 Listen to Herbert Marshall as the man called X. Wherever there is mystery, adventure, intrigue, in all the strange and dangerous places of the world, there you will find the man called X. The call came into occupation headquarters in the Daiichi Building, Tokyo, shortly before midnight. Army intelligence was immediately informed, and within a matter of minutes the coding machine started clicking out their message for the State Department in Washington. Military police discovered body of man in Meiji Park, cause of death unknown. Preliminary investigation indicates identity as that of missing bureau agent, Ken Thurston. Please advise. Miss Brooks. Miss Brooks. Have you got through to Tokyo yet? No sir, not yet. We're still trying, but there was... I don't care how busy they are. I've got to talk to them. Now get me some action, fast. Yes sir, I'll try immediately. I suppose it had to happen some day. Ken Thurston. All the dirty rotten things too. All right Zelsmith, what do you want? I just wanted to tell you something. Something very important about the late dear department, Mr. Thurston. Well? Something I'm sure you never realized, Mr. Chief. What's that? I happen to be his one and only heir. What? Well that's right, that's right. So many times he told me, Pagan he told me, when I go I wish to leave everything to you. Now wait a minute. Unfortunately I don't know where all his assets are. But if you would help me to locate them for a slight consideration of course. Zelsmith, you're the most hypocritical, unscrupulous, iniquitous. Get out of my office. Yes. Hello. You sound a skeptic, Chief. What the devil's business did about... Ken. That's right. Ken, but it can't be. The report of your death. Colonel Brandt of G2. Oh, it's a site mixed up in identity. The dead man was wearing a raincoat I'd lent him a couple of weeks ago. My name's on the label. Well, I'm sorry for him, whoever he was, but... Well, I'm sure glad to hear you, Ken. Thanks, Chief. But where the devil have you been this last week? No word from you? Then that report? I was behind the red lines in career checking on some... Oh, but that's not important now. Oh, what is? I want you to send Pagon out here, right away, with everything we've got in the files on Professor Charles Reynolds. Professor Reynolds? The expert on atomic radiation? That's right. You remember him. Oh, of course. The last I heard, he was working on a defense against the A-bomb, an antidote for the deadly radiation, trying to find a way to avoid certain death from overexposure to radioactive materials. Yeah. You know what it means if we could have such a cure? And I think he was darn close to finding it. Well, but what's all that got to do with you in Tokyo? The man who borrowed my raincoat was Professor Reynolds. Murdered? They haven't diagnosed the cause of death yet. Hmm. Was he working in Tokyo on that antidote for radiation poisoning? That's right, with Professor Kurosudu. And if he found it, and some foreign agent had learned about it... Yeah, yeah. I'll send Zell Schmidt with those files over on the first plane. Where'll he find you? Have him try Sumaito Hospital. Sumaito Hospital? Yes. Reynolds joined the research staff there. Just a week before he died. Is there something I could do for you? I'd like to see Dr. Steven Anastapese. My name's Ken Thurston. Dr. Alester is occupied at the moment. I am Nastya Karpovna, his assistant. Could I help you? I'm afraid not, Miss Karpovna, unless you happen to know the result of the autopsy on Professor Reynolds. I see. I am afraid that the information you seek is confidential, Mr. Thurston. By whose orders? Intelligence. It would be necessary for you to obtain clearance from them. Yeah. Will this do, Miss Karpovna? May I see that, please? Sure. Yes. Everything appears to be in order. I believe you may speak with Dr. Alester. I will see if he is free. Well, thanks. Pretty cautious about things around here, aren't you? If we are, it is with reason, Mr. Thurston. Oh, what reason? Hello, Dr. Alester? There is a gentleman here who wishes to see you. His name is Ken Thurston. It is regarding Professor Reynolds' death. Yes, that is quite right. Very well, Doctor. Thank you. You may go in. The second door to the right. Thanks. You still haven't answered my question. Concerning what? Why are so touchy about the subject of Professor Reynolds? You will find Dr. Alester in the laboratory. Second door to the right. Anastasia said you were here about poor Reynolds. Is that right, Thurston? It is, Doctor. What can you tell me about him? I presume you have proper official approval and all that. Anastasia would never have let you in otherwise. Excellent girl. All business. No nonsense. Yeah, I noticed that. Reynolds did too. Quite taken by her ability. Matter of fact, they spent more time working on his experiments than she did on mine. Those experiments of his, Doctor, they concerned the effects of radiation and how to counteract them. Oh, you're familiar with that, eh? Yes. Quite right. Reynolds had a theory that the lethal effect of overexposure to deadly radiation could be stopped completely. His goal was a compound that could be given hypothetically. Pretty radical concept, wasn't it? In my opinion, yes. And I can assure you he hadn't got anywhere. Hadn't found an antidote for radiation poisoning. What makes you so certain about that, Dr. Alester? The autopsy report on his death, Thurston. Professor Reynolds died from overexposure to some radioactive material. Something pretty important must be going on here in Tokyo, eh, Mr. Rex? All this dope on that Professor Reynolds' names and dates and stuff? Pagan, those letters printed on the outside of that file spells secret and confidential. Well, it was a long trip on the plane, Mr. Rex, and I didn't have nothing to do. And what are we stopping here for? This is where Professor Reynolds lived. Come on. Hey, what's that black box type box you're carrying? A Geiger counter. It is? What do you want to count Geigers for? It's an instrument for detecting radioactive material, you idiot. Oh, sure, sure. I knew it all the time, Mr. Thurston. Oh, sure, sure. Nobody home, Mr. Rex. But I'd be happy to see if I could pick that lock open for you. For a slight consideration, of course. Hey, where did you get that key? It was Reynolds. Intelligence department gave it to me. Oh, what a dirty trick. Look at all this joint. What happened here anyways? Somebody must have been looking for something. Like what? Maybe a formula to prevent death from radiation. What? Let's look around. Hey, I'm hearing a funny noise, Mr. Rex. It's this Geiger counter. There's some kind of radioactive material around. It's not in this room. Let's try the bedroom. Yeah, it's in here, all right. Sounds like it might be... Sure, the bed. Pull off the bedclothes, Pagon, and the mattress. Huh? Pull them off. Oh, sure, sure. So they're off, so what? Look there, at the bed spring. Hey, hey, there's something tied to it. See? That little metal packet. Don't touch it. Doot! That's what killed Professor Reynolds. That little thing? That little thing is a hospital capsule of radium. Radium? A night or two of sleeping in that bed exposed to those arrays will be enough to kill an elephant. You mean Professor Reynolds was murdered? Yeah. Oh, it's only the phone. Hello. Do I have the pleasure of speaking to Mr. Ken Thurston? That's right. Who's that? My name is of little import, Mr. Thurston. If you have determined the case of Professor Reynolds on timely death... And if I have? Then perhaps you will be interested to learn that in a manner of speaking, Professor Reynolds is still alive. Alive? What the devil you're talking about? Who are you? The answer to all that you seek lies in the clicking Buddha, Mr. Thurston. Clicking Buddha? I shall be happy to turn it over to you if you will but call... Hello? What's happened there? Hello? The Buddha, Mr. Thurston, it was... Hello? What's going on there? Hello? Hello? We'll return to the man called X in just a moment. Here is an urgent message for all ships' radio officers. The Federal Maritime Administration is calling all former merchant marine radio officers to come back to sea. Right now, scores of ships are riding at anchor loaded and ready to sail. Their cargoes are vitally needed by our fighting forces and by our allies. Especially right now, the need for radio officers is acute. If you have had six months merchant marine radio operating experience since January of 1935 on any kind of FCC license, the American Radio Association's CIO will help you get an emergency license to ship out at once. You will earn more than $600 a month. Former radio men are urged to write phone or wire to the American Radio Association 5 Beekman Street, New York City, which will put you in touch with the port office nearest your home. Or go now to the American Radio Association 5 Beekman Street, New York City. Now act two of the man called X starring Herbert Marshall with Leon Balasco as Pagans L. Schmidt. When Professor Reynolds working on a cure for the deadly effect of atomic radiation was found dead in Tokyo, Ken Thurston suspected that some other country was after the professor's formula. And now, Ken is at the Summa Edo Hospital talking with Dr. Stephen Allister. If what you say is true, Thurston, then Reynolds was deliberately murdered. That's right, doctor. But who could have had the means, the opportunity to murder Reynolds in that bizarre fashion? I thought you might be able to tell me. I? Yeah, you've got radium here at the hospital, haven't you? Naturally. But so have every other major hospital in Tokyo. Yeah, I know, but Professor Reynolds wasn't conducting his experiments at other hospitals. Yes, that's a point. Nesteia, my dear, would you mind coming into the laboratory for a moment? Thank you. Nesteia has charge of the vault where we keep all the radioactive material. She should be able to give us a check if the radium from here was used as the deadly weapon. You wish to see me, Dr. Allister? Come in, my dear, come in. Tell me, Nesteia, is there any radium missing from the hospital supply? Missing radium? Hardly, Dr. Allister. No short of that? Perhaps you would like to check our supply vault personally, Mr. Thurston? If you don't mind. Of course not. I will wait for you in my office. I'm afraid we've hurt the poor girl's feelings, Thurston. But I'm certain that one result of all this will be pleasing to me. What's that? Removing Sumaito Hospital and its staff from your list of, shall we say, suspects. You'll have to be a lot more cooperative to make me believe that, Dr. You're joking, of course. I've been waiting for you to mention the one man who would really know about Reynolds' formula. Professor Curusudo. Curusudo? Yeah, the man who was working with Reynolds on his experiments. You're certainly thorough enough, Thurston. How'd you know about Curusudo? I've done some checking. But what's more important is why you didn't mention him. I wish to protect the hospital from any further notoriety. How does that fit you? Professor Curusudo is missing. And has been ever since the night Reynolds was found dead. The vault in which we keep our radioactive materials is down here in the basement. I trust that you do not mind the inconvenience. Pretty dark in here, isn't it? Easily remedied, Mr. Thurston. There is the vault. Do you wish to make the check by yourself? Oh, I don't mind you making it with me. As you wish. You see, we take no chances on losing any precious radioactive materials. We don't take any chances on excellence from radiation leakage, have we? No. The entire vault is made of lead. And the Geiger count in the wall gives immediate warning of an exposure. Here, for example, if I should open this drawer containing radioactive iron... Well, thanks for the demonstration, but it's the radio I'm interested in, remember? Yes, of course. He's in that drawer at the back of the... The lights! They have gone out! Yes. Accidentally or with malice or forethought? An emergency switch just outside the vault. I will have them on again in a minute. What happened out there? Nostalgia! Oh, if I don't find the lights. I don't care how busy Mr. Thurston is. I'm going to talk to him right away, even sooner, maybe. You're right, Mr. Zeltschmidt. He'll be more than interested in the radio he left you to guard at Professor Reynolds. You're certain that it's gone? Certain, I'm certain. And you didn't see who attacked you? Well, believe me, I didn't see nothing but stars. Now, there's... Nostalgia! Nostalgia, what happened here? Lights went out. Somebody took a hold of me. I must have fainted. Thurston, where is he? In the vault. Vault? Good Lord. The radio drawers open. Give me a hand, Zeltschmidt. We've got to get him out of here fast. Oh, the radio with Professor Reynolds' house is missing. That's right, Mr. Thurston, but... but it wasn't my fault, honest. No, no, Cousin. And I imagine your radio inventory is right up the snuff, Alistair. It is, Thurston. I just checked it. Of course, we don't know whether it was that way when you entered the vault or was replaced while you were unconscious. So where does it all this put us anyway, Mr. Thurston? Simple, Pagon. Right back where we started. Now, Mr. Thurston. That's right. Now, this is Colonel Brad Intelligent. Oh, yes, Colonel. What do you have for me? Well, we finally traced that phone call, the one you received at Professor Reynolds' apartment. Good. Where'd it come from? A small cottage out in the suburbs on Matsuma Road, 183. 183 Matsuma Road. That's right, Mr. Thurston. Oh, by the way, you want some of my men out there with you? Not this time, Colonel. If I find what I think I'll find, it's already too late. I don't get it, Mr. X. There's nobody home in this cottage, George. What are we wasting time for? I'm looking for something, Pagon. Like what, for instance? Oh, a cure for deadly radiation. Professor Kurisu Du, a clicking Buddha. What? It must have been Kurisu Du who called me on the phone. And he mentioned a clicking Buddha. So I'm looking for... Yeah, I was right. Right about what? Look at this. What? That little shelf in a wall? Yeah, some of the Japanese keep their household gods on them. Well, it's empty. There's nothing on it but dust. That green ring in the dust says it hasn't been empty long. And a miniature statue of Buddha, a couple of inches high, would just fit in there. So what? So I've got one of the answers I'm looking for. Now, if I could not... Mr. Hexen. I came from that closet. Come on. Oh, Mr. Hexen. He's all shot full of holes. Yes. Who was he, Mr. Thirst? Answer number two. Professor Kurisu Du. Assume that there is some legitimate reason for forcing us to attend this meeting, Colonel Brandt. No one forced you, Miss Kapovna. It's merely a request. Request? I'm afraid I feel the same way about it that Nestiah does, Colonel. We've had enough interruptions lately to our work at the hospital. It's unfortunate that you'll feel that way about it, Dr. Alastair, but it couldn't be helped. Sorry to have kept you waiting, Colonel, and you, Nestiah. Dr. Alastair. I might have known you would be involved in this, Mr. Thirsten. We're all involved in it, Nestiah, the entire world. Professor Reynolds' formula? That's right, Doctor. We all know that he and Kurisu Du were working on a treatment for atomic radiation. Somebody wanted his formula and killed him to get it. Only the formula wasn't found. What makes you think the killer didn't get the formula from Reynolds? Because Kurisu Du had it. But unfortunately he was tracked down, killed, and then the formula taken. And the killer happens to be in this room. Mr. Thirsten, you're making a very serious accusation. I hope you've got the proof to go with it. I don't need any proof, Colonel. The killer's death warrant has been signed by Reynolds and Kurisu Du. That doesn't make much sense, Thirsten. Those men were radiation experts. They have a top-secret formula. Doesn't it make sense that they protect it? Protect it? But how? Simply by putting the formula in a radioactive hiding place. Radioactive? Sure, by exposing the hiding place to radium. Then whoever stole the formula would be carrying death around with him. Without knowing it. But you said the killer was in this room. Then... That's right, bestiah. There's certain death from radiation staring one of us in the face. You still haven't proved anything, Mr. Thirsten. Okay, if you insist, Colonel. Bring it in, Pagon. Oh, you bet, Mr. Thirsten. Get it right here with me. All ready to count geigers and stuff. A counter? Yeah. And if the killer thinks I was bluffing, well, wait till I switch it on. You hear that? Listen to it. Every one of those clicks is a heartbeat. Racing toward the end. There can be enough radiation tearing through somebody's body right now to cause death in a matter of hours. Destroying blood, tissue, muscle. Get it away! Get it away from me! Let me out of here! Before it's too late! Let me out! Let me out! Yes. But he's getting away, Mr. Thirsten. Not far, Pagon. The MPs are waiting. Well, that little statuary took out of his pocket and threw at us. That silver Buddha. That's right, Colonel. You'll find Wennell's formula inside. Open it up. Open it? You're crazy if you think I'm going to get anywhere near that thing. It's deadly. It's all right. It's harmless. Harmless? The way that geiger counted acted? Yeah. Colonel, Alastair's game was one of the dirtiest in the world. Selling out his country. The lives of human beings for a handful of phony money. Well, I'd like to think that in some way I paid him back in his own coin. But I don't get it, Mr. X. What's that got to do with that geiger counter-clicking like crazy? That little statue of Buddha isn't radioactive. Huh? But, Pagon, the radium dial of my watch is... And now here's our star, Mr. Herbert Marshall. Thanks for being with us. And my thanks to Alma Lawton, Will Wright, Peter Prowse, and Peter Leeds. Next week, Italy. And raging floodwaters that leave in their wake a terrible threat from the east, along with death, devastation. And, oh yes, and Leon Bolasco, he'll be along too, as usual, as Pagon Zelschmitt. So join us, won't you, when next I return as the man called X. Good night. Called X, starring Herbert Marshall is a J. Richard Kennedy production with music by Milton Charles. Tonight's story was written by Sidney Marshall. This program is directed by Jack Johnstone. All characters and incidents on this program are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual characters or incidents is purely coincidental. And now, until next week, same time and station, this is Hal Gitney saying, Good night for the man called X. This is NBC, the national broadcasting company.