Not a badly told story of getting much of the world's supply of industrial diamonds out of Amsterdam at the beginning of World War II. Peter Finch and two other men are dropped off by a British destroyer. The team visit Finch's father, one of a dozen or more prominent owners of diamond stashes. He agrees to coax the other owners into giving up their diamonds for safe keeping in England.
It's not an easy job. They have about three days to get it done before the Germans will enter Amsterdam. And there are Fifth Columnists everywhere, including some in Dutch Army uniforms. No one can be trusted.
Further, many of the owners are Jews and are prompted to keep their stashes as some sort of bargaining chips. Others argue reasonably that if they give their diamonds to the British, they ought to be taken out of Holland and brought to England to avoid the labor camps. And to cap the difficulties, many of the diamonds are in vaults with time locks that are not set to open during the window of operating time.
The images are pretty stark. As time passes the team becomes more rumpled and unshaven. An unglamorized and suspect Eva Bartok is swept up in the scheme. And the streets of the populous city are as empty and ominous as those of De Chirico's plazas, except for isolated Dutch Army patrols who may or may not be on the side of the Nazis.
A couple of tense action scenes punctuate the search team's effort. There are shoot outs, a strafing, and some bombs are dropped by German airplanes. And meanwhile, in the background, creeping closer, is the booming of artillery.
Not a masterpiece but it's reasonably well done, exciting, and sustains interest.
It's not an easy job. They have about three days to get it done before the Germans will enter Amsterdam. And there are Fifth Columnists everywhere, including some in Dutch Army uniforms. No one can be trusted.
Further, many of the owners are Jews and are prompted to keep their stashes as some sort of bargaining chips. Others argue reasonably that if they give their diamonds to the British, they ought to be taken out of Holland and brought to England to avoid the labor camps. And to cap the difficulties, many of the diamonds are in vaults with time locks that are not set to open during the window of operating time.
The images are pretty stark. As time passes the team becomes more rumpled and unshaven. An unglamorized and suspect Eva Bartok is swept up in the scheme. And the streets of the populous city are as empty and ominous as those of De Chirico's plazas, except for isolated Dutch Army patrols who may or may not be on the side of the Nazis.
A couple of tense action scenes punctuate the search team's effort. There are shoot outs, a strafing, and some bombs are dropped by German airplanes. And meanwhile, in the background, creeping closer, is the booming of artillery.
Not a masterpiece but it's reasonably well done, exciting, and sustains interest.