Operation Amsterdam
| Operation Amsterdam | |
|---|---|
 Original cinema poster | |
| Directed by | Michael McCarthy |
| Produced by | Maurice Cowan |
| Written by |
John Eldridge Michael McCarthy; based on the 1955 novel, Adventure in Diamonds by David E. Walker. |
| Starring |
Peter Finch Eva Bartok Tony Britton |
| Music by | Philip Green |
| Cinematography | Reginald Wyer |
| Edited by | Arthur Stevens |
Production company |
Maurice Cowan Productions & Rank Organisation[1] |
| Distributed by |
Rank Organisation (UK) 20th Century Fox (US)[1] |
Release dates | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Operation Amsterdam is a 1959 British action film, directed by Michael McCarthy, and featuring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on a true story as described in the book Adventure in Diamonds, by David E Walker.[3] The action of the story covers a few days in May 1940 when the Germans invaded the Netherlands. The composer Philip Green composed two original pieces of music for the film, the Pierement Waltz and the Amsterdam Polka.[4]
Plot
In May 1940, as the German invasion of the Netherlands is under way, the British government decides to send a team to the Netherlands on board HMS Walpole [5] to secure stocks of industrial diamonds before the invaders can get to them. Accordingly, two Dutch diamond experts, Jan Smit (Peter Finch) and Walter Keyser (Alexander Knox) with a British Army Intelligence officer, Major Dillon (Tony Britton), are dropped by ship off the Dutch coast. Dodging German bombs and suspicious Dutch police and soldiers, they commandeer a car driven by Anna (Eva Bartok), whom they have just saved from trying to commit suicide. The four of them drive to Amsterdam.
They meet Jan's father at his diamond business house and he agrees to try to persuade other dealers to bring their diamonds later that day for transport to Britain. But as many of the stones are stored in a time-locked bank vault which won't open for 24 hours, they recruit a group of sabotage experts to break in.
With the Dutch police, including suspected fifth columnists, on their trail, the group manage to break into the vault and recover the diamonds. The three visitors make their escape whilst the armed Dutch helpers hold down the police and soldiers. They drive back to the coast, barely dodging German bombers.
As they embark on a commandeered tugboat to take them back to the waiting ship, Anna elects to remain in the Netherlands and work with the nascent resistance movement.
Cast
- Peter Finch as Jan Smit
- Eva Bartok as Anna
- Tony Britton as Major Dillon
- Alexander Knox as Walter Keyser
- Malcolm Keen as Johan Smit
- Christopher Rhodes as Alex
- Alfred Burke as Dealer
- Tim Turner as Dutch lieutenant
- Carl Jaffe as Diamond merchant
- John Horsley as Commander Bowerman
- Keith Pyott as Diamond merchant
- Melvyn Hayes as Willem
- Oscar Quitak as Diamond merchant
- George Pravda as Portmaster
- Peter Swanwick as Peter
- Petra Davies as Menschi
- John Bailey as Officer
- John Le Mesurier as Dutch Colonel
Production
Filming took place in October 1958.[6]
Reception
The film was one of seven Rank films bought for distribution in the US by 20th Century Fox. The others were Upstairs and Downstairs, Sink the Bismark, Northwest Frontier, Ferry to Hong Kong, The Wind Cannot Read and The Captain's Table.[7]
References
- 1 2 IMDb Company credits Retrieved 2011-09-05
- 1 2 IMDn release info Retrieved 2011-09-05
- ↑ Adventure in Diamonds
- ↑
- ↑ HMS Walpole, event 13 May 1940 - uboat.net
- ↑ Old Yeller' Author Sells 'Creek' Tale: Gipson, Nash on, New Scripts; Rank Studios Found Thriving Scheuer, Philip K. Los Angeles Times (1923-Current File) [Los Angeles, Calif] 16 Oct 1958: B11.
- ↑ Of Local Origin New York Times (1923-Current file) [New York, N.Y] 7 January 1960: 25.
External links
- Operation Amsterdam at the Internet Movie Database
- Adventure in Diamonds — source novel