gillie’s gone rogue, disappearing and Bronislav desperately needs to get back on a merchant ship. Can Superintendent Graham decipher all the pieces of this strange mystery? And if he ever gets to chat to Gillie? Will he get any sense or truth out of her? What did she see? You’ll need to tune into this first-rate realistic British drama to find out.

A few things.

• Director J. Lee Thompson would go on to make that tense thriller Cape Fear with Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum a few years later. Also the classic war movies Ice Cold In Alex and The Guns of Navarone. He would later finish up the last two 70’s editions of the Planet Of The Apes series before moving on to team up with that action man Charles Bronson, with St Ives, The White Buffalo and 10 To Midnight along with at least five others.
• As soon as I saw it I had to know about the “bridge”. The moving tiny stretch of road with a house on it! The crazy thing is still running today. Here’s a wonderful little two minute report on it. The Newport Transporter Bridge.

• Dame Shirley Bassey the lady with the golden lungs on many a James Bond film is a famous native resident of Cardiff’s Tiger Bay area.
• Tiger Bay is on Youtube at time of writing to stream here.
• Yes I looked but to the best of my knowledge this was Shari’s only credited acting role and I can’t find any other information about her. Who ever did the film poster stuck her as the main event even if she’s not really in the film that much. So here’s another photo.

Tiger Bay starts as a love story but soon turns into a crime drama. Like I say above it’s incredible to see such a young Hayley Mills carry this film. She really is the centerpiece of this story. Even with scenes acting alongside her Dad she still keeps up a fantastic performance and you can see why she followed in her pops great acting footsteps.

One thing that shone out on this wonderful film is the way it portrayed this Welsh city. It’s wasn’t afraid to the show a more beautiful look at the melting pot of people from all over world who made up this area of Cardiff.

The large African Caribbean community alongside the vast amount of Polish and other worldwide immigrants, all living together in this rundown poorer part of the city. Black and white families all living side by side. Children of all races, whizzing down slides, back and forth on swings and spinning around on roundabouts. Whilst pre-teens chase each other blasting cap guns and playing tag. There is no judgement or prejudice shown through this film and it’s very refreshing to see.

If you haven’t seen it, I very much recommended you give it a go or if you have seen it, I’m sure you want to let me know what you thought.

I’ve been off the reservation recently due to family stuff but hope to be back in the flow of it properly soon. Keep watching the squares. All the best.. Mikey Wolf

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Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989) When Fletch Is Outta Town John Candy Is On Call

When you need a master of disguise detective and Fletch is on vacation, who you gonna call? Well private investigator Harry Crumb is next down on the list.

Taglines – Nerves of steel. Body of iron. Brain of stone.

The TriStar Pictures logo fades into smooth jazz funk as a sexy blond starts to undress. Red high heels first, then slowly removing her stockings before lying naked on a table. She is at a beauty spa, ready to be applied with a full body mud pack. Unfortunately her tranquil, relaxing treatment is about to be ruined as a chloroformed handkerchief is placed across her mouth. Jennifer Downing (Renée Coleman) has been kidnapped!

Jennifer’s dad, millionaire P.J. Downing (Barry Corbin) is obviously distraught. What was he to do? He needed a private detective. He needed the best man that money could buy. Anything just to get his precious daughter back.

PJ knows Eliot Draisen (Jeffrey Jones) the president of a detective agency called Crumb & Crumb. Just by seeing Eliot Draisen, we the viewer know this guy is a slime bag and a bit of a wrongen. Reluctant to give PJ one of his best detectives, he offers the services of the last surviving descendants of the legendary Crumb agency founders. The larger than life Harry Crumb (John Candy) at your service. He may fool you with his bumbling, incompetent ways but under that clumsy and cuddly exterior sits a brilliant master mind. He’s also armed with exceptional martial arts skills.

Harry Crumb – “Dangerous? Dangerous? I’ve got a black belt in aikido and the boots to match”

Harry’s on the case. He starts the investigation at PJ’s mansion, meeting his nympho wife Helen Downing (Annie Potts) and her tennis coach Vince Barnes (Tim Thomerson). Wandering around searching for clues he bumps into the friendly and fiesty face of the kidnapped girls, younger sister Nikki (Shawnee Smith). Nikki is keen to help Harry bring her sister back and with the arrival of a ransom note they team up together. Detective Casey (Valri Bromfield) from the police force is also called in and now all the players are on the board.

Detective Casey – “Over the years I discovered a theory about private detectives. They’re slime and without exception they are lazy, stupid, cowardly, arrogratant and thoroughly incompetent.”
Harry Crumb – “……………It’s just a theory”

Can Harry and his new assistant Nikki unravel the puzzle and figure out who the kidnappers are? One thing’s for sure, if Harry’s involved there’s gonna be a whole heap of mishaps happening alongside a super cheesy and overpowering soundtrack.

Let’s meet Harry Crumb’s alter egos as he goes deep undercover.

What’s everyone else been in?

• Who’s Harry Crumb? is directed by Paul Flaherty who was a writer on the Canadian sketch show SCTV which starred John Candy alongside other soon to be big household names. Like Catherine O’Hara, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis and Eugene Levy to name a few. Paul’s brother Joe Flaherty from SCTV also has a bit part in the film.
• There’s so many comedy and film connections in Who’s Harry Crumb?. Jeffrey Jones is his usual brilliant self. You will of course know him so well as the crazy headteacher in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the bonkers scientist from Howard The Duck.
• Annie Potts will be familiar as Janine Melnitz the Ghostbusters secretary. She was  also punk rocker Iona in Pretty In Pink and she soon to be back on the big screen, well in animation, as her recurring role as Bo Peep in the soon to be released Toy Story 4.
• Barry Corbin has been all over the screens for over four decades. Looking at his IMDB page he has nine films in post-production! He will always be best known to me as Warden Walter Beatty from Stir Crazy.
• Shawnee Smith would later become one of the big horror scream queens with her recurring role as Amanda in the Saw fancisie and later appearing in The Grudge 3.
• Tim Thomerson is cult favourite Jack Deth from the good fun series of films Trancers. He was also in the excellent Near Dark (which I really need to see again). He’s also a B-movie making machine with 200 odd credits to his name.

John Candy has always been one of my favourite comic actors. He never fails to bring a smile to my face, even if the film isn’t that great you can still get pleasure from his lovely manner. Obviously Who’s Harry Crumb? is down on his list of brilliant films but it has so much heart and John Candy just shines throughout. I read somewhere that this could of been a start of a Harry Crumb series of films. Such a shame it didn’t happen. It’s a perfect vehicle of his slapstick style and one calamity mishap after another. Shawnee Smith works well with him in their scenes together and it would of been amazing to have had them joining forces for more private detective work.

So enjoyed watching this again after so many years. It still made me chuckle. So many favorite scenes but here’s a few.  The aikido back flip, the dizzy walk, the jockey scene and the chest hairs to hairy muff to beard scene cracks me up everytime. Silly, simple and darn funny. Pure 80’s comedy romp fun. Do you have a soft spot for Harry Crumb? Do you have favorite John Candy films? Let me know if you wish.

PS this is a beautiful article written in the Hollywood Reporter with John Candy’s daughter Jen and son Chris. Featuring personal family photos, stories and lovely memories of their beloved Dad. It’s a very recommend read John Candy Remembered

Thanks for popping by. All the best… Mikey Wolf

Harry Crumb – “My reputation precedes me. Otherwise I’d be late for all my appointments”

What’s Been Watched This Month – March 2019

Here’s what the Wolfman has watched in March 2019.

Twelve O’Clock High (1949) Gregory Peck Savage General Of Bomber Command

No sooner had I watched and posted about the superb World War Two bomber drama The Way To The Stars that all round good dude, Todd at Cinema Monolith recommends me the similar themed, Twelve O’Clock High.  I was soon to be transfixed on the plight of, 918th Bomb Squadron.

The Whisperers (1967) Bleak Tap Dripping In Kitchen Sink Drama

My task of trying to go into a movie with as little knowledge as humanly possible can bring up some real surprises. I’d seen the above poster and was convinced that was Richard Attenborough poking his head around the door. It does look like him? Doesn’t it? I knew it was directed by Bryan Forbes. I’d loved Seance On A Wet Afternoon and The Angry Silence. Both Dickie films with Forbes connections. Hey! he never turned up. Now I know, no disrespect, that it’s Edith Evans tentatively peering through the chain latched door.

Taglines – The Whisperers, who are they?

The Way to the Stars (1945) Johnny In The Clouds WWII Bomber Base Drama

Called The Way to the Stars in the UK and Johnny in the Clouds in the USA. This outstanding World War Two drama focuses on the lives of RAF bomber pilots during the course of the war. It shows the progression of new and improved aircraft being tested and flown into battle. Whilst following the day to day routine of the pilots responsible for flying them awaiting their next mission. Moving through the years of 1940 to 1944. It was released in the UK in June 1945 a few months before WWII had finished and overseas in the US during November.

Forbidden World (1982) Sleazy Space Nooky And Hungry Mutant Monster Fun

Bountiful boobies and softcore sex in space from the wonderful Roger Corman studios. Seriously what more could you want? Ok, ok, let’s throw in an Alien rip-off to add to the bonanza of mayhem. Get ready for a slice of sleazy science-fiction cult action fun and who really cares if it’s actually any good or not? Forbidden World is a sure-fire, it’s so bad it’s good space romp.

Tagline – The seed is planted… the nightmare grows

Hangover Square (1945) Murdering Maundering Madman Is Musical Genius

With no messing about, this film jumps straight into a POV murder. First a stab with a dagger then a double tap with a gas lamp. The victim isn’t just gonna die, he’s gonna burn too! In the first of a series of shocking and macabre death scenes Hangover Square really grabs your attention. I love it when a movie gamble pays off. Went into this film really for it’s short runtime. Not the ideal way to pick a film, I know. Had way too many late nights and the thought that if I ain’t digging it I’ll turn it off and get myself an early night. Haha no chance. I was hooked and instantly invested in the plight of George Harvey Bone (Laird Cregar), right from that first hard hitting opening scene.

Babylon (1980) A Movie That Helped Shape My Life Gets Its First US Theatrical Release.

Babylon is one of those movies that helped shaped my life. One of those films that appear in your life at a certain age and hit that perfect note, right when you are discovering yourself.

Woman on the Run (1950) Banter, Roller Coasters, A Feisty Lady And A Packet Of Smokes

If your looking for a nifty noir with razor sharp dialogue and a killer roller coaster ride through the streets of San Francisco then Woman On The Run is just the ticket.

Taglines – As Startling as Your OWN Scream in the Night!