 I was a Communist for the FBI. Starring Dana Andrews and an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a Communist for the FBI. You are about to hear a strange story. Names, dates, and places are, for obvious reasons, fictional. But many of these incidents are based on the actual experiences of Matt Servetic. Who, for nine fantastic years, live as a Communist for the FBI. Here is our star, Dana Andrews, as Matt Servetic. It was a long time to pretend I was what I hated most. Nine years of being a part of the viciousness that is Communism. You might have been one of those that sneered at me for being a red. If you are, Mister, I'm proud of you. If you aren't, well then listen, you'll see why you should have. This is my story. This is the story of Communism. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Servetic, Undercover Man. Now here is Dana Andrews, starring as Matt Servetic. In I was a Communist for the FBI. This story from the confidential file is marked Canadian Crossfire. Five minutes. I think I'll get off in five magazine, Comrade Miller. Oh, I'll come with you, Comrade Servetic. I'll only be a minute. We should stay together, Comrade, for our own protection. You don't want to live dangerously, do you? I was headed for Canada on a routine assignment for the party. As Secretary of the Red Control Slav Congress, I was supposed to organize some new labor cells in Montreal. The FBI had given me the name of a Canadian agent, Ferguson, who was to be my contact. The Commies had given me a traveling companion, a squat MVD man, a Romanian red named Milhi, who had a sense of humor like an undertaker. It's so funny. I was just thinking of a letter I received. So? So my cousin in Romania just died. I only made $800. Oh, brother. What's the matter? No funny boy? You just cracked it. To me, death just isn't a lie. Oh, you're a dissensitive guy. Yeah. Why are you going to Canada? I have a special assignment. Very specially. But now. Hmm? My mission is too vital to tell to an agent of the FBI. What did you say? Don't be offended, comrade. We of the secret police are trained to regard everyone as enemy agents. That way we stay out of trouble, no? Oh. I like you, comrade. You must visit me at party headquarters. Eh, perhaps we will entertain a few pretty girls, eh? Sure. And discuss the misery of the world. Come, let's ready. What a sense of humor. You kill me. I would have loved to kill him. But Milai had done one thing for me. He had dropped a hint of something dangerous. MVD agents are always trouble. When there are several of them, and on special assignment, it's murder. We crossed the broad St. Lawrence into Montreal by way of the mile-and-three-quarter-long Victoria Jubilee Bridge. At the station, I finally got rid of Milai and made my way through the limestone buildings of the charming city until I came to the Place d'Arme and the magnificent church of Notre Dame, the largest of Montreal's countless churches. That white-haired man was lounging alone in the right-hand opening of the triple-arched doorway. I went up to him. Good morning, sir. Aye, it is that. Could you direct me to a shop where I could buy 48 angels? Ma'am, that's a very peculiar request. Would you not be satisfied with nine? Sure would. Hello, Mr. Ferguson. I'm Matt Svedik. It's my pleasure. You've gotten the report on me. I take it. Aye, it's a dangerous work you do. I don't want to step on any toes, sir. Just tell me... Nonsense. The Canadian authorities will be glad to cooperate with you. Thank you. We'll be grateful to have a look inside the party, such as your work will give us. Well, my work here will consist mostly in organizing a bunch of red workers. You'll get a complete rundown on who they are, where they are, and so forth. Good. But there's one thing else, something bigger and a lot more dangerous. What's that? An MVD agent arrived from the state with me. He's on special assignment, you know what that means. Aye. His name is Milhi, 5'4", about 150, dark hair and eyes. Lasts a lot, but his jokes aren't funny. I have it. Okay, then I'd better be off. Before you go, you'd better know what it is this secret police agent Milhi is working on. You know? I'm pretty sure that he will be having something to do with a certain bit of espionage. Oh, espionage. Have you heard of the Owl's Head Project? No. It's a combined Canadian-American development of a new, tight-guided missile. The plant is near here on Owl's Head Mountain. And there's a leak? Aye, a bad one. Try and see me tonight. I'll show you what we've done on the case so far. All right, sir. Be careful, lad. Be very careful. Be very careful. Careful, lad. Be very careful. A few minutes later, and I was strolling down St. Catherine Street, past the theaters and big retail stores, to a small shop called Siriusia. Inside the back room, I met a dozen burly workers and got right down to business. Quiet! That's it, comrades. As you know, I've been sent here to organize you into cells so that you may work efficiently for the party. You are all skilled workers. You will soon find employment in factories and mills. And until they find jobs, Comrade Svetik? I brought a small fund with me, Comrade Siriusia. As leader of this district, you will use it to help these new comrades until they can help themselves. I understand. Of course, you new comrades realize that once you have employment, you will pay your dues regularly and contribute as much as possible to the work in this area. Comrade Siriusia's shop will be your weekly meeting place. He will collect your dues and contributions. Comrade, when shall we meet? Set armors at 10 o'clock. Call it a social club and find any member not attending. Of course. A few general comments. First, join. Join everything. Churches, clubs, movements. Get into every group you can. Spread our beliefs carefully and slowly until you have control and are able to subvert the group into working for us. Remember, you're in a hostile country. You will need front organizations behind which you can work toward our historic mission. For the rest of the day, I talked and explained. Then, after dismissing the meeting with instructions to gather at the shop the following day, I walked outside with Comrade Siriusia, the store owner and district leader. I was asking him where to stay when Milhi came up and solved the problem this way. But of course, Comrade, you will stay with me at Party Headquarters. Well, that's swell, but really I could go to a hotel. Oh, high-ranking party member like yourself should not have to suffer the indignities of bourgeois companionship. But I have... It is settled, Comrade. With that, I knew my chances of getting away to seek Ferguson were pretty slim for a while. Party Headquarters turned out to be a church, at least on the outside, on the inside and underneath the empty auditorium was a beehive of rooms, people and activity. Busy little place, is it not? That's an understatement. Come with me, there is someone I want you to meet here in this room. Good evening, Comrade Greis. This is Matt Svetik. Come in, come in. Comrade Milhi tells me you are the Secretary of the Slav Congress in the United States. That's right. Let me welcome you to Canada, Comrade. You are told, of course, that you will stay here. Oh, I see, I really didn't have a choice. None whatsoever, Comrade. You prefer it here to a capitalistic hotel, don't you? Certainly. Good. It's quite a place you have here. The center of all our Canadian activities? You ask questions. I don't like that. I'm sorry, Comrade. Show Comrade Svetik to his room, Comrade Milhi. Yes. And instruct him in the security regulations. I wouldn't want him liquidated because of some ignorant mistake. Nice room. Small but comfortable. Oh, what other regulations I should know? There are things going on here that you do not understand. Let it remain so. Sure. Be careful not to let anyone follow you here. Do not make any phone calls from here. Do not ask questions of anyone you meet here. Do not go into any of the other rooms. All right. Good. Now let us go out and get some supper and some entertainment. Comrade? Wow. Who does that belong to? Hmm? Oh. I wanted to see Mr. Guy. Is he in his room? Mr. Yes, Miss. Go right ahead. He's expecting you. Well, since when do we call Comrade Mr. She is not exactly a comrade. Not a comrade, but she's here in our secret headquarters. Please, Comrade Matt, this is something you would do better to forget. Completely. Forget it. Not likely. Milhi's attitude only made me more curious about the girl. But for the moment, it had to wait. When I could, I shook loose from Milhi and his ideas of entertainment and made my way to Ferguson's office. The first thing he did was show me a dozen photographs of workers at the Owlshead project. We've narrowed down the suspects of these people in the pictures, Mr. Savetti. Our thief has to be one of those. No luck. I've cased party headquarters, but no sign of any of these people. Where are the headquarters? Under a fake church near the French market. Near the Bon Secours. Aye, we've had a suspicion about the place, but no proof. If I can spot your thief there, you'll have your proof. And he must come there sometime to deliver the stolen documents. Yes, I know you have your own job to do, but keep on the lookout for one of the faces in those pictures. I will, sir. Do you have anything on a beautiful blonde girl, late 20s? No. Not that I know of of hand. Why? Just curiosity so far. I'll keep in touch. For the next few days, I was busy with my organizing of the Red Workers, meeting with them every day. At night, Comrade Milhi sought to it that I was well-occupied, but not so well-occupied, I didn't see the mysterious blonde girl coming and going on two more occasions. By now, I was really curious about her. The next time I saw her in the hall, I took a chance and intercepted her. Oh, Miss. Yes? May I speak to you a moment? Why? Curious of you, maybe. About what? You're a girl. I've been curious about them ever since I was a small boy. Very amusing. Now may I pass? Wait. What's all the rush to see Comrade Grice? I'm taking something to him, as if you didn't know. Now get out of my way. In a second. What is it you're taking? Mr. Grice had to report anyone asking questions. If I were you, Mr., I'd worry for the next few minutes. Andrew, starring as Matt Savidic, and I was a communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. I was in Canada on a routine assignment for the party. My Canadian contact for the police was a man named Ferguson. He handed me a tip on a not-so-routine spiraling working in Montreal. I kept my eyes open in the commie party headquarters and now I come up with what seemed to be a dangerous red secret. The secret was blonde and pretty and very likely to get me killed. At least my fate was in her hands as she went into the room of Comrade Grice in the underground party headquarters. I waited in the hall until she came out. Well, you can stop shaking. I didn't tell him. Oh, sure, thank you. Forget it. Well, I'd rather not. Let me take you home instead. No. Wait. Look, the only reason I didn't turn you in was so I wouldn't have you on my conscience. I'd rather be on your mind. Just leave me alone. Will you? I don't like you or any of your kind. Well, you work for us. You must... Do I go home alone or do I go back and see Mr. Grice? Bye, honey. She left alone, but as she took a devious twisting route through town, she had me right behind her. Near the Lachine Canal, the blonde turned into a side street and entered a small cottage. I moved to the lighted and open parlor window in time to get a big shot. The blonde was talking to a young toe head whose face was plenty familiar. He was one of Ferguson's suspects in the thefts at Owl's Head Project. What I heard made it all clear. Joe, you're a fool. How many towns have I told you never to come here? No one followed me, Paul, for stop being afraid. Besides, I only came to tell you I'm through. Through? But you can't, Johnny. They'll kill me. You know they will. Turn yourself in. The authorities will protect you. Laura, are you crazy? No, I'm just set up with working for Reds. Meeting them, talking to them. Talking? What do you mean? No, one of them questioned me tonight. I tell you, Paul, you have to do something. I won't go to that place again. I can't stop now. You can, but you're a coward. Haven't you got any courage at all? Now that's a fine way for a sister to talk. Why don't you tell on me? You'd like to see me dead. Go on, tell on me. You can identify my body at the morgue in the morning. There was more, but I'd heard enough. It was time to get my information to the Canadian agent, Ferguson. I got two blocks when the dark leg grinning shape of the MVD man, Mill High, stepped into my path. Nice night for walking, eh, comrade? Well, yeah. Yeah, as well. Nice and nice for a beautiful blonde. What night isn't? You picked the wrong neighborhood. Yeah. That was a mistake. Comrade Mill High, I don't know why you say that, but I guess I have the right to pick any. But that was so funny. You, comrade, you are so obviously a man who needs the companionship of a pretty girl but who has failed in his search. Huh? You're pride is hurt, but you will get over it. Come with me. I have been looking for you anyway to fill out the foursome. You mean you have? Of course. I have two girls waiting for us. Well, I didn't understand. They are at the Regal Cafe, but we had that hurry. Comrade, I can't join you. What? But you must. No, I can't. Honestly, I... Next to the girl, it will ruin everything. You have to... Well, pick up another man someplace. It's just too late for me. I've got to be at Comrade Soryozha's store in the morning at nine. Well, can't you at least come along for a few minutes long enough for me to... I'm sorry. I need to get some sleep. I don't understand, you comrade. You seem to lack something. Makes me wonder. Good night, comrade Mill High. It wasn't very cautious of me, but I had to get to Ferguson. I left comrade Mill High scratching his head and frowning. I could only pray he didn't become curious about the neighborhood and connect me with the girl and her brother. In Ferguson's office, I picked out the picture of the girl's brother and showed it to the Canadian. I, Paul Werner, am not surprised, but how... His sister has been acting at the liaison, faking the documents to the Red Headquarters. His sister? So that's the missing link. She brought another batch tonight. They'll still be at headquarters, so you can round up the ring any time now. Aye, but we need one thing more, Werner's testimony. That would clinch our case. He can be made to talk, sir. He's weak and he's scared to death. His sister will turn him in. Will she? No, sir. I don't think so. She doesn't seem to be a red. She's doing this out of fear for her brother. But she's got guts. She won't talk if she thinks it will hurt him. Aye, but he doesn't know that. No, sir. If we can get him away from her, tell him, she told us the whole story, he'd open up like a broken dam. Can you get him alone? Somewhere we can pick him up. I can try, sir, but we'd better move fast. Mill High spotted me in the neighborhood of Werner's house. If he connects me with Werner, the Reds will cross out Werner's number fast. We'll be waiting two blocks south of the Werner home at the end of the street, where it meets Lashin Canal. I'll get him there as soon as I can. Do that. Then in the morning, we'll close in on party headquarters. Wait till live left, around nine. I'll be going to my organizing work at Sir Josie's store. And I'd like to be one, Red, who stays out of jail. What do you mean by this? It's late. Yeah. Where's your brother? None of your business. Now you get out of here. Get him. I'll do no such thing. Then I'll do it. Party business, Comrade. Get your coat. At this hour? Are you insane? I said it was party business. Look, I don't know you. How do I know you were the party? Would you prefer that Comrade Gray sent a goon squad? I can arrange it. No. Wait. Look, I'm sorry, Comrade. I was just... Sure. Now, how about that coat? But why? What have I done? I've been a good member. I've sold you everything I could steal. If you were a good comrade, you'd give it to the party, not sell it. Get your coat. Yes, of course. I... Yes. What... What are you going to do to him? Nothing. Don't worry. Don't... Don't worry. Don't worry. That's all I've done since Paul joined the party. Quiet. I won't be quiet. You've made me a liar and a traitor to my country. All the goodness inside of me has been squeezed into nothing by you filthy red... Why not tell it to the authority? And say you butchers murder my brother? Oh, no, you're safe. I love my brother. I'll do anything to keep him from harm. Very touching. Well, touching or not, if he's hurt by anyone, tonight or any other night... Now, what's all this? Your sister doesn't like your party work. Oh, no. This, how many times do I have to tell you to lay off? Look, she didn't mean it. Give it. Let's go. It was easy until I got Paul Werner outside. Then as we neared the end of the street where it met Lesheen Canal, I could tell he was getting uneasy. His eyes darted back and forth, and when Ferguson and his men moved out to meet us, Paul saw them. Come on, look, please. Hey, Paul, come back. Paul ran headlong to the dark waters of the canal. I did the only thing I could and followed him. When he leaped up on the concrete wall of the canal, I tried to grab him, but it was too late. He'd get away if I didn't stop him, so I dove into the icy canal after him. In the name of the law, stop! Thirty feet from the bank, I caught Paul and grabbed him. Let go, you fool. Let go! Again, you've got a cramp. Stop, you proudest fool! Get loose! Sorry, fella. Max, mother, you were all right. Pat, take him in. He held. Not now. Xavier, I took Tomkin. Give the latter a hand. Pull him out. Kelly was unconscious. Guess I'll need some help, too. Getting out. Seem to be done in. That was the start of the ball. While I went back to Party Headquarters, Ferguson went to work on Paul Verner. When I left Party Headquarters in the morning, heading for my organizing work at Sir George's store, I ran into Ferguson a block from the church. He was grinning, and I suddenly became aware of the quiet of the street. Ah, you were right, lad. Verner held out until we told him about his sister's testimony. Then he confessed the whole thing. Good. We're going to wrap up Party Headquarters now. The police have it surrounded. We've been waiting until you were clear. Oh. Well, you'll find everyone in the church. And all the stolen documents and data. That'll make it a clean sweep. With Verner's story to back it up, we'll smash this spiring completely. I'll bet Verner's a little annoyed with me. Ah, that he is. But you needn't worry about him telling anything to the commies. No, I guess after testifying against them, he won't be doing much chit-chatting with the Reds. I've been a signal my men to move in now. Want to stay and watch the fun? No, the Red Workers are waiting for me at Sir George's store. So if you'll excuse me, I'll get on with my business of being a communist. In America or our good neighbor, Canada, the job was one that had to be done, and was being done by the Fergusons and by me. Well, in my part, it was different, separate from everyone and everything that was good and clean. There was no recognition. There was no chance to tell my story. There were no friends. My only companions were my deadliest enemies. People sworn to lasting hatred of undercover men like myself. That was why I always found myself walking alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews. The war against communism is a strange one with many twists and turns calculated to make you think it's not a war at all. But it is a war, a deadly war, against a group whose flaunted historic mission is their final goal. That mission is revolution by force, a revolution designed in blood. So whether you like it or not, the war includes you. Yes, you, Mr. and your wife and kids, too. It's a war we must win together. Next week we'll bring you another strange story based on the fantastic experiences of Matt Spedick. Join us then, won't you?