|
Operation Amsterdam
''Operation Amsterdam'' is a 1959 black and white British action film, directed by Michael McCarthy (film director), Michael McCarthy, and featuring Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton. It is based on a true story as described in the book ''Adventure in Diamonds'', by David E. Walker. The action of the story covers 12–13 May 1940 (Whit Sunday and Whit Monday) during the German invasion of the Netherlands. The composer Philip Green (composer), Philip Green composed two original pieces of music for the film, the ''Pierement Waltz'' and the ''Amsterdam Polka''. Plot In May 1940, as the German invasion of the Netherlands is under way, the British government decides to send a team to the Netherlands on board to secure stocks of industrial diamonds before the invaders can get to them. According to this plan, two Netherlands, Dutch diamond experts, Jan Smit (Peter Finch) and Walter Keyser (Alexander Knox), with a British Army Intelligence officer, Major Dillon (Tony Britton), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Michael McCarthy (film Director)
Michael McCarthy (27 February 1917 – 7 May 1959) was a British screenwriter and television director, television and film director. He entered the film industry in 1934 and worked at the Crown Film Unit. He directed some of the first films for Anglo-Amalgamated. He died aged 42, survived by a wife and three children. A ''Variety (magazine), Variety'' obituary said he was "regarded as a director of considerable promise". Selected filmography *''Greek Testament (film), Greek Testament'' (1943) (documentary) - assistant director *''My Learned Friend'' (1943) - assistant director *''San Demetrio London'' (1943) - assistant director *''The Halfway House'' (1944) - assistant director *''While Nero Fiddled'' (1944) aka ''Fiddlers Three'' - assistant director *''The Girl of the Canal'' (1945) aka ''Painted Boats'' (short feature) - story *''Johnny Frenchman'' (1945) - unit manager *''Feature Story'' (1949) (short feature) - director *''No Highway in the Sky'' (1951) - actor * ''Assas ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diamond
Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Diamond is tasteless, odourless, strong, brittle solid, colourless in pure form, a poor conductor of electricity, and insoluble in water. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of carbon at Standard temperature and pressure, room temperature and pressure, but diamond is metastable and converts to it at a negligible rate under those conditions. Diamond has the highest Scratch hardness, hardness and thermal conductivity of any natural material, properties that are used in major industrial applications such as cutting and polishing tools. Because the arrangement of atoms in diamond is extremely rigid, few types of impurity can contaminate it (two exceptions are boron and nitrogen). Small numbers of lattice defect, defects or impurities (about one per million of lattice atoms) can color ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Horsley (actor)
John Lovell Horsley (21 July 1920 – 12 January 2014) was an English actor. Early life Horsley was born in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England. The son of a doctor, he made his acting debut at the Theatre Royal in Bournemouth. After appearing in repertory theatres he was called up for military service in the Royal Devon Yeomanry, in which he served in Sicily and Italy during the Second World War. He then contracted hepatitis and become a member of an Army drama company that toured military units. Career Horsley's early career as a professional actor saw him playing a succession of doctors and policemen, including a doctor in the film ''Hell Drivers'' (1957) and a policeman in the television show ''Big Breadwinner Hog'' (1969). Between 1957-'59, he played Superintendent Whitelaw, in Shadow Squad. He was more prolific in television from the 1960s, and played character roles in many series and programmes including '' The Lotus Eaters'' (1972–73) and ''The Duchess of Duke Street' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Le Mesurier
John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation comedy ''Dad's Army'' (1968–1977). A self-confessed "jobbing actor", Le Mesurier appeared in more than 120 films across a range of genres, normally in smaller supporting parts. Le Mesurier became interested in the stage as a young adult and enrolled at the Fay Compton, Fay Compton Studio of Dramatic Art in 1933. From there he took a position in repertory theatre and made his stage debut in September 1934 at the Palladium Theatre in Edinburgh in the J. B. Priestley play ''Dangerous Corner''. He later accepted an offer to work with Alec Guinness in a John Gielgud production of ''Hamlet''. He first appeared on television in 1938 as Seigneur de Miolans in the BBC broadcast of ''The Marvellous History of St Bernard''. During the World War II, Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Peter Swanwick
Walter Peter Swanwick (29 September 1922 – 14 November 1968) was a British actor best remembered as the "Supervisor" (sometimes called the Controller) in the 1967 TV series, ''The Prisoner''. Swanwick's film career began with bit parts in films such as ''The African Queen (film), The African Queen'' (1951), and he became a recognisable face on British TV during the mid-1960s when he featured in a number of series, including ''The Avengers (TV series), The Avengers'' and ''Danger Man'' where he first worked with later ''Prisoner'' star and co-creator, Patrick McGoohan. According to several biographies Swanwick endured major health problems in the 1960s that resulted in his undergoing undisclosed operations that left him with a short time to live. Swanwick played the non-singing part of Herr Zeller in the original London stage production of ''The Sound of Music''. Selected filmography * ''Lilli Marlene (film), Lilli Marlene'' (1950) – Chief Interrogator * ''Madame Louise' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christopher Rhodes
Sir Christopher George Rhodes, 3rd Baronet (30 April 1914 – 22 June 1964) was an English film and television actor. He was awarded the French Croix de Guerre for services 1940-41 and the United States Legion of Merit for his World War II service. Early life Rhodes was born in Alverstone, Isle of Wight, the only son of Sir John Rhodes, 2nd Baronet, and attended Eton College and Magdalen College, Oxford. During the Second World War, he served with the Essex Regiment of the British Army, reaching the rank of lieutenant-colonel in British Intelligence as Deputy Controller, Political, Economic and Special Intelligence in Berlin (see national archives military records, service number 152753). Career Rhodes began his acting career after the war. His television appearances include '' The Quatermass Experiment'', ''Danger Man'', ''Dixon of Dock Green'' and '' The Saint''. Personal life Rhodes was married twice, first to Mary Kesteven in 1936, whom he divorced in 1942, and then t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alfred Burke
Alfred Burke (28 February 1918 – 16 February 2011) was an English actor who played Frank Marker in the drama series '' Public Eye'', which ran on television for ten years. Early life Born in London's southeast district of Peckham, the son of Irish parents Sarah Ann O'Leary and William Burke, Burke was educated at Leo Street Boys' School and Walworth Central School. Burke started work aged 14, working in a railway repair firm in the City of London after leaving school. He became a club steward and also worked in a silk warehouse, joining a local amateur dramatics group before moving to Morley College and winning a scholarship to RADA in 1937. Burke's acting career started two years later at the Barn Theatre in Shere, Surrey. His budding career was interrupted by the Second World War, when he registered as a conscientious objector, and was directed to work on the land. Career In the late 1940s, Burke worked with the Young and Old Vic and other companies. His London debut was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Petra Davies
Petra Davies (24 July 1930 – 22 March 2016) was a British actress. Early years Davies was born in Eltham, London, England on 24 July 1930 and grew up in Newport, Wales. Her parents were Welsh. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art 1947 – 1949. Career Davies had many television appearances and had worked in films and theatre. Her TV roles included appearances in '' Vanity Fair'', ''Precious Bane'', ''Destination Downing Street'', ''Emma'', ''Melissa'', '' ITV Play of the Week'', ''Dolly'', '' The Saint'', ''Z-Cars'', ''Crown Court'' and ''General Hospital''. Her films included '' Four Days'' (1951), ''Operation Amsterdam'' (1959), '' The Silent Invasion'' (1962) and '' Two Letter Alibi'' (1962). Davies' last appearance was in an episode of '' The Ruth Rendell Mysteries''. Personal life Davies was married to the actor Jack May from 1957 until his death in 1997. Death Davies died on 22 March 2016 in Abbey Wood Abbey Wood is an List of areas of London, a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, such as in crowded harbors or narrow canals, or cannot move at all, such as barges, disabled ships, log rafts, or oil platforms. Some are ocean-going, and some are icebreakers or salvage tugs. Early models were powered by steam engines, which were later superseded by diesel engines. Many have deluge gun water jets, which help in firefighting, especially in harbours. Types Seagoing Seagoing tugs (deep-sea tugs or ocean tugboats) fall into four basic categories: #The standard seagoing tug with model bow that tows almost exclusively by way of a wire cable. In some rare cases, such as some USN fleet tugs, a synthetic rope hawser may be used for the tow in the belief that the line can be pulled aboard a disabled ship by the crew owing t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tim Turner
John Freeman Turner, known by the stage name Tim Turner (7 September 1924 – 1987), was an English actor who performed during the 1950s and 1960s. Life and career Turner was born in Bexley, Kent. Before becoming a film and television actor, Turner was a popular leading young man in the theatre. One of his roles was as the love interest of Stella Linden's Sadie Thompson in the 1949 tour of ''Rain'', adapted from the short story by W. Somerset Maugham. Uncredited, Turner provided the voice of the title character in the TV series ''The Invisible Man'' (1958–59), a loose adaptation of the 1897 novel by H. G. Wells. He appeared in person in one episode as a foreign-accented villain. Later, Turner dubbed the voice of actor Todd Armstrong for the 1963 film '' Jason and the Argonauts''. Between 1959 and 1963, Turner narrated most of the '' Look at Life'' series of short documentary films produced by the Rank Organisation. He was married to actress Patricia Plunkett Patrici ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fifth Column
A fifth column is a group of people who undermine a larger group or nation from within, usually in favor of an enemy group or another nation. The activities of a fifth column can be overt or clandestine. Forces gathered in secret can mobilize openly to assist an external attack. The term is also applied to organized actions by military personnel. Clandestine fifth column activities can involve acts of sabotage, disinformation, espionage or terrorism executed within defense lines by secret sympathizers with an external force. History Internal Enemy in Antiquity The distinction between internal and external enemies to a people or government was a topic of discussion in antiquity, mentioned most notably in Plato's ''Republic''. Origin of Modern Term The term "fifth column" originated in Spain (originally ) during the early phase of the Spanish Civil War. It gained popularity in the Republican faction media in early October 1936 and immediately started to spread abroad. The exac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dutch Resistance
The Dutch resistance () to the History of the Netherlands (1939–1945), German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent. The primary organizers were the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Communist Party, churches, and independent groups. Over 300,000 people were hidden from German authorities in the autumn of 1944 by 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers. These activities were tolerated knowingly by some one million people, including a few individuals among German occupiers and military.L. de Jong: Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog. The Dutch resistance developed relatively slowly, but the February strike of 1941 (which involved random police harassment and the deportation of over 400 Jews) greatly stimulated resistance. The first to organize themselves were the Dutch communists, who set up a cell-system immediately. Some other very amateurish groups also emerged, notably, De Geuzen, set ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
