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.

Robert Donat's Eastern European background and fluency in a few languages make him the ideal choice for British Secret Service to send on a mission to destroy a Nazi poison gas factory in occupied Czechoslovakia. In a brief prologue with Donat disarming a buzz bomb that landed in a hospital, we see an example of how he keeps his cool under fire.

Sabotage Agent next has Donat in Czechoslovakia disguised as a refugee from the Nazi sympathizing Iron Guard of Romania. Donat moves effortlessly from the stiff upper lip British agent to the bumptious Jan Tartu of Romania. He keeps his wits about him pretty good in a whole bunch of situations.

Especially since he loses his contact upon arriving in Czechoslovakia almost immediately and is flying blind. Another agent is Valerie Hobson who like Donat is always good. She's a Czech who's a collaborator officially, but is really working for the Czech underground. She doesn't know what to make of Donat. One thing is sure, her Nazi boy friend Walter Rilla is plenty jealous.

I have to say that the action packed ending was a bit much. It was like Donat was trying to compete with Errol Flynn. Something a little more clever I would have expected from his character. This was more like something from James Bond.

Nevertheless Donat and Hobson give good characterizations and also Glynis Johns as another Czech patriot gives a memorable performance.

"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.

This is a real good spy yarn. Well written and well acted. The versatile Robert Donat is Captain Terrence Stevenson a.k.a. Jan Tartu, a British spy well versed in Russian and Rumanian that is assigned to aid Czech partisans in destroying a poison gas factory operated by Nazis. Donat is excellent as the calm and cool spy. Notable work also turned in by Glynis Johns, Friedrich Richter, Walter Rilla and Valerie Hobson. The version I watched was SABOTAGE AGENT; this movie was also released as ADVENTURES OF TARTU. Very interesting atmospheric black and white. Catch this on Turner Movie Classics.

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.