Operation in Istanbul

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production year

1975

Premiere

19 December 1975

Runtime

101 min

Category

film

Genre

drama, spy

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Akce v Istanbulu

Czech title

Akce v Istanbulu

English title

Operation in Istanbul

Summary

This 1975 spy drama by well-established director Vladimír Čech reflects the regime’s dream of the Czechoslovak intelligence services’ dominance over their slow-witted adversaries from the CIA and West Germany. The story’s protagonist is a communist double agent, Petr Halva, who outwardly acts as a Czech immigrant who is the deputy director of a West Berlin company, Tanass. Tanass is in fact a front for US intelligence, which was infiltrated by Halva 10 years previously when he posed as an apparently reliable agent. However, the seasoned Halva is taken by surprise when his pretended romantic feelings for the beautiful Gitta – played by Ida Rapaičová – gradually become real… Akce v Istanbulu (Operation in Action) is rather inept depictions of the sweet and decadent life on the other side of the Iron Curtain are balanced by a high-calibre cast. Radovan Lukavský performed the lead role in this film adaptation of a book by popular pro-regime author Ivan Gariš, who also penned the film’s screenplay.

Synopsis

Not far from Prague, a drunk driver of the car with West German front license plate comes into collision with a girl hitchhiker. The police detains the offender - the business agent Grandner. In West Berlin, in his home firm Tanass, it makes a stir. Tanass is in fact the branch office of the American secret service and Grandner was one of the agents. Nobody suspects that Peter Halva, a senior director, Czech émigré, working in the firm for ten years, is a member of the Czechoslovak espionage. The elegant man passes over the notes by mediation of an attractive intelligence woman Gitta whom he regularly meets at the night club Conchita. Their simulated love passion is gradually realized. But one of the English agents identified Gitta and the woman takes to flight through East Berlin to her homeland. Peter managed to suggest her that an operation is in preparation in Istanbul. The American agents intend to kidnap an important Czech scientist MSc. Mašita, flying on official journey to Egypt, at the inter-landing in Turkey. The Czechoslovak espionage group has not enough time to interference with it thus Halva is entirely dependent on him. He gets rid of his colleagues after he foists drugs into their hands and discloses it to the Turkish police. Then he accompanies Mašita, who is entirely unaware of anything, to the airplane. However, by this time, Halva´s real identity has been revealed and he returns to his homeland which he longed for. At the airport Gitta is awaiting him. The workers of Tanass are broken down, their firm is closed.

Cast

Radovan Lukavský

Petr Halva, zástupce ředitele Tanassu, pracovník československé rozvědky

Ida Rapaičová

Gitta Reinová alias Monika Dullardová

Wilhelm Koch-Hooge

Voice by Luděk Munzar
plukovník John C. Howard, vedoucí pracovník CIA

Martin Růžek

ředitel Tanassu Wolfgang Streitzer

Minerva Daly

Voice by Jaroslava Adamová
zpěvačka Giselle Kraemerová alias Minerva

Josef Langmiler

kapitán Garry Browder vlastním jménem Drew Davidson, specialista na únosy

Eduard Cupák

majitel baru Conchita Dean Powell, bývalý pracovník anglické zpravodajské služby

Oto Ševčík

pracovník spolkové zpravodajské služby Neumaier

Gustav Heverle

policejní komisař Christian Wollmann

Oldřich Velen

policejní inspektor Georg Friedmann

František Peterka

agent Lino Torrance, pracovník CIA

Gustav Nezval

plukovník Ladislav Kment, pracovník československé rozvědky

Miroslav Homola

recepční Guttmann

Jan Přeučil

agent William Roberts, rezident v Istanbulu

Josef Chvalina

inženýr Tomáš Mašita, vedoucí výzkumného pracoviště mechanizačních prostředků

Jindřich Narenta

agent Hans Kreiske, spolupracovník CIA

Milan Mach

instruktor Miroslav Krulich, spolupracovník CIA

Viktor Maurer

agent Santanelli

Zita Kabátová

kadeřnice

Vladimír Navrátil

major Jan Mikeš, pracovník československé rozvědky

Jan Pohan

úředník výzkumného ústavu Karel Berka, spolupracovník CIA

Raoul Schránil

obchodní zástupce Thomas Grandner, spolupracovník CIA

Josef Šebek

Wuttke, agent spolkové zpravodajské služby

Jan Kuželka

Müller, agent spolkové zpravodajské služby

Eduard Kohout

spolumajitel baru Conchita

Oldřich Lukeš

taxikář Huber

Jiřina Bílá

sekretářka Greta

Robert Vrchota

Bartz, majitel autoservisu

Jiří Lír

agent-řidič

Mirko Musil

Jaroušek

Aleš Vincík

muž obsluhující diaprojektor

Zuzana Talpová

bytná Gipfelová

Radka Dulíková

sekretářka Helenka

Václav Hrůza

řidič

Karel Babáček

dirigent

Milan Bajer

hudebník

J. Heřmanský

hudebník

Jan Svatoš

hudebník

Zdeňka Aichmanová

host v baru

Zdeněk Hess

host v baru

Václav Kotva

host v baru

Antonín Meisner

host v baru

Vilemína Nejedlová-Skokanová

host v baru

Miroslav Krejča

agent v Praze

Olga Bidlová

manekýnka

Jitka Hamerníková

manekýnka

Marie Konrádová

manekýnka

Alena Křečková

manekýnka

Dagmar Špačková

manekýnka

Eva Štětková

manekýnka

S. Kankušová

manekýnka

Jar. Kochová

manekýnka

B. Šachová

manekýnka

Jindřiška Šulcová

tanečnice

Dubbing

Zdeněk Kryzánek

hlas námořníka

Crew and creators

Second Unit Director

Milan Vácha

Assistant Director

Stanislav Ulver

Based on

Ivan Gariš (Akce v Istanbulu – román)

Shooting Script

Vladimír Čech

Director of Photography

Josef Pávek

Second Unit Photography

Karel Hejsek

Camera Operator

Michal Hvozdák

Production Designer

Jaroslav Krška

Assistent Production Designer

Vladimír Hovorka

Film Editor

Jan Chaloupek

Assistant Film Editor

Alena Chvojková, Eva Lackingerová

Sound Designer

Pavel Jelínek

Special Effects

Trikový ateliér FSB

Production Manager

Josef Ouzký

Unit Production Manager

Karel Škop, Růžena Hulínská

Unit Production Manager

Helena Hánová

Consultant

plk. Jan Kovář, pplk. František Havlíček, JUDr. Přemysl Velický

Cooperation

Olga Kourová (klapka), Zdeněk Dukát (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Štěpán Lucký

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Štěpán Koníček), Orchestr Karla Vlacha, Orchestr Karla Babáčka

Singer

Minerva Daly

Production info

Original Title

Akce v Istanbulu

Czech Title

Akce v Istanbulu

English Title

Operation in Istanbul

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

drama, spy

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1975

Production Year

1975

Production specifications

withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990

Premiere

premiere 11 December 1975 /suitable for youths/ (kino Světozor, Praha)
premiere 19 December 1975 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Miroslava Hladkého, Miroslav Hladký (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

101 min

Original length in metres

2 819 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,66

Colour

colour

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech