The Adventures of Tartu

"The Adventures of Tartu" is a marvelously entertaining espionage picture which for some reason is seldom seen on TV nowadays. It clocks in at 103 minutes but the pacing is such that you are not aware of its length. It stars Robert Donat, one of England's best actors. He had an unforgettably mellifluous voice and is fondly remembered for, among others, "The Thirty Nine Steps". Not really remembered as an action hero, he portrayed an inner strength reminiscent of the kind Leslie Howard showed in some of his roles. Here, however, he is in fact a man of action, two-fisted and able to handle a pistol as well, sort of a James Bond-type character.

He gets good back-up acting support from some dependable character actors and shares billing with lovely Valerie Hobson, who seldom gave a bad performance, and with whom there is apparent chemistry, the kind that two pros can generate. Actually, it's hard to find fault with any aspect of this MGM/British production. I thought the dialogue was especially good.

There are a good handful of unheralded or forgotten movies made about WWII that are worth watching, among them "Manila Calling" (1942), and "Joan Of Paris" (also 1942). "Decision Before Dawn" is another but it was made after the war, in 1951. But "Tartu" is worth seeing regardless of genre because it succeeds on several levels.

This propaganda film pits a British-born, German-educated, chemical engineer (Stevnson - Robert Donat) who speaks Rumanian, German and Russian fluently against Nazis in Eastern Europe. Captain Stevenson becomes an Iron Guard named Tartu (the real Tartu is dead) and heads off, with minimal briefing and no espionage experience, to upset a Nazi plot. Stevenson seeks to infiltrate a German chemical weapons plant but needs help from the local resistance to succeed. But how, posing as a Nazi, can he get the underground to trust him?

Although the basic premise is a tad ludicrous, the film is very carefully plotted and the characters are likable, well-written and well played. Donat, Glynnis Johns and Valerie Hobson are especially good. The cinematography, directing and editing are very standard for early-mid-20th century British film - very straightforward and focused on the story - little to no experimentation and very few pans. But the pace of the film complements - or at least compensates for - the theatrical camera work fairly well.

Recommended for Donat fans and those interested in WWII-era war films.

"Sabotage Agent", also known as "Adventures of Tartu", is a first-rate British spy thriller. It is a quick and entertaining movie about a British spy, whose mission is to destroy the poison gas factory in Rumania.

Robert Donat is very good as the British spy who poses as a Greek and a Rumanian. His performance is spirited and his accent is amusing. His accent seems to be the same for the Greek and the Rumanian, but who cares, it is a fun movie to watch about a serious subject.

The supporting cast is perfect. Both his leading ladies are lovely and fill the bill: Valerie Hobson and Glynis Johns. Ms. Johns is still working today. Never seen Walter Rilla before or since, but he gave a good performance as the German officer, Otto, who is one of the villains, who loves Ms. Hobson's character.

Robert Donat gives a very spirited performance as a British spy fluent in languages who is assigned to sabotage a Nazi gas factory in Czechoslovakia. He's more action-oriented than usual in a role requiring a lot of physical action while keeping one step ahead of the Nazis.

His spying activities also include some romantic moments with lovely Valerie Hobson, a woman who openly flirts with Nazi officers while working with the Czech underground. She and Donat join forces eventually but some misunderstandings almost ruin their partnership. The clever plot takes a number of interesting twists as the story unfolds in a brisk and very compelling manner.

Photography is first rate as are the various sets, especially the unique looking laboratory with its glass elevator overlooking an elaborate looking set design. Donat is charming in the central role and gets solid support from an excellent British supporting cast. Especially good are Walter Rilla as an officer in love with Hobson and Glynis Johns in a small role as an ill-fated Czech loyalist.

Highly recommended as one of the best espionage yarns from the U.K. during the war years.

A good-sized budget, wonderful stars, a good script and excellent direction by Harold Bucquet make for a top-notch British film, "Sabotage Agent," made in 1943 and starring Robert Donat, Valerie Hobson, and Glynis Johns. Donat plays a British soldier sent to destroy a poison gas the Nazis are making in Czechoslovakia. There, posing as an Iron Guard member, Jan Tartu, he draws attention to himself as a loud dresser and a ladies' man while trying to infiltrate the underground.

The severely asthmatic Donat goes all out in this one, playing his Tartu character to the hilt, preening and raising his arm as he says "Heil Hitler" every other minute, it seems. He definitely mines the humor in the role. His costar is the beautiful and elegant Valerie Hobson, who rooms in the same house as Tartu. Her family has lost everything and now she consorts with Nazi generals, hoping to feather her nest. Glynis Johns plays a young girl who lives with her mother in the conscripted house, but she also works in the factory where "Tartu" is assigned as a guard. When she is caught at sabotage, his work is threatened.

The film uses newsreel footage of London being bombed, and the laboratory set is amazing, as is the photography throughout the film. The shot of silhouetted soldiers against the skies in the beginning is beautiful. A very exciting and well-acted film, highly recommended.