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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.

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.

"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.

"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.

This extremely well-paced 1943 spy film shot in England during the Second World was directed for MGM by British-born Harold S. Bucquet, remembered today only for a series of Dr. Kildaire films he made in the States for the MGM Culver City "B" film unit. Perhaps Bucquet's return to his homeland during the war inspired him here as he rarely ever again displayed such high-style. Robert Donat as the faux Rumanian Dandy steals the show; he is perfectly charming and romantic as a modern-day Scarlet Pimpernal. There is a particularly good supporting cast of German heavies and Brits playing Czechs. Walter Rilla and Freidrich Richter in particular are excellent as the sort of movie Nazis who showed up the year before at Rick's café in Casablanca. The Gainsborough Studios sets by John Bryan ("Pygmalion" and "Major Barbara") are exceptionally atmospheric and realistic. If the film has a weakness it is the performance of that wooden English rose, the beautiful Valerie Hobson,(Mrs.Profumo in life) whose not quite up to Donat's delightful mix of romance and melodramatics.

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.

This excellent espionage film begins with newsreel footage of London being bombed in 1940. An unexploded bomb sits in the rubble, about to blow up whatever remains standing, including a bedridden child and his nurse. Robert Donat, as a British army captain, rushes in to defuse the bomb. What a wonderful way to begin a smart, engaging wartime thriller. Donat's army captain gets drafted to impersonate a German-speaking Rumaninan dandy, to infiltrate and destroy a German poison gas camp in Czechoslovakia. This is a side of the war, featuring Czech freedom fighters, that many people are unfamiliar with.

This is a great film that belongs up there with Hitchcock's "Foreign Correspondant."

My first hint that this movie was great was an early scene between Robert Donat and the actress who plays his mother, Mabel Terry-Lewis. It was so moving I busted out crying! Glynis Johns has a small but affecting and effective role.

The statements made about Czechoslovakia were even more poignant, now that we know the country's history.

The movie has a nice, fast pace that modern movie-goers will appreciate. Donat plays each of his secret identities with a confident, warm-hearted air.

I usually hate chase scenes but the only one in this film was truly exciting.

TCM advertised this movie as Sabotage Agent, so keep an eye out for it under that title. You won't be disappointed.

"The Adventures of Tartu" has a fine opening scene, quickly establishing Robert Donat as a cool and collected expert in defusing bomb which hadn't exploded in one of the Nazi's blitzes of London. The scenes which follow are a bit erratic. Donat's acting is always superb, but the dialog and situations which he has been given generally do not build suspense or audience sympathy. There are fleetingly good lines and occasionally good moments, but the opening and the finale are the finest parts of the film---it would seem that these were the most concentrated upon by the filmmakers, with the centre section being somewhat secondary.

The closing scenario and its seemingly expansive set anticipate that of "Dr. No" and many subsequent Bond films. Donat essayed a similar role in "Knight Without Armour" (1937) in which he was a British spy posing as a Russian revolutionary during and after WWI, but that film was far superior on every level to this one. Still, any film with Donat is interesting at the very least, and "Tartu" is fairly good.

Thus far (as of 2013) a very clear print of this motion picture hasn't surfaced, but perhaps Criterion will restore/release one in the future, should the British Film Institute or some such other organisation have a good transfer from the original negative on hand.

On a Nazi twin bill, I watched this film, also known as The Adventures of Tartu, or simply Tartu. It was a much more involved thriller with Robert Donat as a British Officer who goes to Romania to hopefully destroy the latest in Nazi poison gas. Unlike Saddam Hussein, the Nazis really did have WMDs and the release of a gas like this could have turned the war.

Donat is best remembered for his Academy Award winning performance in Goodbye Mr. Chips. he was likened to Clark Gable, so it was interesting that his win came at Gable's expense in Gone With the Wind. He is also remembered for Hitchcock's The 39 Steps.

Donat was magnificent in the film as a Romanian dandy. He was totally believable and his constant Heil Hitler reminded me so much of Roberto Benini's performance in Life is Beautiful. Maybe Benini modeled his performance on Donat's.

We also see an early Glynis Johns, who got an Oscar nomination for The Sundowners, and a Golden Globe nomination for The Chapman Report. Many may remember her as Mrs. Banks in Mary Poppins.

The aristocratic Valerie Hobson played the love interest. She is best known for being married to John Profumo, who brought down the British Government in the Christine Keeler Affair. She was a "stand by your man" wife and gave up acting to work with the developmentally disabled.

She gave an excellent performance as someone who openly flirted with the Nazi's, but was actually a member of the underground.

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.

During WW2, Robert Donat (Tartu) is selected to act as a British agent with the mission to blow up a factory that is making poisonous gas for the Nazis in Czechoslovakia. He is to assume the identity of a Rumanian Nazi sympathizer by the name of Jan Tartu and papers are organized so that he can pass himself off in his new identity. However, he has to make contact with the Resistance whilst in Czechoslovakia and this proves difficult as things don't work out too well on meeting his contact. Can he succeed with his mission?

The acting is good and Donat plays his Romanian character as a bit of a cheerful fool – Donat the Doughnut. He convinces the Nazis but has more difficulties with the Resistance. Valerie Hobson (Lanova) plays a Nazi sympathiser who is lodging at the same house as Donat but is she what she seems? Factory worker Glynis Johns (Paula) is also at the house.

The film has a story that keeps you watching and at the end it turns into a bit of a James Bond adventure as Donat has to do some pretty miraculous things all in the name of action sequences. There are also some hard-hitting scenes where Donat has to remain in character in order not to blow his cover. Unfortunately, the sound is pretty poor in this film so the dialogue is not always clear but it is manageable. One word of advice – don't let Valerie Hobson take off her hat.

"Sabotage Agent" (aka, The Adventures of Tartu) is an excellent WWII action film. It begins with the bombing of London in 1940. It then moves into an espionage and spy thriller, and gives a very good account of the underground that operated in Nazi-occupied countries. The area covered is the Czech Republic. Until the fall of the Iron Curtin 20 years ago, very little was known about the underground that operated in eastern European countries. This film tells one story about it.

The acting is top notch by all involved. The plot, writing and direction are first rate. A "best" movie for the quality of the production and what it shows about one aspect of WWII that is still so little told or understood today. The film has considerable historical value for these reasons, as well. A first-rate war, action and intrigue film produced in England. Excellent all around.

Originally, many years ago, I gave the film 6 out of 10. I was upset. Today, I can block my irritation and be more fair.

They got the uniforms wrong, they got the Czech language badly wrong everywhere. They even abused our national anthem. To repeat that Pilsen is in Czechoslovakia might be politically correct but irritating, too. If they did not want to call it Protektorat, they should have said "occupied Czechoslovakia".

And the main idea is wrong, Hitler would not allow the use of chemical weapons. He was scared of them because he himself was poisoned on the front. He was not a coward in WWI, on the contrary, he earned the iron cross.

Pity. Still 7 out of 10.

As clearly demonstrated by this film, prior to the Normandy invasion, the Allies were convinced that the Germans were manufacturing weaponized gas to use during the Second World War, just as they did during the the First World War. This assumption spawned this very typical propaganda film in which all of the Germans in occupied Czechoslovakia wear black SS uniforms with the skull and crossbones insignia of the Totenkopf Verband (the "Death's Head" Brigade was the SS unit that administered the concentration camp system) on their caps and greet each other and civilians with the Hitler salute. It's a melodramatic and very simplistic film where everything is reduced in complexity due to the näiveté of the filmmakers and the film audiences of the period. For this reason, instead of a team of well-trained saboteurs going in to execute the mission, a single tri-lingual army captain (Robert Donat) is parachuted in and has to make contact with "the Underground" in order to carry out what would be a huge, complicated mission in real life. Fortunately for our hero, the German tools in this film aren't the brightest ones in the Third Reich's shed and "the Underground" is easily convinced of his authenticity. It also doesn't hurt that one of the Underground's important members (Valerie Hobson) falls in love with him after spending an hour in his company. I should have given it three or four stars, for the lack of realism, but it is typical of the time period, so I gave it five.