 the national broadcasting company presents counter spy parting counter spy calling washington these counter spy reports to the american people are brought you each week at this time now the case of the sudo spuds yeah just a minute hello johnny look well come on in nice joint you got here for what no york offers it'll do as with you silky long time no see getting by who you're looking for lily never met her just heard about her like to see her she home no she's got one more show to do at the club tonight uh be here in about half an hour half an hour huh yeah stick around you know i could never figure the story on her what do you mean silky well here she has dirk martin on the string biggest gambler in town fur coats jewels anything she wants and she blows them all for you what's wrong with that oh look let's not kid ourselves you're no big timer you're just a small time hood liable to get his head blown off any minute what's the secret johnny i'll show it to you wedding ring huh that's right i heard you got married it's as simple as that silky too bad dirk didn't know the secret look silky i don't like the way the conversation is going what's on your mind i guess you ain't heard kid heard what i'm working for dirk martin now working for martin i didn't even know you know him didn't you so he's still peeved about lily no no he ain't peeved johnny i'm glad to hear that he just hates your guts that's why he sent me around i'm going over huh it ain't that simple johnny he wants a little back oh he does well let him try to get it to leave me yeah uh dirk figure she won't uh that's why you're going to leave her permanently johnny johnny investigate reporter murder 413 east houston street car number 14 car number 14 investigate reporter murder police uh can become lonely all of a sudden can't it what i suppose i shouldn't intrude at a time like this mrs darvel what do you want who are you a friend i hope and i think i want the same thing as you do same thing johnny's murderer i heard the flash on the radio the other day johnny do you know who it was yes who tell me easy mrs darvel i can't prove anything i just know it from the grapevine who what's his name can't you guess everybody liked johnny he did everybody except dirk martin dirk that's the word that's out dirk a gun mrs darvel that's hardly the smart thing get out of my way where do i close the door don't try and stop me whoever you are i should have known it was dark mrs darvel my name is gordon silky gordon i want to get martin too but not the stupid way that's why i came here now i think that both of us can work together and be in the clear if you're trying to stop me i'm trying to help you how would you like to take dirk martin for a bundle of dough frame him on a federal wrap that he'll never get out of and stay in the clear yourself that's the real way to even things up for your uh johnny all right good talk place your bets all bets down am i too late to put a blue chip on number six no madam you could lily hello baldy uh pay 15 on the red upset baldy no glad to see a little but it's busy place your bets all bets down hello mrs darvel and then we can do for you dirk martin i thought baldy would push his little button when he saw me you came promptly enough i asked if there's anything we could do for you mrs darvel well you might offer me a drink of course mrs darvel that's sitting that end booth hey mike one martini dry with olive yeah that's it isn't it mm-hmm i uh i heard about johnny too bad yeah leaves me kind of on the town again and that's one way of putting it what's the point of this call money oh isn't that kind of blunt lily after all you gave me the go-by for johnny if he didn't leave you fixed that's too bad oh i'm not asking you for any jerk i'm offering you a way to make some with me in for a cut i can use dough right now yeah so i imagine well what's the pitch what do you think of the war situation making conversation well that came from right field well what do you think of the international situation that i suppose sometimes good but mostly bad why depends on how you look at it that means what there's one way to look at it that might mean close to a million dollars in cash for us a million if you're not above such petty sums dirk you can find out more about it at my apartment tomorrow at 10 a.m. yeah good night hey wait a minute lily sorry dirk good night writing all the heads of our regional counters my offices are assembled in the auditorium i've got Peter have arrangements been made to fly them back to their offices soon as the meeting's over yes okay let's go right quite some time since i've seen all our counters by regional directors together like this but i called you here for briefing and information regarding the grave foreign situation first a bit of good news our counters by budget has been increased considerably enough so that each regional office can have almost twice the number of agents you are now staffed with increase has been granted for a definite purpose the united states wants to make sure that there will be no reputation repetition of the scrap metal to japan situation at this particular time additional personnel will be used to check all export shipments leaving this country all suspicious shipments will be reported to this headquarters immediately rest of your instructions are in the mimeograph pamphlet handed to you dot dirk you're from yeah i'm curious i was sure you would be coming i want you to meet someone meet someone what do relax dirk it's not the law and it's no one you know well lily if this is a joke i'd like you to make well lily lily is this the fellow you was telling me all about highest range of shake shake yes gordon's the name g o hard done gordon a little joke of my own i never have to spell it out no hey that's a mighty good grip you got there stand up to any man in idaho set me so what do you want i uh hope i didn't hurt your boy i got a powerful grip myself get it from farming you know it strengthens the risk mr gordon would you get me my cigarettes they're in the kitchen why sure thing little gal in two shakes of lamb's tail i'll be right back what was that like him a plow jockeying who likes her doesn't like well i thought what's the play lily first you mentioned the international situation and then a million bucks now you spring this hay seat on me i heard that boy hay seat is it now look mr i like your looks but i don't allow no man to insult me i take it easy gordon i didn't insult my silky drop the act save it for the paying customer okay lily look i got him a little white around the gills i thought i was going to take a swing at him hey what is this meet silky gordon one of the best con man in the business oh yeah martin i had you going huh yeah yeah lily silky will take over from here he's got an idea that his act and your dough will net us a million bucks to split three ways how in one word potatoes why those little things you fry boil or mash and that i grow out on my eye to whole farm and supposedly dealing potatoes you mean a million bucks out of spots are you crazy so is a fox i've got the whole scheme mapped out on paper all we need is that old warehouse of yours and fifty thousand dollars operating capital what do you say oh what am i supposed to say yes on what you told me for fifty grand i want more information than that sure sure take your time here's a setup read it okay give me a short rundown on it potatoes martin price supported by uncle sam you know this so this means the government buys them to keep the market price up to a certain level yeah at present a dollar and fifty two oh a dollar and eighty hundred pounds yeah i've heard tell of it and then they sell them for export at a cent a hundred pounds just to get rid of them yeah keep going well we buy them for that one cent a hundred pounds you see and then sell them right back to the government again at a buck fifty a hundred pounds just like that yeah just like that simple isn't it dirt but wait a minute you said we had to buy them for export to get them at a cent a hundred pounds that's right we'll swear that we intend to dehydrate the potatoes that is a drive an export i'm following you instead we'll fill cardboard cartons with sawdust label them dehydrated potatoes and ship them to a stooge company in europe selling the real potatoes back to uncle sam at a 10 or 12 000 profit nice real nice are you in dirk maybe yes now give me a little time i i want to read this stuff gordon gave me and figure the angles uh take a lot of time uncle sam will still have the potatoes to sell call me here when you decide dirk i'll be waiting and i'm sure you'll be calling hello dirk lily i knew you'd call are you in yeah always clean out the warehouse and uh what about the fifty thousand dollars capital you'll get it in a couple of days oh that's the way we like to do business dirk and tell silky to start the ball rolling and lily all the way i'm sure you will goodbye dirk lily yes silky he bit with all his teeth the rat wonderful when's he coming across with the 50 g's a couple of days and as soon as we get his dough we start fitting him for the frame that's what i'm in this for silky and it better be one he can't break out of he won't baby we'll work the deal just once with 50 000 bags of potatoes i've got the contacts in washington so i can sell that many to the government what do i do now i've gotten in touch with a logging camp for the sodas and cottons you close the deal with them and then apply for the export license for dehydrated potatoes in dirk's name i'm beginning to get the picture and then after i've collected from the government we leave mr dirk martin holding one big empty bag you are listening to the case of the pseudo spuds on counter spy tonight on nbc it's the big show once again over most of these stations to build a bankhead as your mc and just listen to a few of the stars who will be with you tonight bob hope eddy catter jimmy dirranny perry komo hosey ferrer mendy karson meredith wilson and his orchestra and a host of other great performers for an hour and a half of the best in comedy music and drama it's the big show tonight another sunday evening favorite is theater girl on the air and this week's our long theater girl production is dr jekyll and mr hide starring frederick march bobber belgettis and you williams the chimes are your invitation to top sunday evening listening here on nbc now back to counter spy hello well old farmer gordon speaking silky you hear anything yet i just got an acknowledgement of receipt from the government they got my shipment of 50 000 bags of fine idaho potatoes what about the payment i'll receive the check in 15 days at my idaho farm address oh nice going silky how's your end of the deal the salt is going it's all down to warehouse in cartons now ready to be the frame around dirk's neck we'll put it there as soon as we cashed that check from uncle sam so long live you'll be hearing from me when i need you silky right here live in the warehouse store have you got the stuff two five gallon cans uh how about the insurance i took it out in dirk martin's name no action on the uh export license yet not so far well i was just wondering thought they might send someone around to check on the stuff they only do that at the pier let's go in you sure dirk won't yell copper how can he when we put this place on fire he's going to have a mighty suspicious insurance company on his hands he'll probably have to waive the claim but it'll keep him plenty busy while we make ourselves scarce all right let's what someone look down that aisle of cartons a guy prying into a who could be customs department i bet if he finds out about the sawdust i know what you mean listen silky yeah i'll go down and get his attention you come around the back and jump him right you there what what's the meaning of this who are you oh excuse me miss what are you doing in this warehouse how'd you get it are you connected with the firm that owns this place miss yes i am and i think it's my place to ask the questions or would you rather i call an officer well that won't be necessary yes he was plenty tough busy yeah dead who is he wait i'll look through his pockets dates counter spy this ain't good little it's wonderful perfect dirk can take the rat for this too yeah yeah that's right i'll get the kerosene cans and spill it all around silky don't worry when we put a match to this place we want to make sure the whole thing goes up operator operator get me the fire department quick there's a fire in the warehouse at 10th and front stage this is the watchman on the pier across the way you better get here quick please please grab your hat and come on the plane's waiting where we're going new york warehouse fire explosion of export shipping where do i catch up there sabotage i don't know all i've got the warehouse address in the nature of the shipment dehydrated potatoes potatoes supposed to be counters by agent was examining the shipment at the time of the fire and explosion there's no news of him yet and when we land Peters you follow up on the material i'll give you i'm going right to our new york laboratory and see what they've got over this way mr harding to our electric furnace right with you grant what's this setup for well that cardboard cartman the electric furnace it's one that was salvaged from a bit one of a warehouse fire contains munitions of some type doesn't know sir but the explosion watch mr harding i'll switch the furnace on what's the point just a moment sir i had the furnace on before you arrive that we have the right temperature in a few seconds there that's what i wanted to see what kind of explosive is it it isn't sir that cardboard box that just blew apart contained ordinary sawdust packed in tightly sawdust that's right sir sawdust packed tight and under intense heat generates its own explosive power but the right conditions is just as dangerous as dynamite not dehydrated potatoes or munitions no sir but there's something crooked about the whole setup our agent yeah now the autopsy shows he wasn't killed by the fire he was murdered knife wounds murdered what about the sawdust to be analyzed again yes sir we put it through the spectrograph did a microchemical analysis on the reports are over here ordinary pine sawdust that's right the pitch content indicates southern pine and from the cellular structure of the wood we place it as coming from somewhere in georgia or the carolinas the moisture content indicates it's been freshly cut from logs instead of dried and cured wood that means that the stuff came from a logging camp not a lumber yard yes well thank you crandle if anything else comes up i'll be in the communications room of all field offices southern regional district united states counterspies request immediate check of all logging camps in your field area ascertain methods of disposal and sale of sawdust check thoroughly and report to me on any new purchasers of item give this top priority hello chief peter where have you been checking on the ownership of that warehouse and the potato shipment any difficulty a lot less than i expected the warehouse is owned by a set of dummy corporations set up to hide the real owner one dirk martin the gambler that's right and that shipment of potatoes was bought and supposedly dehydrated by the same mr martin hidden ownership again right dave but not very cleverly done anyway hold on a second hello tack it from the atlanta field office okay put him on hello tack it yes that's right the sawdust oh you did good and who bought it no no that company name isn't familiar did you find out who owns and runs it good who what you're sure okay tack it nice job goodbye what is it dave peter's you knew about the sawdust in the explosion yes crandle told me oh that too points the finger at dirk martin he bought it martin yes it doesn't wash chief we know martin's record he's a real cozy bird he doesn't leave loose ends around this way three big neon lighted arrows pointing right at him dave i may be wrong but this shapes up like a great big frame i know it does peter's and i think we'll call on dirk martin right away and see if we can find the picture that fits the frame silky get that i've got to finish packing for the insistant whoever it is well open the door that's the only way we can leave anyway i don't like it lil you open it i'll cover you from behind the door that's right baby inside the idea sir you tell me what the idea is my boys got worked me the warehouses on fire burned down no kidding turn do i look like i'm kidding but that's wonderful a break for all of us now we're completely covered the fire will hide everything because one phony shipment of sawdust we won't have to make was it phony what do you mean you said sawdust and the place blew up completely maybe you were trying to use me as a front for some other kind of shipping a crazy dirt and maybe you know something about the body they found in the fire body yeah look baby you'd better start talking i'm gonna have to slap a lot of words how do you i wouldn't dirk i had you covered from the minute you went in so so i was right a big double cross that's right dirk you caught on a little too fast what do we do with them low guess there's only one thing we can do same treatment like the guy in a warehouse so you did start that fire that's right dirk we had it all framed nicely you'd have to stand still for an arson rap and keep quiet about us or you'd get a bigger jolt for swindling they might even have pinned that guy's death on you that's one way you would have paid paid for killing johnny johnny are you nuts tell him silky tell him what you told me about how he killed johnny me kill johnny yes you wanted me back it was the only way you figured i'd come look lili there isn't a quail in the world i'd risk a murder rap for i didn't shoot your johnny boy silky you said you shouldn't believe everything i say lil i needed you to pull this racket on dirk getting you through johnny was a fastest way you killed him that's right baby and it looks like the same deal for you and dirk martin so there'll be no more talking martin has already talked watch the united states counter spies while you're stinking he's not a action chief you'd better not try the same move mrs darvel so dirk martin's a stool you bet i am baby when it comes to stand and still for murder did he tell you everything did he tell you about the deal he did mrs darvel all about your big swindles stealing money from the government at the expense of our fighting men at a time when we need every dollar for defense and he's going to stand trial for it but not for murder baby you can take that one alone all right peter take them both out of here tune in every week same time same station two counter spy listen next week for the exciting case of the hideous hijacker when medical supplies sorely needed by our fighting men and allies in asia were hijacked the counter spy organization was put on a double alert by getting information from a dead man firing bullets into sawdust and putting cardboard under a strange light your counter spies uncovered a kettle of fish that was 15 000 miles long be sure to listen next week to the case of the hideous hijacker on counter spy tonight's counter spy program originated in new york was directed by marx below dramatized by palma thompson and featured don mcglucklin and mantel kramer line orico speaking counter spy is a phillips h lord production three times mean good times on nbc