A passable, low-budget, historical curiosity from Republic Pictures, "Sabotage" offered an early warning about possible foreign sabotage of U.S. munitions factories, well before the country entered the second World War. After a saccharine romantic opening, the simplistic plot, the work of two writers no less, involves a machinist at an airplane factory. The seemingly innocent man is implicated in the deaths of several airmen, who are killed when faulty engines cause their planes to crash. Played with boyish charm by Gordon Oliver, Tommy Grayson, the machinist, is aided in clearing his name by Grayson's wily grandfather, Charley Grapewin, and by the grandfather's spry elderly friends from a local veteran's home.
Like most of the plot, the evidence against Oliver's character is flimsy at best, and the unmasking of the nest of saboteurs would hardly strain the mental acuity of the oldest ex-soldier in the group, a befuddled veteran of Gettysburg, who, in 1939, would have been at least 90, if he fought the battle at age 14. The cast of unknown and lesser-known character actors perform adequately for the material, with Grapewin the lone standout. The supposed leads, Oliver and Arleen Whelan as his fiancé, are squeaky clean and forgettable in stereotyped roles. The film even provides some antiquated dialog about men and their inadequacy in the kitchen and about women and their tarnished reputations after appearing on stage. The warning about foreign infiltrators is coupled with another about the dangers of gossip, perhaps intended as one message for men and one for women. However, the film's third warning about stepping outside gender stereotypes was intended for all Americans in the late 1930's.
A B picture intended as program filler with a message or messages, "Sabotage" probably does not warrant a serious review, because the film was likely made without any artistic intent other than filling time at the local Bijou. Throw in some dated stereotypes, a geeky unconvincing romance, and a pack of geezers out to nab some traitors and you have a Hollywood relic that was buried under the avalanche of classic films released in 1939, Hollywood's banner year. The antiquated film's primary interest is veteran actor Charley Grapewin, who offers a convincing and effective turn as an indomitable senior citizen.
