James Prothero, forty-three years old and up to his ears in alcohol, is the skipper of a tramp ship due to leave South America for Britain – and he’s sick to death of carting goods back and forth across the world. Then he meets Manuela, a beautiful native girl smuggled on board by one of his crew, and comes to realise that she, too, is a lost soul. Gradually a love affair develops between them, and Prothero becomes dangerously blind to the responsibilities of his position.
Acting
Trevor Howard's crumbling dignity
Cinematography
Oswald Morris's claustrophobic ship interiors
Director
Guy Hamilton
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Guy Hamilton would direct four James Bond films; this was his second feature and shows his early command of tension in confined spaces.
Originally released as 'Stowaway Girl' in the US, distributors feared 'Manuela' sounded too foreign for American audiences in 1957.
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