Last night we saw a very interesting WW2 movie,"Operation Amsterdam"(1959), about a special ops mission to remove all the industrial diamonds from Holland. They're important because they're used in machining. The year is 1940. The Germans have just invaded. They want the diamonds for use in their tank and aircraft factories. A British agent (Tony Britton) is sent to Amsterdam on a Royal Navy destroyer along with two Dutch diamond experts (Peter Finch and Alexander Knox). They have 14 hours to get in and get out of the country before their ship departs. They're tasked with going to banks in the city where the diamonds are held, and taking them back to England. Finch plays "Jan Smit" (Peter Finch), the son of the largest diamond broker in Amsterdam. The agents reach land with the help of an oarsman, but all hell is breaking loose in the streets. The Germans are attacking, citizens are taking flight. the roads are clogged and the agents are on foot. They need a car to get to the banks. Then a woman tries to drive off a nearby bridge. She's "Anna" (Eva Bartok), despondent because her husband, a Jew, is missing. Finch stops her and says "sorry but we need your car". Later we'll find out that her "suicide" was a staged ploy. It turns out she's a resistance agent herself.
The film is slow to build but epic in scope. There are foot chases through the city as the agents acquire the diamonds. Tense moments occur when they're confronted by acquiescent Dutch police, who've rolled over to the Nazis without a fight. The streets are mostly empty except for the calliopes that have been wheeled out to celebrate a national holiday. One of these will be used for it's loud volume when the agents need to mask an explosion. Finch's father, the diamond broker, goes to his gentleman's club to recruit his fellow merchants to contribute their stocks of diamonds to the cause. One man tries to use his gems to buy his way out of the country. "As you know, I am Jewish. My wife and I will be detained". Mr. Smit refuses to let him board the ship. "I am sorry but if I admit you I'll have to admit a thousand others". The plot plays out in an approximation of real time. The removal of the diamonds proceeds with few hitches, until it is discovered that the bank with the biggest supply has a time lock on it's vault, which won't open until the holiday is over.
Action supersedes plot points. The twists are few but the suspense is high, as to whether Finch and company can get hold of all the diamonds, including those behind the time lock, in the allotted fourteen hours. The destroyer will sail at 10:30pm, with or without them. The man with the rowboat has promised to be waiting. The finale is spectacular and harrowing as the group is trapped on the open highway with not much time to spare. Cars are stopped because their drivers have fled or hit the ground. A German fighter plane is making pass after pass, relentlessly strafing the road. I won't tell you what happens after that, but it's one of the greatest scenes in any war movie. There's also a lot of guerrilla warfare shown, in what is primarily a special operation. At 105 minutes, it's a little slow in places, but the cumulative effect is tremendous. Tony Britton is tough as nails as the intrepid agent "Dillon". Two Huge Thumbs Up for "Operation Amsterdam", which is based on a true story. The black and white photography is panoramic and the picture is razor sharp. It's very, very highly recommended. ////
The previous night we had "Postal Inspector"(1936), not to be confused with "Special Inspector" from last week. Inspectors apparently make good subjects for short movies, and at 56 minutes, "Postal" was a lot of fun with a great cast. Ricardo Cortez stars as "Postal Inspector Bill Davis". He's on a plane when the movie opens, flying through heavy fog. Nightclub singer "Connie Larrimore" (Patricia Ellis) is on board also. She sings some show tunes to calm the nervous passengers. Davis thanks her for the effort. On the ground, she meets his brother "Charlie" (Michael Loring). They hit it off. She takes Charlie to her club where he's introduced to her boss "Gregory Benez" (Bela Lugosi). Yes, you read that right. Bela in the credits was the main reason I pressed play. It turned out to be a very different kind of role for him, almost like a New York mobster.
This is one weird mashup of a movie. Part crime film, part musical, part commercial for the post office, it starts with the endangered plane flight, then moves into the plot, which begins by demonstrating an inspector's responsibilities. Davis was traveling with a load of gold bullion, ensuring it reached it's destination. Now he's going to return via train, to safeguard three million in retired bills, which are set for destruction by the Treasury. I've heard about the jurisdictional power of the Postal Inspection Service, and apparently it's no joke. These guys have FBI-level clout. Anyhow, this time, some crooks find out about the money and steal it from an armored car before Bill Davis can get there. Hmm, who could be behind it? Surely not Bela Lugosi. Why, he's just a Legitimate Businessman. When he learns that Davis is on his trail he plans his escape, but there's just been a major league flood. Stock footage shows houses floating away, streets are underwater. How is Lugosi gonna abscond? By motorboat, of course. It makes for a crazy chase at the end. Meanwhile, Patricia Ellis belts out more songs with her maid Hattie McDaniel. And when he's not chasing robbers, Ricardo Cortez as Inspector Davis investigates run-of-the-mill fraud, including an ancient mail-order bride and gadgets that don't work as advertised. This movie is so goofy that I recommend you see it twice, in order to take in everything that's going on. There's even a brief appearance by Bill Burrud (remember him?), as a frightened child who's mother is missing in the flood.
Two Big Thumbs Up for "Postal Inspector", a must for fans of off-kilter flicks and Bela Lugosi completists. The picture is close to razor sharp. ////
That's all the news for tonight. I'm still reading "Eruption: Conversations with Eddie Van Halen", which caused me to listen to "Balance" for the first time. I always swore I'd never listen to the Sammy Stuff, but I discovered there's some good music on those records. Check out the song "Feelin' ", about Kurt Cobain, for an example. EVH also mentions Jose Arredondo, his legendary amplifier repairman. In December 1980, when I bought my Marshall amp, the kid who sold it to me in Beverly Hills said it was modified by Arredondo, "the same guy who does Eddie Van Halen's amps". I wound up taking that amp to Jose for new tubes. "Oh, you like Eddie"?, he asked me. When I said yes, he gave me directions to his wedding! That was in April 1981. I was at the church when Eddie and Val walked out the door. Man that was cool. Thanks Jose Arredondo. But in the book, Eddie says Jose never modified his amps. "All he did was change the tubes. I said that to give him some business"! That's some funny stuff, weird and wild, too.
I hope you had a nice weekend and I send you Tons of Love as always. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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