 I was a communist for the FBI Praying, Dana Andrews and an exciting tale of danger and espionage I was a communist for the FBI From the actual records and authentic experiences of mass lev edict From many of the incidents and it's unusual story Here is our star Dana Andrews as mass lev edict Who for nine fantastic years Liveed as a communist for the FBI nine years of solitary confinement but nine years crowd jostled me waiters took my orders conductors punched my transfers operators got me telephone numbers I was free and at large but I was in prison I walked in crowds and I was alone I had comrades but I didn't have friends and that's only part of what it meant to be a communist for the FBI in a moment listen to Dana Andrews as Matt Sebedek under cover man as Matt Sebedek under cover man this story from the confidential file is marked red clay several days I've been noticing a peculiar speculated look in comrade Revchenko's official eye when he doesn't think I'm watching he's sizing me up when your chief and the Communist Party takes stock of you you don't know if you're on your way up or on your way out I don't have long to wait Revchenko wants to talk to me in private and I put on my mad face which helps me get away with some stuff that would land other comrades in front of the control commission for disciplining comrade Sebedek you have lived in this town most of your life that's right comrade Revchenko you went to uptown senior high school that's right then you know the principal there Mr. Dexter DeLancy I never heard of Mr. Dexter DeLancy he may have been after your time Dexter DeLancy has a very ingenious and realistic approach to the problem of influencing American youth he's certainly in a position for it he sympathizes with our cause but so far he's been reluctant to join the party officially now however he has agreed to discuss the idea broadly he'll want to meet him at his office at four o'clock for a general check once he joins the party you will instruct him in your duties you mean I'm to groom this highbrow to replace me we need him youth is like play in hands like his I understand American kids pretty well myself orders come on Red Sofitik what happens to me you will be sent to neglected strategic areas farmed out to the miners you mean sent to strategic areas comrade Sebedek I'm useful here and I'm at home in here I see no reason but Sebedek four o'clock principal DeLancy's office cultivate him carefully I stroll down the somehow shrunken corridors of my old high school same old bulletin board same old corny student cartoons on it same graduation dance notice the same decent hopeful eager kids but to the architects of communism clay red clay to be molded into totalitarian families that was filming two minutes to the final bell I stopped in front of a familiar door room 10 miss Hunter miss Hunter with a massive bronze hair and the electric green eyes miss Hunter my English teacher with whom I once imagined myself deathlessly in love I reached for the door now I stand on the doorway gaping a big mature looking boy is reciting earned but I hear him dimly it is his teacher I gave this hunter younger and more beautiful than ever the thick bronze hair the green eyes the faintly and pleasantly freckled nose I just stand there in the open doorway spellbound all over again without your eyes and that bad taste very good thank you miss Hunter won't you come in for me oh yes are you the father of one of our students here what oh no no don't be so infantic about it these are the most advanced seniors in school yes miss Hunter that's all class those keen looking seniors file past me and I feel as sharp as a sack of potatoes non-slick grade the young man who'd been reciting when I came in and talking to miss Hunter I feel a bond of sympathy with him I know just how he feels I was in love with my teacher he leaves looking at me curiously and then a beautiful teacher approaches me straight out of the golden line of yesterday I can't be I miss Hunter oh now I've got it straight Mrs. Hunter used to be my teacher that's it my mother she feeds me in Buffalo now but you were a pupil of mother Matthew's heretic color and not just a pupil I was a devoted pupil I think I understand I'm having a similar problem with one of my students well he'll get over it I hope unless he meets your daughter 18 years from now I'm so sorry you can't be oh that's all right I I have an appointment with mr. Delancey what did you say your name for my mother I haven't written down someplace now if you'll give me a telephone number I'll call you and spell it for you okay I walk out of that dim lilac haze with a telephone number stashed away in my head along with the memory of bronze hair and green eyes floating around in the lilac I don't want to conduct red business in lilac time but I've got to the bubble bursts and soap gets in my eyes and superior or see two principal Dexter Delancey gets under my skin with his theory for the reconditioning of young minds to the communist idea and what is my method is simply this mr. Kubelik so that it CVET I see I am in a position to point out in my own history classes that our American forebears would have been communist sympathizers today that's not the good trick if you can do it oh I can do it after all the Declaration of Independence was a document endorsed by the 13 states for the overthrow of government by force of arms yeah but it was a tyrannical government the government overthrown by the Russian revolution was even more tyrannical yeah rebellion to tyrant is obedience to God that was Thomas Jefferson's personal motto nothing wrong with that wrong it's marvelous in his own words the writer of the Declaration of Independence admits that revolution has the approval of heaven then how can the capitalist world accuse Russia of being godless you see etc go on mr. Delancey call me Dexter now look at the French revolution the more I listen the sicker I get inside sick and scared there's danger in the smirking egetus so vain about his learning in this man lies infinite danger to America this walking talking decay so close to our youth I listened to him so I can remember what he said because I've got the funny answers someplace when I finally get out into the clean air I dialed to new 3211 and invite myself over to call on this Mary Hunter even if I didn't have a plan I'd want to see her anyhow and look at her just hit and look at it right on time come in I walk in stumbling stupidly on the throw rug and walk into the living room in the presence of that other schoolboy admire of miss Hunter the student named Charles it's a Charles Weber hello Matt hi I've been helping Charles compose his valedictory speech for graduation oh I didn't want to interrupt anything well I'd rather talk a seasoned debate it's Charles Weber oh we'll find something to debate about I'm sure in less than an hour by easy logical steps I've managed to twist the conversation to politics world affairs the American Revolution it's like a nice cold plunge I don't want to take it but I've got to I don't plunge in either I stumble in involuntarily it seems I'm repeating the slick sick insidious malvings of principal Dexter delante and making Mary supply the answers I mean well isn't it true Mary that bourgeois minds considered the American Revolution radical isn't bourgeois strange word coming from you Matt no I mean conservative sure it was considered radical by many it was radical it was nothing of the sort Charles it was overthrow of government by force and if the Russian Revolution was radical so was ours or putting it the other way if our revolution was justifiable so was the Russian our revolution was political the Russian Revolution was social revolution by bloodshed and terror class against class well what's the difference the Russian Revolution different from art in this great great respect it substituted one form of tyranny for another Jefferson would be taken by the turn of events in the Russian Revolution I challenged that Miss Hunter I didn't realize you were so well informed on the subject I've had several serious discussions on the subject with principal delante whom I respect and admire very much in class and after class and he maintains it's getting pretty late I think I'd better be on my way I've got the family Jalopy let me drop you someplace I'd like to speak to you for a moment Matt privately oh well I'll take a taxi Chuck oh well thanks anyhow good night Charles good night miss Hunter Matt good night Chuck Mr. Stavetek Matt you haven't asked me why mother has to teach in Buffalo when she's not glad to be here with me well it did occur to me to ask she left here rather than be gagged by people like Dexter DeLancy gag how DeLancy didn't force her out of here he's a very powerful and persuasive man I mean you could lose your job here talking up to me as you just did reported it to the principal I see very late Mr. Stavetek I didn't mean to keep you well good night Mary good night Mr. Stavetek I spend a bad night thinking of Mary Hunter having to be cautious of a man like Dexter DeLancy I have a knock in my stomach thinking about young Chuck Weber honor student parroting the red line right out of the horsey mouth of Dexter DeLancy but that note of jealousy at the very end of the evening gives me the big idea turn Chuck against me because of Mary and he might lump DeLancy with me and turn against him too I'd have to keep on supporting DeLancy's views I'd have to keep goading Mary into fighting me on them because if it comes to either Mary losing her job or my losing mine she'll have to go it's like that sometime being a communist for the FBI and it hurts it hurts bad back to Dana Andrews starring as Matt Stavetek and I was a communist for the FBI and the second act of our story I have a job to do and I do it I play remorseful and persuade Mary to see me again when I know Chuck Weber will be rehearsing his valedictory speech with her sure enough I managed to drag in the line that our early American patriot would be called radicals today I won't give the unpleasant details but she talks in angry and white lip and I hate to talk about giving Mary Hunter pain but it works and it's important respect when Mary asks again to talk to me alone Chuck Weber pounds out of their spots slamming that door he's pretty mad he's very strange he's very jealous I asked you a very direct question maybe I know what it is I know you were seeing principal DeLancy the day you wandered into my classroom I didn't just wander in I made a point of it are you coming Mary Mary Hunter I'm not the common I'm so glad why I don't know I hate you all people to be a red one of mother people one of our most devoted people all right Stavetek hold it wait Chuck have you been waiting for me in this alley all the time yes Mary finish talking to you I want to talk to you guys Mary yeah Mary and keep away from it you sneaking red funny you should say that all I know is what Dexter DeLancy tells me and you wouldn't call him a red would you are you gonna keep away from Mary you're a powerful hundred and eighty pounds of star fullback Chuck and I haven't pulled back in many a year but the answer is no all right then don't make me get you time you won't be able to cut it out fight Tommy all right you're not cut get out of there get out of here get the grip if you want to graduate yeah yeah and that's why I send the rest of the night in the police station cell I don't dare involve the FBI in dealing me out and I'm scared of how come I'd rub tinco I'm reduced to calling Mary Hunter and a beautiful teacher in the whole solar system in the morning there she is thanks for coming down for me I won't ask you what happened and I won't tell you or even give me an idea teachers are just too small I will take custody of Mr. Stabetic comment Rev Chinko gives Mary a withering look and then steers me outside and into a taxi we don't see a word until we get to his office he's it down I stand he looked at me with contempt that's okay though I don't admire him either in the future comrades of Attic save your street brawling for party purposes was it in the paper and I came down just in time to relieve that woman of you who is she and she is not in the party I would know who is not in the part and stay away from her all right these bourgeois women with their emotional demands keep away I heard you remember you will regret it don't go but I want to see Mary once more I just want to look at it it's busy just before graduation but she takes a few minutes at lunch to sit on a bus stop bench with me five blocks from the school neither one of us is very happy though after the other evening when he denied being a communist I thought things might work out I still say I'm not a communist what about that dreadful man who came for you in jail were you totally doomed if he owned you why because he does own you body and mind and soul and you don't have to tell me why Mary please don't cry I'm not you are though there was something that was sweet and third of tender in the pupil of my mother holding in love with the daughter don't take it so hard then Mary I'm not in love with you it was a bit of nostalgia and sentimentality that's how it is red chinko I might have known it you'd never understand sit down comrade civic if it won't take long I'll stand that chinko very well you did not want to be sent to some hinterland when Dexter Delancey joins us for a while I considered your plea now however you will go where we send you and without complaint that is all I don't call Mary again I've got to see her I just want to sit and look at her and the place would have to be the graduation hall of Uptown senior high school as a lump in my throat and fog in my eyes as I watch the proudest kids in the world get their diplomas and become the gravest young men and women in the world then principal Dexter Delancey flashing his magnificent teeth makes a brief introduction our students of the year and four-year honor student athletically classically and his citizenship Charles Webber principal Delancey members of the faculty of Uptown senior high school fellow students and friends with the generous assistance of Miss Mary Hunter of the English Department of this high school I have prepared a validation but I have decided not to give it instead I should like to make this question is the revolutionary philosophy of our founding fathers radical I shall ask our distinguished principal and revered teachers who take me affirmative in that debate mr. Delancey no brother mr. Delancey no most certainly not this is most irregular Charles give your prepared speech since Mr. Delancey is not prepared to debate this question publicly I myself to take both sides of the question and answer the unamerica and subversive charges that have been made against our greatest patriot it's great point at the point slander after slander against our founding fathers Chuck Webber breaks down coldly methodically magnificently next to Delancey gets up in the middle of it and stalks out and when it's all over and Chuck Webber sit down they all stand up and cheer I stand up in my chair I want to look at Mary Hunter I see her I just stand and look at her I just want to good morning Revchenko mr. pathetic pathetic good morning mr. Delancey the comrade Delancey soon I trust in fact I'm prepared to want to take a full tour of duty at once London you mean you're prepared to give the party your full and undivided time precisely what about your duties at school and on the board well you'll be pleased to hear that I attended my resignation this morning as a consequence of last night's embarrassing events well under the circumstances revchenko I couldn't face a board action you resigned forthwith fool what he said fool I don't understand get out I don't understand explain it to him comrade pathetic you're my functionary in this district functional I have worked I don't understand this way Dexter as principal Dexter Delancey of a metropolitan high school and a member of the board you'd have been invaluably situated for the service of the party but I could have worked behind the scenes and said you became playing mr. Dexter Delancey of no use to the Communist Party incredible I'm ruined sorry Dexter Dexter stumbles out in a day then I walk out on air he goes his way I go mine Delancey is out and I stay in as undercover man working hand and glove with the FBI the work goes on I win but when I win I lose to no more homework no more books no more teachers or to look no more any kind of looks in my country Mary Hunter I'm a red it's always that way I'm a communist for the FBI Dana Andrews will return in just a moment this is Dana Andrews with the word about the story you've just heard his play although based on fact is happily a rare interest rare because the teaching profession has always been outstanding in preserving our American ideals in this story as in all others names dates and places are fictitious to protect innocent person many of these stories are based on incidents in the lives of Matt Sabetics who worked undercover for the FBI next week another fantastic adventure join us won't you