Tiger Bay

A young Polish sailor, Bronek Korchinsky, lands in Cardiff with plans to propose to his girlfriend Anya. He finds the flat occupied by a harbor hooker and learns from the landlord that Anya is gone. He discovers that Anya left weeks ago and that she owes back rent, despite his monthly remittances.

Bronek pays Anya's outstanding debts to the landlord to secure her new address. This act shows his determination to find her and move their relationship forward. The landlord hands over the new address, hinting at Anya's continued absence.

Gillie Evans, an orphaned local tomboy, agrees to help Bronek locate Anya's address. They head from the dockside through a seedy tenement toward what might be Anya's new home. Gillie becomes Bronek's unlikely ally in the missing-wife search.

Bronek confronts Anya, who reveals she has grown tired of him and is involved with a married sportscaster. In a surge of jealousy, Bronek wrests a gun from her and shoots her dead. Gillie witnesses the murder by peering through the letterbox as the building's sounds are masked by her 'toy bomb' game.

Detective Graham identifies that Gillie was in the hall during the shooting. But she is a habitual liar and provides an incorrect description of Bronek, withholding the fact that she has the gun. Her deception delays the progress of the investigation.

Bronek spots Gillie taking the gun and chases her into the attic. He recovers the weapon and, instead of reporting her, chooses to spare her. The two establish an odd companionship, with Bronek promising to take her to sea when he flees the country.

With the Venezuelan merchant ship Poloma set to sail, Bronek decides to flee and proposes to take Gillie along. Gillie guides him to a countryside hiding place where he entertains her with memories of his overseas journeys. The plan is to sail out and escape justice.

A photograph of Bronek and Anya circulates, drawing police attention to his identity. Barclay admits visiting Anya's apartment on the day of the murder, making him a prime suspect. The investigation intensifies as authorities piece together Bronek's whereabouts.

As the Poloma readies to depart, Bronek persuades Gillie to let him go alone and leaves her with his metal cigarette case. She has been in hiding with him but is now being kept away from the ship. The ship's departure looms as the chase escalates.

Picnickers discover Gillie at the countryside hideout and take her to the police, where she continues to lie by identifying Barclay as the murderer. Her deception complicates matters and keeps Bronek's identity under wraps for a time.

Gillie later re-enacts the murder for Inspector Graham at the apartment and accidentally reveals that the killer is Polish. She still denies knowing Bronek, but the police now suspect him more strongly. The revelation ties Bronek to the crime through her testimony.

Graham drives Gillie to the pilot station at Barry Docks and boards a pilot boat toward the Poloma, trying to arrest Bronek. The ship's captain blocks the arrest, citing that the vessel has crossed the three-mile limit and lies beyond British jurisdiction. Bronek and Gillie hide their connection as they near the boundary.

Gillie slips while attempting to stow away on the Poloma and falls into the sea. Bronek dives after her to save her, losing his ship in the process. They are rescued by a police boat, Bronek confesses his guilt, and the ship sails away with his chance of freedom gone.