Only the insanity of the Cold War could have as its result the United States taking this wartime German drama about the GPU, the KGB's predecessor, and making it into a 1950s shock film against the USSR.  This is the original 1942 work, however, and boy, does it have the makings of a corny 1950s B-movie:  in the first scene, to the sounds of heart-racing terror-inducing music, flash the letters "GPU" with Germany's definition of the acronym:

 G = Grauen 

 P = Panik

 U = Untergang  

Tacky misdefinitions aside, this movie ranks right up there with Attack of the 50-foot Cauliflower, I was a teenage Mouseketeer and, horror of all horrors, Yes, I admit it:  I voted for Jimmy Carter! 

This is the story of a student, who somehow manages to get involved with bad, bad people that cause him to come to the attention of the GPU.  Along the way, he meets a nice lady, whom the GPU doesn't seem to like either. 

See, as they try their hardest to escape the clutches of the Chekists only to be blackmailed into becoming their agents! 

See the GPU follow them around more places in Europe than a cheap tour group out to visit all the continent's capitals in 7 days! 

See me gag! 

At the conclusion of the film, our hapless couple is locked away in the dungeons of the Soviet trade commission ... in Rotterdam.  Thankfully, the German invasion of Holland results in the trade commission's building being bombed and our now liberated couple welcomes the fascists as their liberators!  Of course, the film doesn't bother to mention that, in 1940, the Germans were full allies of the Soviets and more likely than not, these grateful kids would have been sent to Moscow on the next train out of occupied Holland.  But hey:  it's all good fun, right?

Don't miss the horror that is GPU!

Antisowjetischer Propagandafilm über die Aktivitäten der sowjetischen Geheimpolizei GPU in Westeuropa 1939/40: Die Geigenvirtuosin Olga Feodorowna arbeitet nebenbei für die GPU. In dem Leiter der GPU-Sektion Europa Nikolai Bokscha erkennt sie den Mann wieder, der für den Tod ihrer Familie in den Wirren der russischen Revolution verantwortlich war. Sie denunziert Bokscha, der als Doppelagent auch für die Franzosen arbeitet, bei der GPU-Zentrale in Moskau, woraufhin dieser liquidiert wird. Als die GPU Olga nicht aus ihren Diensten entlassen will, nimmt sie sich das Leben.

Quality is quite good, but it's far from digital and nothing to write home to Putin and his KGB buddies about. 

DVD-R is in German with hard-encoded English subtitles. Approx. 97 mins. See film sample for audio and video quality!