 Personal notice, dangerous my stock and trade. If the job's too tough for you to handle, you got a job for me, George Valentine. Write full details. Standard Oil Company of California invites you to let George do it. In a moment we'll begin tonight's adventure. If you've tried several different motor oils in your car, remember this. We tried hundreds of oils in our laboratories and on the road before we developed heavy-duty RPM. The motor oil that compared to premium-type motor oils as designated by the American Petroleum Institute doubles engine life between major overhauls due to lubrication. Now performance reports from RPM users confirm it. One cab company, for example, found that heavy-duty RPM more than doubled engine life. Actually reduced engine wear 71%. Get heavy-duty RPM motor oil for your car at any standard station or independent chevron gas station where they say and mean we take better care of your car. Now tonight's story, Operation Europa, a transcribed adventure of George Valentine. George Valentine as choir. You were highly recommended by our American correspondents as man who can handle very important and confidential matter involving quarter million dollar. Have air-mailed advance payment check and two plane tickets. Flight 286. Leaving International Airport, New York Wednesday afternoon. See you and Miss Brooks. In our Paris office, Rudy Field, CentoMars 5. Maurice LeBlanc, Europa Insurance Company. Hey, we're getting up in the world. Brooks, he transatlantic cable's no less. Paris in spring. I don't want to sound stuffy, but we do have a business obligations. And this cable doesn't ask, it takes this for granted. Paris in the spring. So I think we'll just crumble up this little billy-do, throw it in the waste paper basket. George, Paris in the spring. And get started packing. Come on, Angel. Paris is not for working, it is for romance. You ought to vivre. The organ grinders are out in the street and children are playing. And, Miss LeBlanc, we came thousands of miles in a matter of a quarter of a million dollars. Among other things. And you will not be disappointed, mademoiselle. But yes, to business. Of course, a man who is about to cost Europa Insurance $250,000 is not here in Paris. He isn't. No. He's in Istanbul. Istanbul, Turkey. But that is only a few hours by airplane. Everything is only a few hours away these days. That is why we could afford to get you, Monsieur Valentine. Thanks. Our client's name is Henri Tour, a very respectable diamond dealer. I spoke to him a short while ago by telephone and we made plans, or you are to meet him. What do you mean, how to meet him? He wants to make sure that you are not seen talking to him because it might be important that the thief does not know that. Thief? What thief? The man who stole the Romani diamonds. Peter Iglescu, the Romanian. Hey, wait a minute, hold on. You mean you know who the thief is? Well, then what's the problem? Why can't he be arrested? He just cannot. Believe me. Monsieur Tour will explain. He wants to meet you on the Istanbul bridge at 10 tonight. He will drive in his car and pick you up. Here's his picture. He will have a description of you. Sounds like a full blown intrigue. Oh, it is that. Yes, indeed it is. How jolly. I have here a check for expenses and two airplane tickets on flight number one. One ticket. I think I'll leave you here in Paris. Brooks, you can get in touch with you at the hotel when I find out what this is all about. Paris in the spring, remember? Enjoy it, Angel. And it will be my privilege to be your personal guide, mademoiselle. My blonde American, je suis à votre service. Oh, oh, merci. Yeah, I'll take that ticket and au revoir. 10-15. I wonder if Turkish cops pick you up for a loitering. Come on, Mr. Tour, come on, come on. Europe at one end, Asia at another. Quite a bridge. And according to the guidebook, those lights over there should be the old Sultan's Palace. Oh, good. Mr. Valentine. Oh, hello, Mr. Tour. Yes, come in quickly, please. Sorry to act so mysterious, Mr. Valentine, but believe me, it is necessary. Whatever you say. Where are we going? There is a little coffee shop in Galata. We can talk there. Let me get this arrangement between you and this Peter Iglescu clear, Mr. Tour. It was not a very unusual arrangement to not hear in Europe. Well, let's see. The Romani diamonds have been in the Iglescu family for a hundred years or more. You took them on a sort of consignment to sell them, and you protected Mr. Iglescu by giving him your personal note for $250,000. That's right. Of course, I am insured with Europa. That is where they come in. And when did you find the diamonds gone? Almost a week ago. Iglescu and I are both staying at the Hotel Metropole. I was ready to show the stones to a visiting prince from India, and they were gone. I would swear that only Iglescu knew where I kept them. Did you accuse him? No. In fact, I told him nothing about the theft. Why? He would only deny it. And where would you look for four small stones? I see. In four days, according to our agreement, I will either have to return the stones to Iglescu because I was unable to sell them or pay him the money. What did you think I'd be able to do for you, Mr. Tore? I really do not know. I am just a desperate man. One thing I am sure about... What's that? Iglescu still has the diamonds. Here, somewhere in Istanbul. That's a big place. The Romani diamonds are too well known to the dealers. He could never sell the stones to them, and if he tries to, as you say, fence them, he would get practically nothing. So our friend will sit tight until he gets the money from you, then later get rid of the stones somewhere else, in Paris, England, America maybe. Yes, yes. Well, I sure enough can't just appeal to his better nature. He has none, believe me. He is charming and polished, but he is as hard as one of those diamonds he stole. He doesn't know of the theft, and he too lives at the Metropole. What is that? Just thinking about it, that's all. I may be brighter in the morning. That's right, Leblanc, you heard me. But the hotel detective Valentine. Hotel detective at the Metropole. And if your influence goes that far, let the manager act as though I've been a hotel detective there for quite some time. Very well. I shall not ask any more questions. I shall do what you ask. Fine, fine. It's just a hunch. But there's nothing to lose, is there? Yes. I can have some imitation Romani diamonds ready by tomorrow. Of course, they will not fool a real expert. They don't have to. Let them look pretty close to the real thing, and I'll be satisfied, Mr. Tour. I see. But then you also say, I shall have to play a part. Exactly. Like an actor. Like an actor. But don't worry, Mr. Tour. I'll coach you very thoroughly. Body darling, I can hardly hear you. I want you to come to Istanbul and register at the hotel Metropole. You got that? Metropole, yes. All right. You can use your real name, but I'm afraid you'll have to do a little acting. Acting? Yeah. You're a flip, glib American show gal on the make. Why, Mr. Ballantyne? On the make, especially for a wealthy fat little Frenchman named Ari Tour. Now, when you come to the lobby of the Metropole, the tall dark gentleman over there is Peter E. Glescu, Brooksy. Yes, George. Okay. Let's start walking. And remember, I want him to see me in my job as hotel detective. I know. And see me making a play for Mr. Tour. Okay. But I tell you, I must find Fifi. She's not just my dog. She's my good luck charm. Oh, yes. Yes, indeed, Miss Brooks. And all of us here at the Metropole shall do our best to help you. Fifi always liked men more than women. The other girls in the show always say she takes after me. Yes, ma'am. Maybe this gentleman here saw Fifi. Oh, well... Well, let me ask him. Uh, I beg your pardon, sir. Oh, yes? Mr. Glescu, I'm the house detective. What? This is Miss Brooks, one of our guests. Hello. Oh, Miss Brooks. Miss Brooks was wondering whether you'd seen her little black French poodle. The name is Fifi. It seems Fifi is lost. No, I'm afraid I have not seen her. And it is a shame I cannot be of service to such a charming young lady. I would say that's sweet of you to say that. Well, sorry to bother you, sir. No, quite all right. Oh, there's a distinguished-looking man. Maybe he can help me. Oh, that's Mr. Tour, Miss Brooks. And if you'd like me to ask him... Oh, never mind. I'll ask you myself. I've always been partial to the older... Like I said, the distinguished type... Very attractive girl. Show girl, Mr. Glescu. Didn't have much trouble getting to talk to Mr. Tour. No, no, indeed. I can't tell how they do it. But they can spot money in a man a mile away. Well, she went and lost Fifi, but she sure found Mr. Tour. Sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Glescu. Just part of my job. That's right, Mr. Tour. Sleep soundly, pleasant dreams. Ah, where are those diamonds? Oh, yes, here they are. Nice. Very nice. That will set the stage very nicely. Ah, yep, that does it. Good night, Mr. Tour. Good night, Mr. Valentine. And good luck. Oh, this is terribly Glescu. Terrible. I certainly think you have treated me very badly, too. What difference does it make now with... Oh, gentlemen, please, please. Yes, yes, Mr. Valentine, I am sorry. Looked my room. It has not been disturbed. I tell you, I was robbed by a professional jewel thief. The diamonds, the romantic diamonds are gone. Yes, sir, I shall report that to the police. No, no, I do not want it. I want no publicity. It will only make the thief hide. You are the detective here at the hotel. You can help me. Well, you should have called on me last week. He did not even tell me what happened. And the diamonds are really mine. But I explained it. Those diamonds last week were imitations. Cheaper to carry around and to pay extra insurance premiums. That is why I did not worry. And you were protected by that no Glescu. So I did not have to tell you anything. I still think you might at least have... Just what did you want me to do, Mr. Tour? I understand you've been here in Istanbul a long time. Well, yes. Well, you have had dealings with all sorts of people. All sorts. I want those diamonds back. I will pay a reward. I will ask no questions. Wow, that's always easier said than done. If someone stole the imitations, you should have been warned by that, Tour. But I was sure no one knew that I still had the real diamonds. You must help me find the Monsieur Valentine. I'll certainly try. How can you even start to go about something like this, Mr. Valentine? It is impossible. No, no, not impossible, Mr. Glescu. It's mostly a matter of baiting the trap. Then you sit back and wait. In just a moment, we'll return to tonight's adventure of George Valentine. Friends, if a sluggish, choked-up motor makes you're driving a constant chore rather than a pleasure, now is the time to shift to the gas with all eight, Chevron Supreme. Balance blended for peak performance under all driving conditions, Chevron Supreme gasoline gives you not one, not two, but all eight high performance qualities. Fast warm-up, quick starting, vapor lock prevention, anti-knock, economy mileage, area blending, smooth acceleration, and full power. Your engine needs all eight of these qualities to do its job right and make driving a pleasure for you. You'll notice the difference right away from your very first tank full of Chevron Supreme. Remember, any gasoline can be refined to stress one performance feature at the expense of others, but Chevron Supreme is designed and refined to give you all eight high performance qualities in correct balance. You go halfway across the world to Istanbul to try and recover a fortune and stolen diamonds. It's an unusual case because you're quite certain who the thief is, but how do you get him to give up the priceless loop? Well, if your name is George Valentine, you think the only chance is to set a trap with greed as the bait. So far, you've built only the first part of the trap, and even as sharp a gal as Bruxy can't quite figure out what the trap is supposed to be. I'll meet you back in Paris as soon as I can make it, ain't you? Well, you'd better. Paris is no place for a single girl. Not even with a charming guide like Monsieur Leblanc? Especially not with a charming guide like Monsieur Leblanc. George, I still haven't the faintest notion of what you're trying to do here. I thought we weren't supposed to be seen together, and now you're right here in the open with me. Now it's important that I be seen talking with you. It'd be very helpful if I were seen. Okay, maybe I'll find out what this is all about some other time. Oh, Bruxy, you did a fine job. If its purpose is a little vague, remember I'm fumbling around in the dark myself. Yeah, I know, darling. The only thing I have been able to accomplish, I hope, is to put the first shadow of a doubt into a Glescu's mind. If the real diamonds were stolen last night, he's going to wonder what he stole last week. $30,000. That's right, Mr. Glescu. And you're getting the bargain of the century. Now, of course you know I can tell all of this to Mr. Thore, and the least that will happen to you then is that you will lose your job here. But you're not going to Thore, are you? You see, it's an economically sound proposition. If I sell you these diamonds, you can have them, and the money you'll get from Mr. Thore on that notice. Now, but that girl, the American showgirl, you didn't have to pay anything to her. Oh, no, no, no. She was very grateful that I let her get on that plane to Paris without calling the police. Yeah, I told her I even did that because she was a fellow American. Oh, very decent of you. I'm afraid Miss Brooks is not a professional criminal. She just succumbed to temptation that once. It was quite a hunch I had that she was our mysterious Miss Raffles. Now, how do I know that you have the diamonds? You'll have to take my word for it. Not good enough. All right, here. Did not mean to doubt you. Look, I'd probably get a reward from Thore, but it wouldn't be anywhere near 30,000. So I gain, and it's a good deal for you. 30,000, an American dollars. Is it a deal? I will get the money. I will meet you at six near the Moscary that is the mosque with a large silver dome. So you really think you have him as you say on the hook, Monsieur Valentin? At least there's a chance, Mr. Thore. Have you checked all the banks here in Istanbul? There are only a few large ones. I have friends in most of them. I know Iglescu accounted them, huh? No. And certainly no $30,000 transactions of any sort today. No. Good, good, fine. What? I do not understand. I think Mr. Iglescu needs one final bit of convincing that what I have here are the real Romani diamonds. And I have an idea he's going to try to convince himself that he would gladly change places with you, brother, way up there on that minaret. Safe. What this place needs is more electric lights. Of course, Iglescu could have chosen a meeting place in Galata, or he could have... What then? Hey, hey you! Oh, you're not going to run away leaving a knife there, are you? Take another throw at me, first boy. These are handy words and all, but it's not going to help you. Hey, stop you... Oh, that's great. I sure don't want to chase him. Run back to the man who hired you, fez-boy. Metropolitan, hotel Metropolitan, me understand, no worry. Okay, I won't worry. Just get this cab there quick. You American, mister? Ha, ha, ha. Chokekid, Yankee Doodle. Chokekid, huh? Sure, fine. Me name Pukowitski. Yeah. Pukowitalian. Witz, rost. Ski, polish. Which all makes me Greek boy. Ha, ha. Yeah, ginger preachy. Hey, what... You can go free. Okay, but make it snappy, will you? You help Yankee boy. You... Cut it out, you... He knocked you... Who would think Iglescu would plan a double chance to knock me off? You failed to keep your appointment at the Muscari, mister Iglescu. A very bad failing of mine, yes. But a couple of your friends sort of pinched it for you, didn't they? And I do not know what you're talking about. Ha, ha. Anyway, you should know that you can't get anything without paying for it. You cannot blame me for trying to save myself some money. Oh, it's done every day in the best of circles. I just came by to tell you that you've missed your chance, Buster. The deal for the diamonds is off. Good. Oh, now let us not be too hasty about it. Oh, I'm not hasty at all. I'm just being prudent. I don't like the way you play. So I'm going to turn the diamonds over to Tor and settle for the reward. You cannot do that. You want a bet? I'll pay you the money. No tricks. Too late. $35,000. Not interested. You're being a fool now. A very bad failing of mine. All right. You can come with me while I get the money. There will be no more tricks. I value my life too much, friend. Besides, I already told Mr. Tor I'd be up to a suite in an hour. That I had a wonderful surprise. No, listen, Mr. Balotov. But you're welcome to be there for the finale. Where did you get these, Mr. Valentine? How did you get them back so quickly? Remember the agreement, Mr. Tor. No questions. Let's just say I was very lucky. I would look at those diamonds very carefully, Tor. I will certainly demand to know they are the real ones before I give you back that note for $250,000. Well, they are the real ones. Oh, make sure by all means, Mr. Tor. After all you yourself said there are some phoning ones somewhere in Istanbul, the ones that were stolen a week ago. Yes. Yes, I know. I am not an expert. I do not know the fine points of the stones. But I am not a fool. Well, I am almost sure. But, of course, I have an eyeglass in the other room. Why don't you get it? Yeah, let's get it by all means. These diamonds are safe here. And I wouldn't want any sort of reward for something I don't deserve. Anything you say, Mr. Valentine, we will be right back in Gillescu. You cannot blame me, of course, for wanting to be sure. Of course not. Okay, that was fine, Tor, fine. Did you see him snap for the bait? Do you think it might possibly work? Now he gave it a funny elaborate buildup. You should have heard him beg me to take his money for the diamonds. Here, I have the eyeglass. And you'd better give him enough time. Not too long, not too short. Just the right amount of time. You say when we should go in. Yeah, okay. Do you hear anything in there? No. Okay, I think that's it. Yes, Mr. Valentine. Easy, Mr. Tor. Easy. Yes, yes, easy. Did you get it, Tor? Yes. Here it is. Ah, the big moment is in hand. For both of us. Hey, Gillescu. That is right. Life. Let me see now. Here, this first one. Well, it is good, all right. Fine. Oh, you'd better make very certain, Tor. These others. Yes? Yes, all of them are the real Romani diamonds. No question at all. Well, as I said before, I shall have to have other expert opinion with all due respect to your knowledge. You won't mind that, will you, Tor? No, no, I will not mind at all. And if I were you, I'd take that smug smirk off your facing, lest you... What? It happens that he's right and you're wrong. What? Even though you think that the diamonds you've switched on us make those on the table phony and the ones somewhere in your pockets are the good ones. I do not know what you're talking about. Maybe I can show you. No, no, let go. Take your hands off me. What are you doing? Just building up to something that'll make you stop that? No, you're struggling against you. Mr. Valentine is a very determined young man. Uh-huh. Here we are. Oh, well, those are... Well, I... These are the phony diamonds I was carrying. The ones you just took off the table when you put the good ones back on it. Oh, no. No. The ones I stole from Mr. Tore with his complete cooperation. You are lying. Oh, but he is not. He's telling nothing about the truth. After all, since you had the real money, can Buster you obliged us? Sort of cheating cheaters. Thanks a lot. Oh, you... You're not going to get away with it. This is not the end. You're so right, Rallo. I owe you something for all the cute tricks you tried to teach that fesboy in the cabbie. And here it is. Shit! Oh, splendid! Money-feet! And now I have something else I must attend to in Paris. That guy Leblanc is too darn good-looking. And maybe Paris in the spring is not overrated. You know, there are scattered stations and independent chevron gas stations where they say and mean we take better care of your car. You know, darling, it's all true, all the things they say about Paris. I never saw you quite as radiant as you are now, ain't you? There's love in the air. You can actually feel it. Your eyes are shining mob-longed about the cab. And I thank Mr. Leblanc for it. He's simply marvellous. I can mean we had so many talks together. You, uh, you did? He's so young. But do you know that he's been married for over ten years? Oh, you don't say. He has six children and there's another one on the way. He says children make any marriage happy. Well, what do you know? He wants me to write to him and tell him just how the two of us are coming along. He says he can give me all sorts of good advice. Good, good. Let's call him. My darling. Yeah. Ask him if there's a good French restaurant in town. Tonight's transcribed adventure of George Valentine has been brought to you by Standard Oil Company of California on behalf of independent Chevron gas stations and standard stations throughout the west. Robert Bailey is starred as George with Virginia Greg as Bruxy. Let George Do It was written by David Victor and Jackson Gillis and directed by Kenneth Webb. Robert Boone was heard as Leblanc, Byron Kane as tour, Larry Dobkin as Iglescu and Benny Rubin as Javi. The music was composed and presented by Eddie Dunstetter, your announcer, John Heaston. Listen again next week, same time, same station, to Let George Do It. Last year, more men than women died of cancer. There is no one, man or woman, young or old who can be sure he won't develop this terrible disease. It strikes one in five of us. Strike back at it. Join the cancer crusade of the American Cancer Society. Give generously. Mail your contribution today to Cancer Cara Postmaster. Let George Do It is heard overseas through the worldwide facilities of the Armed Forces Radio Service. This is the mutual Don Lee Broadcasting System.