Operation Amsterdam
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Operation Amsterdam | |
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Directed by | Michael McCarthy |
Written by | John Eldridge, Michael McCarthy |
Starring | Peter Finch, Eva Bartok |
Release date(s) | 1959 |
Language | English |
IMDb profile |
Operation Amsterdam is a 1959 World War II film starring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on the book 'Adventure in Diamonds' by David E Walker.
The action covers a few days in May 1940 during the German invasion of Holland.
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[edit] Plot
In May 1940, as the German invasion of Holland is underway, the British government decides to send a team to Holland 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 an 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), who 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 Holland and work with the nascent Resistance movement.
[edit] 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