Dangerous Assignment: Nazi Fugitive 02/03/1951
Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
In this episode of 'Dangerous Assignment,' Steve Mitchell, a U.S. government agent, is sent to Malaya to investigate a gang of bandits terrorizing rubber
Key takeaways
- The true villain is revealed to be Mr. Perkins, who used his fabricated story of being an eyewitness to manipulate the investigation.
Main topics
- Cold War-era espionage
- Intelligence gathering in colonial Malaya
Notable quotes
"Man who try to do bad things with walkie-talkie, when law gets through with him, will do neither one. Neither one? No walkie, no talkie."
Conclusion
Steve Mitchell successfully uncovers and apprehends Mr. Perkins, the t
Transcript preview
Speaker 1 (0:00) Welcome to Choice Classic Radio, where we bring to you the greatest old-time radio shows. Like us on Facebook, subscribe to us on YouTube, and thank you for donating at choiceclassicradio.com. Speaker 3 (0:21) Dangerous Assignments, starring Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell. Speaker 3 (0:44) is my assignment. I get sent to a lot of places I can't even pronounce. They all spell the same thing, though. Trouble. But when I walk into the commissioner's office, I don't realize this assignment's going to wind up with a native bandit giving me a big break by heaving a knife at me. Speaker 4 (1:06) Morning, Commissioner. Ruth said you wanted to see me. I do, Steve. And don't bother to sit down. Your plane leaves for Malaya in one hour. Speaker 3 (1:11) Malaya? Look, I just got out of one jungle. Don't tell me you're sending me back into another one. Just what I am telling you, Steve. Aren't you sort of stretching my luck a little? That's the right word for it, all right. Stretching? Yeah. What do you mean? Rubber. A jokester yet? Okay, what's the deal? Steve, take any list Speaker 4 (1:27) of vital war materials. Rubbers near the Speaker 3 (1:29) top. So, what am I supposed to do? Go over to Malay and tap a few rubber trees? You don't have to. Speaker 4 (1:34) They've quite a few thousand natives on the job already over there. No, it's what's happening after the rubber is harvested that we're interested in. Just what is happening? A gang of so-called bandits has been raiding the various plantations, Steve. They're organized and equipped like a small army. They've been setting fire to buildings, terrorizing the natives, and in general interfering seriously with the entire operation over there. Speaker 3 (1:52) I see. Speaker 4 (1:53) Look, isn't this a matter for Speaker 3 (1:54) the Speaker 4 (1:55) British? They've asked our cooperation in the matter, Steve, and I think the main reason is... There's a rumor that the leader of these bandits is an American. What? To our knowledge, nobody's ever gotten a good look at this leader, or at least lived to tell about it. Steve, it's vital to both countries that we smash this gang. Speaker 3 (2:11) Whom do I work with? Speaker 4 (2:12) A British intelligence agent named Willoughby. He's waiting for you in Singapore right now. Steve, get over there. Work with Willoughby, and then go anywhere and do anything that's necessary to put these bandits out of business for keeps. Well, that's it. You've got your assignment. Good luck. Speaker 4 (2:27) the Speaker 3 (2:40) National Broadcasting Company is presenting Dangerous Assignment, starring Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell, colorful two-fisted government agent. At all those places of the world where danger and intrigue walk hand in hand, there you'll find Steve Mitchell on another Dangerous Assignment. Speaker 3 (3:03) I've got my assignment. Just a simple matter of scouring the Malayan jungle to find out who's been burning up a few assorted rubber plantations. And I've got an uneasy hunch that whoever it is has a king-size hotfoot reserved for me. It's Friday when my plane lands in Singapore, and I head for the office of the British agent Willoughby. Speaker 4 (3:23) Thoroughly nasty mess, Mitchell. I Speaker 3 (3:24) understand there's a rumor that the leader of these bandits is an American. Yes, that's the rumor. What it's worth, I don't know. None of the bandits has ever been captured, huh? Not one Speaker 4 (3:32) of the blighters, Speaker 3 (3:33) no. Speaker 4 (3:33) We've set several traps for them, but Speaker 3 (3:34) they've avoided them very skillfully. Speaker 4 (3:36) What Speaker 3 (3:36) sort of traps, Willoughby? Speaker 4 (3:37) Well, we've doubled our patrols in the whole area. We've also converted several of the plantations which haven't yet been attacked into miniature fortresses. Speaker 3 (3:45) Concealed machine gun emplacements, troops hidden in foxholes, and so on. But they always seem Speaker 4 (3:50) to know which plantations are guarded and which aren't. As I said, their information appears to be amazingly accurate. Speaker 3 (3:55) Yeah. Has anybody ever gotten a good look at this bandit leader? Speaker 4 (3:58) I'm not sure, Mitchell. There's one person who may have. What Speaker 3 (4:01) do you mean, may have? Speaker 4 (4:02) It's the little chap in the next room. Speaker 2 (4:05) Mr. Perkins, would you step in here a moment, please? All right. Speaker 4 (4:11) This is Steve Mitchell, Speaker 3 (4:12) agent from the United States, Mr. Perkins. Steve, Mr. Perkins, an importer. Speaker 2 (4:16) How do you do? Speaker 3 (4:18) Mr. Perkins, would you mind repeating your Speaker 2 (4:19) story to Mr. Mitchell, Perkins? Very well. As Mr. Willoughby told you just now, I'm an importer, Mr. Mitchell. And in the course of my business, I make frequent trips into the jungles to the north of here. Speaker 4 (4:30) I see. Speaker 2 (4:31) Now, last week, I was staying at a friend's plantation deep in the interior. And suddenly, this gang of bandits attacked the plantation about midnight, as I remember. Speaker 3 (4:39) Go on. Speaker 2 (4:40) My friend ran out of the house as soon as he heard the shots. He was killed on the spot. I... Well, apparently the bandits didn't expect there would be anyone else in the house, so they didn't enter immediately. They set fire to the outbuilding, and during the excitement, I was able to crawl out of the window and enter the jungle. Speaker 3 (4:56) Well, I'm sorry to hear about your experience and the loss of your friend, Perkins, but... I don't quite see what connection this has with... Speaker 2 (5:02) It was after my return here to Singapore that my real troubles began, Mitchell. What do you mean? Well, two days ago, I was almost run down the streets. Well, I'm convinced it was a deliberate attempt on my life. Well, last night, I was fired upon. What? Speaker 3 (5:15) Yes. Yes, it appears that someone is quite anxious to put Mr. Perkins out of the way, Mitchell. But why? Well, Speaker 2 (5:20) it's my theory that Perkins may have seen the bandit leader in action. Speaker 3 (5:24) But how did they know you were there at the plantation during the raid, Perkins? Speaker 2 (5:27) Well, my coat. In my haste to escape, I left my coat in my room. You see, it had my name in it. Speaker 3 (5:34) I get it. They found the coat and figured out you must have been there and must have seen them. Perkins, did you see any of them? Speaker 2 (5:40) Yes. Well, there was a lot of confusion, of course, but after I slipped into the jungle, I saw several figures in the clearing. Well, Speaker 3 (5:48) now, don't panic about it. Did you get a good look at them? Speaker 2 (5:51) Only a brief one. Was one of them Speaker 3 (5:53) an American? Speaker 2 (5:54) Well, I really couldn't say. Remember, it was in the middle of the night, and the only illumination came from the fires they'd set. Speaker 3 (6:00) You'd think you'd recognize any of them if you saw them again. Speaker 2 (6:03) Well, that's the same question Mr. Willoughby asked me. And all I can say is that I might. Speaker 2 (6:11) I don't know. You Speaker 3 (6:12) know, Willoughby, it's pretty obvious to me that this bandit leader is somebody who's known in the interior. Speaker 4 (6:17) That's my notion, too, sir. Oh, boy. Speaker 3 (6:18) Yeah. He could figure that Perkins would be making other trips into that country and might spot him, all of which gives me the idea what our one chance of finding him is. Speaker 4 (6:27) You have in mind a trip into the interior for the three of us? Speaker 3 (6:29) Yep. I've already broached the subject to Mr. Perkins, but he doesn't seem to think very highly of it at all. Speaker 2 (6:35) Gentlemen, I'm sure you understand my position. Frankly, I'm not a particularly courageous man. There