 I was a communist for the FBI. Druze and an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a communist for the FBI. From the actual records and authentic experiences of Matt Severick, come many of the incidents in this unusual story. Here is our star, Dana and Druze, as Matt Severick, who for nine fantastic years lived as a communist for the FBI. In these complex times, it takes a lot more than a heap of living to make a house or home. But when the communist party is your landlord, living and home become cheap, too cheap. This is the story of two people who refused to pay red bargain prices for the privilege of living at home. In a moment, listen to Dana and Druze as Matt Severick, under cover man. Druze as Matt Severick, under cover man. This story from the confidential file is marked Home Improvement. Pretty tough these days for the commies to keep their politicians in power, but they manage somehow. Take the case of one Ralph Ronaldo. This cheap politician was elected not as a communist, but as a candidate for another party. A minor political outfit functioning as a road company of the Communist Party USA. Ronaldo was their star puppet. He danced when the red leader, Comrade Max Vinson, pulled the strings. But then who didn't? Vettick. Oh yes, Comrade Vinson. Here. Look at this. What is it? This message from New York, instructions from our superiors on the national board. What now? About that big housing project, the one just completed in Ronaldo's district. Our comrades have managed to bully the city housing authority into placing Ronaldo at the head of the committee in charge. Fine, you'll be able to help some people to decent home. We're not concerned with their homes, Vettick. It's their votes that matter. Votes for Ronaldo. He's been slipping badly lately. This housing project will help keep the balance of voting power in Ronaldo's favor. I don't understand. How can a housing development... Simple comrades. Every tenant will be a Ronaldo voter. Wait a minute. Are we supposed to tell the tenants how to vote? Not at all, they'll tell us. Their applications will be carefully screened so that only registered Ronaldo voters will occupy the units. But there are bound to be hundreds of applicants. We need every vote, Vettick. You have to do a careful screening job. It's okay. Me? I'm to do the screening? These instructions are your orders to work with Ronaldo. They outline the entire plan. And I'm to be responsible for... Here, study these orders carefully. Keep them handy. I'll want to refer to them myself from time to time. With your competent, Svettick and Ronaldo's personality, the party can expect nothing but success. I studied the orders, all right. Trying to discover some clue, some hint to help me scuttle this rotten red scheme. But I found none. When I reported to Ronaldo's headquarters in the Tenement District, I realized the true viciousness of the plan. The place was jammed with trusting, slum-weary families, eager for the little self-respect and dignity these new homes could give them. But my job as a commie was to keep them out of those homes unless they voted for the crummy politician who posed as their savior. This is the last batch of sucker, Svettick. Yes, Ronaldo, this is the last of them about time. All right, my happy neighbors. Let's buckle down now, shall we? That's the way. Now, those applications that Mr. Svettick gave you are most important. Be sure to fill them out carefully, neighbors, and answer all the questions. If anything puzzles you, feel free to ask me for help. That's my job, you know, helping my neighbors. Mr. Ronaldo. Yes, young lady. Question number nine on the application. Nine, nine, let me see here. That's the important one, Ronaldo, the one about voting. Oh, of course, nine. Young lady being good friends and neighbors, we'd like to know the political party with which you've registered. It's just a routine... But I thought every minute a secret ballot. Well, of course, but there's no harm in stating your political beliefs. We should be proud. But suppose the applicant... Well, now really, I... I'll pardon you, Mr. Ronaldo. If the young lady has any questions about her application, I'd be happy to discuss them with her. Good. Good idea. Fine. I'll be in this office till six tonight. Yes, till six. Good. Miss, if you'll talk your problem over with Mr. Svettick, I'm sure he'll explain everything. Miss Svettick, find out who she is and get rid of her. She can cause trouble. Here it is, Varga. Antonio and Rose Varga? That's it. Antonio's my father. Honey, you have two other applications in this file, Miss Varga? I know. They've both been rejected, Mr. Svettick. This one will be rejected, too. I'd like to know why. Well, you know, there are many needy families in this area. Sometimes it's difficult to... If you're looking for hard-luck stories, Mr. Svettick, just read this application. Go on. I can promise you a good cry. Miss Varga, I... Go on. Read it. It's all there. Here. Right here. It says my father gave up our old house to make room for your housing project. We received some compensation. It wasn't much of a house, but it was the last thing he owned. Where are you living now? Read the application. An apartment, four rooms, and we share them with two other families. And here, right here, it tells you about my father. He's a cobbler, a shoe repairman. How easily he can only work a few hours a day. Can you help him in his shop? Well, as much as I can. I'm not very good at repairing shoes, you know, but someone asked... Good sob story, isn't it? What? Are you crying, Mr. Svettick? Got a lump in your throat? Tears in your eyes? Look, see, I'm crying. It's easy. It's too easy. Miss Varga, I'll talk to Mr. Ronaldo, I can't promise anything. You see, there's just a limited number of units in the project. Limits? Limited to what? To people who vote for Ralph Ronaldo? I'll do all I can, Miss Varga. I'll try to get your application approved somehow. Ah, Svettick, if that Varga Dane gets into the housing project, we'll have nothing but trouble. If she doesn't get a unit, we'll have worse trouble, Ronaldo. All she has to do is go to the city housing authority with her story and... Ah, look around you, Svettick. Look at this neighborhood. People don't even know that city housing authority exists. If they did, they couldn't spell it. I'm putting the Varga application through, Ronaldo, for the good of the party. For the good of Matt Svettick, you'd better not. What are you looking at? Hmm? Oh, nothing. I... Oh, careful. Watch that curb. Oh, fine. I knew I should have had these shoes fixed. Why? You look all right to me. Well, the souls come loose. But you go ahead. I'll get them fixed. No, I can wait with you. Go ahead. Comrade Vincent doesn't like to be kept waiting, you know. I'll stop across the street there and get these shoes taken care of. There was nothing wrong with my shoe, but it gave me a convenient excuse to get rid of Ronaldo and to visit Antonio Varga in his little shoe repair shop. When I entered, Varga was at the machine buffing the heels of a pair of brogons. He was a wizened old man, bent with illness and hard work. He never met me, had no idea of my true identity, so I could play my part well and keep him from knowing the truth about me. We might be able to help each other against Ronaldo and the comets. I'll be through, mister. Just a minute. I'll be through. Okay. Take your time. Mister, if you've got to have shoes fixed in a hurry, I cannot do it. Well, no, Mr. Varga. In fact, I... Ain't so good like I used to be. Work a little here, a little there. It's no good. It's finished. You've got the shoes to pick up or what, eh? No, I... Well, I'm from the city housing authority. No, no, I can't buy any things anymore. Excuse me. I promise to finish this shoes. Oh, I'm not selling anything, Mr. Varga. Oh, come another time. You see, my daughter, Rosa, she understands about things. This is about your home, Mr. Varga. Your home in the new housing project. Well, I'm with the city housing authority. We're checking the applications for the project to see that everyone is treated fairly. They don't treat me fair. The crooks, those people, they take our house. They tell my daughter, Rosa lies. Mr. Varga. They're crooks. Listen, tell your daughter to report your case to the director of the city housing authority. What for? They're crooks, too. No, no, they're not crooks. And they're not communists. They can help you. They want to help you. They're not crooks, eh? No, but they can't help you until they know your story. I'll tell your daughter to go to the city hall and tell them what's happening. The sooner, the better. She may be. What's her name again? Yeah, write it down. City. City. Housing. Housing. Authority. She, I tell you, Rosa. Rosa. Have you seen them? Have you? Well, no comment. I haven't. What's wrong? Yeah, sit here, come in. Never mind that. Look. Look at these headlines. Red plot exposed in the housing project. What's that? Read it, Steddy. Both of you, read it. Then I want an explanation and a good one. The report filed by his shoemaker's daughter late yesterday led the city housing authority to the discovery of a vicious plot to use the new east-side housing development as a vote-getting instrument for Ralph Ronaldo, known as a front candidate for the Communist Party. Well, gentlemen, what's it all about? Who is this shoemaker's daughter? How did she know our plan? Let me have that paper, Steddy. Hmm. Late yesterday afternoon, a complaint filed by Miss Rose Barga on behalf of her son and her father, Antonio Barga, a shuri fan. All right, all right. Now, what do you two know about this? It's beyond me, comrade, maybe. Uh, Steddy. Yeah? Uh, show comrade Vincent your shoe. What? Your shoe, Steddy. The one you had repaired yesterday by Antonio Barga. Who's starring as Matt Steddy? And I was a communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. I had tried to set a trap to catch the commies, but now I found that I had put my foot right smack into it. Literally. As I forced myself to meet the accusing stares of Ronaldo and Vincent, my shoes seemed to grow and grow and grow until I could have sworn my shoes were wearing me. Well, Steddy, show comrade Vincent your shoe, the one Antonio Barga repaired for you yesterday. What? Well, I'm not wearing those shoes today. What's this all about? Steddy, what do you know about these Bargas? Let me explain that, comrade. Steddy knew that Rose Barga was suspicious of our work with the housing project. In spite of that, he fought to have her application approved. Not in spite of it, Ronaldo, because of it. Since she was suspicious, it wasn't safe to keep her dissatisfied. I warned Ronaldo that she'd go to the city housing authority. And she did just that. Immediately after your rather sudden visit to her father's shoe repair shop. What visit? What visit? I had my shoes fixed. Is it disloyal to our cause to have my shoes fixed? A strange series of circumstances indeed. This is idiotic. Comrade Vinson, have you ever had any reason to doubt my loyalty to the party? Never. Until now. Come along, Steddy. Huh? Where? There's one way to settle this question. You and I, Steddy, are going to Antonio Barga's shop. I'm curious to see how you and he get along. It was only a short walk to Barga's shop. But to me, it seemed like the last mile. If Barga greeted me as a friend, as a man who had helped him solve his greatest problem, I was licked. And Barga had no reason to greet me any other way. The door to the little shop was opened. We could hear the harm of the machines as we approached. Instinctively, I must have slowed down a bit more. What is it, Steddy? You seem a bit hesitant. No, not at all, Comrade Vinson. Come on. After you, Steddy. We entered the shop and looked around. The machines were buzzing away, but Antonio Barga was not to be seen. Then the burlap threatened that the far end of the shop parted. Miss Barga, this is Mr. Vincent. All right, Mr. Steddy, what do you want? Mr. Vincent would like to talk with your father. My father isn't feeling well. He's ill. It's imperative that I talk with him. Why? Well, I... He's not interested in talking with you or any of Mr. Steddy's friends. Why? Why is that, Miss Barga? I've told him about you. You and that whole Rinaldo crowd. You've done everything possible to ruin us. Well, I... I hope I've done the same for you. You mean by going to the housing authority? Yes. Yes, they'll see that Rinaldo gets what he deserves. We're curious as to what made you decide to take that action. A member of the city housing authority came in here and talked with my father. He told us what to do. Clear? Yes. Yes. Yes, very clear. It's nice to know that there's a difference between communist and... and human beings. Yes, Miss Barga. There are many differences. For instance, ordinary creatures would accept a defeat like this. We will find ways to avenge it. I never thought that the scorn of a lovely girl would be so welcome to me. But Rose Barga's attitude was just bitter enough to clear me of any guilt as far as Vincent was concerned. That bothered me now, though, was the cell leader's ominous threat to the Vargas. Just how would Vincent seek to avenge this defeat? And to whom would his red violence be directed? I found out the next day when Rinaldo and I were called to local party headquarters. Sit down, Steadig. Thanks. Rinaldo? Yes, Comrade Vincent? I've received this communication from our national board. They're quite aware that the city housing authority's forthcoming investigation of your activities will ruin you. You know that, of course. Oh, I wouldn't say that, with a party's legal aid and a good propaganda campaign. You can expect no help from the Communist Party. No help. But I... No help. You've outlived your usefulness to our cause. But that isn't so. Steadig, Steadig, tell him he's wrong. Tell him how loyal I've been, how hard I've worked. There's not much I can do, Rinaldo. Orders are orders. But this trouble isn't my fault. I can still come back. I can still serve the party. The party has no further use for your services. But, Comrade Vincent, where can I go? What can I do without the party? Steadig and I have business to discuss, Rinaldo, if you don't mind. Well, I tell you, I can still serve the party. I can serve by waiting in the outer office. Go on. Out! But, Comrade, I... Out! Out! You were pretty rough with him, Comrade. It won't hurt him. Is it wise to cut him loose like that? After all, Rinaldo knows quite a bit about party activities. Oh, we're not cutting him loose, Steadig. Not yet, anyway. This treatment is just preparation for the, uh, indignity of his new job. Well, then you're keeping him? Yes. As a lower echelon worker. We're putting Rinaldo in charge of our physical activity group. Rinaldo? In charge of a goon squad? Please, comrade. A physical activity group. Quite a contrast to his status up till now. But at least it'll keep the poor fool busy. Like, I didn't know our brass knuckle boys were slated for business. Oh, by all means, tonight? Oh? Yes. Rinaldo may get some emotional compensation from this assignment. He's going to lead a raid on Antonio Vargas' shoe repair shop. Now I knew. Now I knew where and how the violence was to be directed. But I didn't know how to stop it. I couldn't let the red goon boys trample all over the Vargas. I couldn't. But it was impossible for me to get away long enough to call my FBI contact or the police. I was closeted with a smug cell leader and a sniveling ex-politician, planning the manner in which coming cowards would flex their misplaced muscles. When Rinaldo left to gather up his bully boys, I thought I saw my cue for a graceful exit. Oh, Steadig. Oh, yes, comrade Vinson. You're not leaving, are you? Well, yes, it's late. I'm tired. A good commander stays on the scene till his orders have been fulfilled. You're the commander here, Vinson, not me. I've done all I can to help. You'd better come with me, Steadig. Someday you may be the commander, you know. Yeah? Well, until then, I'd better get some rest. Do you have your copy of those original orders from the national board, the orders that outlined our strategy? Yeah, sure. Why? Read them again. And notice the statement to the effect that whatever else you're assigned to do, your obligation to me and our cell is not lessened. All right, comrade, what do you want me to do? I want you to observe with me the work of an efficient red physical activity squad in action. This particular red goon squad was directing its efficiency against an ailing old man and his unsuspecting daughter. Rose and Antonio Varga hadn't let the commies cheat them out of their home. So now the Reds were going to ransack the Varga's shop and ruin their only means of livelihood. This was a great spectator sport to comrade Vinson. And I had to be a spectator with him. Unable to stop it. Unable to help in any way. Here we are. We'll be able to see the whole thing from here. Varga's shop is just down the street. Vinson, what good is this going to do? The party will only stir up more hatred. We thrive on hatred, Steddy. Well, frankly, I think the whole thing is pointless. Nothing that good communist does is pointless, comrade. Now, look, do I have time to mail this letter? There's a mailbox just over there. Don't be silly. Stay where you are. It'll only take a minute. You can mail it later. But Steddy puts it in. There's Ronaldo's car coming down the street now. I see. Is that Ronaldo driving? Of course not. He's directing the action. Good right on time, too. Bullseye. They're taking a chance running into the shop after that noise. Look, the lights went on inside. But they weren't... Those are cops. Policemen waiting in the shop. But naturally, naturally, we'd better be moving along. Look, I don't figure this at all. Those cops were waiting there for Ronaldo in the squad. How did they know Ronaldo was... Simple. I told them. You told them anonymously, of course. A very simple way to get rid of Ronaldo once and for all. But you assign him to... Once the housing authority finishes investigating him, you'll be nothing but a millstone around the party's neck. This raid was the party's donation of one red millstone to the police. Now, here's a mailbox for that letter of yours. Hmm? Oh. I'm sorry. Say, you might as well go on ahead. I can walk from here. No point to that. I have the car. Nothing a good communist does is pointless, comrade. I'm glad I made an impression with that fact. Yeah. You made an impression, all right. Well, good night, steady. Good night, comrade Vincent. I watched the car until it was gobbled up by the darkness. I knew I'd never see comrade Vincent again. For the envelope I just mailed was addressed to the FBI. Its contents? The communication from the Communist National Board. The orders that outlined the entire plan that started this cycle of viciousness and named the names that mattered. Then I turned and walked on, naming the names that mattered to me. Vincent? Gone. Ronaldo? Gone. Rose Varga. To her, I'd always be an enemy. Antonio Varga. To him, I'd always be a friend without a name. Matt Svedik? A name without a friend. A man in search of the shadows destined to walk alone. Anna Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews again, friend. It was James Russell Lowell who said, democracy is that form of society no matter what its political classification in which every man has a chance and knows it. I hope we never forget it. In the story you just heard, names, dates, and places are fictitious to protect innocent persons. Many of these stories are based on incidents in the life of Matt Svedik, who worked undercover for the FBI. Next week, another fantastic adventure. Join us then, won't you?