Manuela (1957)

Trevor Howard heads a strong cast as the jaded captain of a cargo ship who finds himself falling for a young stowaway (Elsa Martinelli) in this BAFTA-nominated drama an early feature from Guy Hamilton and one of four films on which the future Bond director collaborated with writer-producer Ivan Foxwell. Also known as Stowaway Girl, Manuela is featured here in a brand-new transfer from the original film elements, in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio.

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...