 You're twice as sure with two great names, Frigidaire and General Motors. Frigidaire presents Herbert Marshall as the man called X. Wherever there is mystery, intrigue, romance, in all the strange and dangerous places of the world, there you will find the man called X. Now Frigidaire presents Herbert Marshall as Ken Thurston, the man called X. Now, uh, just why did you come here to the bureau, Mrs. Masters? Because of my son, Mr. Thurston. He live in Athens and I, in Greece, where I come from. Here I, to me, he's sick, a bad sick. He needs medicine. I see. My friends tell me of a Greek business here. They will send him a wonder medicine. The name I have here. Streptomycin, Ken. Yeah. Yeah, I see. Cheetah. They, they ask for $100. I have only a little money, but I give them. That is two months ago. Yesterday, I have a letter. My son is dead. Oh, I'm sorry. The letter also says, medicine never arrives. I think there's something wrong, Mr. So I go to company today. What company, Mrs. Masters? The Sador Mercantile Company. But the man will not help. Only tell me, come here. What do you think, Chief? Ken, the bureau has a report on 500 units of Streptomycin shipped to Athens 60 days ago. It was lost overboard while being transferred to another ship near the island of Xenophon. An unfortunate accident, that's all. Is it? I wonder what 500 units of a rare drug like Streptomycin will bring in the Greek black market. Oh, probably half a million to Ken. Yes, Chief. I'm paying a visit to the Sador Mercantile Company. Pagans, those men. Get your feet off that desk and wake up. Pagans! No, I'll have your head for waking me up like this. Oh, hello, Mr. Therson. What are you doing at the Sador Mercantile Company? Where? Oh, you mean here? Why, I'm vice president and general manager in charge of mercantiles and things. Oh, so you're the one who sent Mrs. Masters to see me, eh? Of course, I didn't know what she was talking about. Besides, I wanted you to find out about my salary. That big fat man hasn't been back since. What big fat man? Well, the one who hired me three days ago. He hasn't been back since. Oh, you said that, yes. Now, whether any phone calls, any mail... Well, the telephone's unconnected and the only thing in the mail was this. I opened it accidentally on display. Oh, you're showing him. Pagans, this is a shipping invoice. Three days ago, a thousand units of Stetlomycin were shipped here to express via Rome to a doctor midter of the General Hospital in Athens. Oh, thanks, Miss. You seem surprised, Mr. Therson. I am. I didn't expect Dr. Midter to be so feminine. Someone should have told you the name is Eleanor Midter. Won't you sit down? Thanks. You wish to speak with me concerning Stetlomycin and the need for it here at Athens General Hospital? Yes, I do. What can you tell me about it? Mr. Therson with typhus and tuberculosis sweeping Greece like a plague. Our need for it is desperate. Wasn't a thousand units shipped here express a few days ago? Yes, yes. But a special plane bringing it from Rome flew off course. It crashed off the island of Xenophon yesterday morning. That is why we are desperate. There is always the black market, doctor. Mr. Therson, there is no black market in Stetlomycin. Uh-huh. Well, I... Thanks for the information, Dr. Midter. I'll see if I can carry out something for you. Bye, doctor. Goodbye, Mr. Therson. Good luck. Spot a 2-5-7-3, please. Hello. Hello, this is Dr. Midter. We need 50 more units at once. Yes, yes. The hospital will meet the price. By the way, Mr. Therson was just here. He might possibly be taking the steamer to Xenophon. It's also possible that Mr. Therson is the man called X. Mr. Therson, how long do we have to travel on this dirty cattle boat? Sure, Pagon. We'll be in Xenophon in 24 hours. Now, this will be our cabin. Yes? Hello. You must be Colonel Creighton. And if I am? Well, the passenger agent tells us we'll be sharing this cabin. Miserable arrangement. The idea of a member of the king's personal guard being forced to share his quarters with strangers. We're not complaining, Colonel. Where should you? I'll just bear in mind, please, that this enforced proximity does not entitle you to any social amenities. And now, if you'll excuse me, I shall leave. Well... What a stuffed shirt! Am I going to tell him a couple of things or two? Oh, you're sure you are. Now, let's put our bags away. Yeah, come in. Yeah? Good evening, gentlemen. Good evening. You're pardoned for this intrusion. My name is Dimetro Sadov. Mr. Therson, it's him. It's him, the big, fat man. Oh, yes, you recognize me. My... my girth is difficult to disguise. You crooked no good, cheating me out of my salary. I'll punch you black and blue. I'll... I'll... My apologies, Elspeth. Cable from Greece's unexpected business emergency. No time to notify you. Perhaps this, uh, bill will suffice for back salary? That measly little, huh? A sea note? A hundred bucks? Yes, exactly. Are we still enemies, my dear sir? Well, how did you ever get such a silly idea, Mr. Sadov? My dearest friend, now, if there's any little job... All right, Sadov, let's have it. You didn't come in here just to settle up with Pagon. You have a keen mind, sir. Very keen mind. Now, I came here as a friend to warn you. There is someone aboard this ship, sir, who intends to take your life. Yeah? What makes you think that? My sources must remain a secret, sir. However, it's much I can tell you. There is no one named Colonel Creighton connected with his Majesty's guard. And at the moment, the Colonel is dining with the last-minute passenger, the lovely Dr. Eleanor Mitter of Athens. There you have it, sir, my, uh, gesture of friendship. Yeah. You mentioned two names as homicidal suspects. How about adding a third? A third, sir? Yeah. Demetro Sadov. Demetro? Yes, my dear sir. You're quite right. Quite right indeed. Good night, my friend. Mind-sharing part of this rail, Dr. Mitter? The deck is free to all passengers, Mr. Thurston. Thank you, thank you. But it lonely out here at this hour of night, isn't it? That's why I chose it. I prefer quiet and solitude on the nights before I operate. You're going to operate? Yes, that's why I'm traveling to Xenophon. The pilot of the plane carrying the Streptomycin had his skull fractured in the crash. There's a funny thing about that crash, Dr. Is there? Yeah, I checked on it. The weather was calm and clear. The pilot reported no mechanical trouble. Too bad if he died during the operation and couldn't tell how it happened. There are other things more dangerous to human life than a scalpel in the hands of a trained surgeon, Mr. Thurston. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll retire. Good night. Good night, Dr. Mr. Thurston, Mr. Thurston, we're going to be killed. Murdered. Even died, maybe. Now whoa, whoa, whoa, pay on. Who's going to commit all this mayhem? Colonel Creighton. That's who I saw him in the cabin just now. Cleaning a cannon. Well, anyway, the caliber 88 automatic is going to kill us. No. Get down, down. All right, pay on. Dig your nose up out of the deck. Whoever it was has gone in the shadows. Well, that's good to be, but that's no good to Colonel. Dr. Middler left in the direction those shots came from. Look over there now. What do you see? In that darkness? Nothing but a big shadow. It's Mr. Thurston. It's moving. It's coming towards us. A pleasant journey, this one, to Xenopharm, isn't it, Mr. Thurston? Yes, a very pleasant journey indeed. How to continue with Frigidaire's man-called X, starring Herbert Marshall. Mr. Thurston, why don't we get off this floating cattle car? Sometimes, pay-on-cargo's a lot more important than passengers. We've got to wait till they're through, unloading. But how come that Dr. Middler sneaked out ashore? Special priority. We've got an operation coming up. Ha, maybe if I play sick, too, we can... Mr. Thurston, look out. Somebody's jumping on us. Relax. That's nothing but the shadow of the cargo net swinging overhead. Imagine that. But why do they keep swinging it over our heads all the time? Oh, my dear Thurston. Viewing the harbor, I see. That's right, Seydor. I was wondering where that plane of yours crashed. Oh, I asked the unfortunate accident. Notice that mooring boy in the bay and the ship anchored nearby? That marks the spot. Looks like that boat has diving tackle rigged on it. Your eyes are as keen as your brain, sir. Yes, that is a sponge-diving boat. What of my fleet, Mr. Thurston? So you're in this sponge business, too, huh? Quite right, sir. I, uh, find it a dull venture, but, uh, quite profitable. Is profitable of selling wonder-drugs on the black market? You joke, of course, sir. No, I do not think the sponge business would be as profitable, but, uh, perhaps far less dangerous. That is my answer, sir. A good one, is it not? It's a very good one, indeed. What's so good about it? He didn't answer nothing. That's why it's good, Pagan. Huh? Well, anyways, with him and Dr. Mitter out of our way, we've got nothing to worry about. Hey, Mr. Thurston, that cargo net stopped right over. Jump, Pagan, on the mix. It's clipping. Come on. Jump! Mr. X, those crates fell right where we were standing. Yeah. They could have smashed a flutter than flabjacks. What an accident. I wonder if Colonel Creighton had called it that. Colonel Creighton? Standing over there beside the donkey engine. Mr. Thurston, that engine... Yeah. It handled the load of cargo that nearly dropped on us. So, Ken, you've come to the hospital to check up on me. No, not quite, all right. I want to talk to your patient, the pilot. That is, if he is still alive. He's alive. The operation was successful. Come, I'll take you to see him. Ken, I hope this will end these suspicions you have. Here we are. This is his room. Kind of drafty, isn't it? That stupid nurse left the window open. She knows the patient's vulnerable to pneumonia. Don't bother, Eleanor. He's not vulnerable to anything now. Ken, it must have been post-operative shock. What embolism? Yeah. All that knife sticking out of his chest. Hello, Seydor. Oh, Mr. Thurston. Come in, sir. Come in, please. Thanks. Welcome, surprise, sir. Most welcome. Though, uh, I must confess, I expected you to call. Yeah, we've got a few things to talk over. Seydor, you operate the black markets here in Xenophon. Why not admit it? Why not, sir? Why not indeed? The airplane pilot is dead. There are no witnesses here. I don't mind speaking frankly. Well, good. Then tell me if I've got the record straight. Certainly, sir. You have a two-way racket, Seydor, selling foreign-born Americans on the idea of shipping streptomycin to sick relatives in Greece. Overcharge them 100%, then seeing that some accident happens. So the drug will end up in your black market. I said you were a brilliant man, sir. Your deductions are quite sound. But you overlook one little fact. Do I? Yes. Both shipments of the drug were lost at sea. I found it impossible to recover them. So, you see, we have both lost. I have no drugs. You have no proof of crime. Our little contest ends in a draw. Okay, Seydor, that's that. Looks like I go back to... And I, sir, return to my sponge diving business. By the way, if you're not familiar with the process, why not drop around tomorrow? I'll take you aboard onto my boat. You might find it interesting. Maybe I'll take you up on that, Seydor. Good night. Good night, sir. Good night. Well, my dear, did you hear it all? You always were a talkative fool, Demetro. Why did you mention the diving? My dear Eleanor, it pleased me to be apparently frank. You'd tell him nothing. Now he will leave Xenophore, and we have nothing further to worry about. You mean I have nothing further to worry about? Huh? Does that mean that I have? Don't be foolish, my dear. What could it possibly be? Just this, Demetro. Just this, Demetro. Just this. Mr. Thurston, I don't get it. You rush into the hotel room, rush me down here to go rowing, and don't even tell me what's cooking. What have you been doing, anyway? Oh, calling on the middle of Seydor and Colonel Creighton. Look, Mr. Thurston, I won't ask you about Colonel Creighton. Not even about that no good Seydor. Just answer me one thing. Please, why are we growing in the middle of the ocean in the middle of the night? Hey, Gung, we're going to dive for sponges. Oh, clear like a shell, Mr. Thurston. Never believe you were 40 feet under the water. I hope the diving suit doesn't start leaking on you. Don't you worry about keeping that air pump going. Hey, hey, there's a speedboat coming over here. Speedboat? Is he with the board? In the darkness? Who knows? Maybe it's that Colonel Creighton, or maybe, uh, well. What do you know? Look who it is, Mr. Thurston. How can I look, you idiot? Oh, yeah, that's right. Well, it's nobody for you to worry about. Just that pretty little pill peddler, that Dr. Mitter. That's right, Mr. Mitter. That's right, Doctor. Welcome on board. Thanks to Thurston. Where is he? I must speak with him at once. The air pump. The diving equipment is working all right, Zell-Schmidt. Dr. Mitter, you got a gun. You, Mr. Thurston. My hand is over the transmitter. He can't hear you nor can he hear the sound of shots. Of shots? Move backwards quickly. Please, and stay there. Ken. Ken, do you hear me? Eleanor, what are you doing aboard? I followed you from your hotel, Ken. I have important news. You were right. There is a black market here in Streptomycin. Dimitro Sador is behind it. He, oh, but if you're diving out here, you know his plan. Yeah, that's right, Eleanor. Had his agents dump the drug into the sea to make the accident look legitimate. Then he'd recover it with his sponge divers. As you're trying to do now, Ken, I was so worried about you. Oh, wait. But keep your distance, Zell-Schmidt. Okay, okay. The Streptomycin's right below the boat, Eleanor. Well marked. Any diver can get it in the morning and have it hauled up in the sponge net. So my work's almost over for the night. Ask Pegon to put in the lines, will you? First, darling, I think you should know something. Dimitro Sador had a partner. I was working with him. Where are you, Eleanor? But my percentage of the prices the hospital was paying was hardly enough. Now that Sador is dead, all the profit shall be mine. Sador dead? Yes, darling. Yes, I disposed of him, as I did with the pilot and as I'm going to do with you. Pretty confident, aren't you? Why shouldn't I be? Flick of a switch, the gas motor stops, the air pump doesn't run. You'll find it rather difficult to breathe down there with your air supply gone. Too bad it has to end this way, darling. Bye. Dr. Mitter, the air pump, it stopped. Oh, Mr. Sarsen here. Yes, Zell-Schmidt, and now it's your turn. No, no, you can't do this to me, you. Mr. Sarsen, help! She's going to shoot! Help, Mr. Sarsen! You fool, he can't help you now. He's dead. Hello, Eleanor. You? Better get our gun, Colonel. No! Don't, let me have it. No! All right, first in. You? Alive? Colonel Creighton? Colonel Creighton of the Greek Intelligence Service, Dr. I knew it all the time, especially after he helped me arrange things on this boat. You made a mistake, Dr. Mitter, not seeing the telephone wire going into the cabin. No, Pagon. Her mistake was in renouncing a doctor's oath for a handful of money. She's going to pay for that mistake. Yes, and that goes for all the others who renounce principles for the sake of money. Someone said it long ago, it went like this. What is a man profited if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul? Now, Frigidaire star, Herbert Marshall. Thanks for being with us. Next week, our story is called Report from the Arctic. And I think you'll like it, because it's one of the most absorbing stories I've seen in a long time. The Umbilaskville Coast will be along as usual in the role of Pagon Zelschmitt. So join us, won't you, where next, and I return as the man called X. Good night. Frigidaire's man called X is directed by Jack Johnstone. The name of the man called X is the name of Jack Johnstone. The music composed by Johnny Green and conducted tonight by Al Sandry. Tonight's story was written by Sydney Marshall. So until next week, same time, same station, this is Wendell Niles speaking for Frigidaire, made only by General Motors. All characters and incidents used on this program are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or incidents is purely coincidental. Remember, every Sunday night brings you two popular dramatic shows on CBS, the man called X and the Adventures of Sam Spade. Yes, for the best in entertainment, tune in and stay tuned into CBS, The Biggest Show in Town. This is CBS, The Columbia Broadcasting System.