 You're twice as sure with two great names Frigidaire and General Motors Frigidaire presents Herbert Marshall as the man called X Wherever there is mystery intrigue romance and all the strange and dangerous places of the world There you will find the man called X Now Frigidaire presents Herbert Marshall as Ken Thurston the man called X I keep you waiting. Mr. Thurston. Would you care to give me your order now? Oh later right now. You can bring me a dry martini with an onion. Very good. Mr. Thurston. I should be right. Oh, I beg your pardon. Sing nothing of it my good woman. Pagon. No Oh, hello, Mr. Thurston. I I thought you were in South Africa. I was I just got back Well, you must have dug up a new tailor the suit. Oh, well, it's really feel the material How to do it bank robbery mr. X. I'm going to become a millionaire Congratulations. How very simple roulette. Huh? Sure a friend of mine from Europe. He says that all you have to do is to Mr. X that man coming over here What about him? He's after me. Didn't you pay for the suit? But this is no time for jokes. You got to do something. He looks pretty mad Oh, I pig on grab yourself a taxi out there. I'll slow him down. Mr. Thurston. I from get out of this I swear by the father of my father Just a minute there. Pardon me, please. I'm in a hurry. Evidently Since you didn't take the time to pay your check, I intend to pay it when I come back now if you don't mind Maybe we'd better call the manager. I think you'll be interested in your intent. I do not wish to Ah, too late. He's driving away. Hmm. You trying to catch somebody and questionably your interference was intentional I saw zelschmidt talking with you a moment ago. So fortunately, I think I know where he can be found Good, but you must hear you may discover that you have made a very bad enemy Very bad indeed. Good day When he showed up in washington, I don't know whether you remember him or not ken Dr I don't know sure chief the friend scientist. That's right Specialist in nuclear physics. He'd got out of france. Just one jump ahead of the nazis Claimed he'd solve the nuclear reaction of hydrogen and helium unlimited power without the need for uranium. Yeah, I remember him That was early in 41 when jordan public thought nuclear energy was scientific What happened to him? Why he died ken? Oh, yeah, two weeks ago in french guiana newspaper clipping came in yesterday What about his process? He leave any papers or notes? According to this item, they were holding the stuff pending a claim by next of kin That's a pretty important secret to be kicking around for just anybody to get hold of that's how it looked to me ken So I cable the authorities in french guiana yesterday Got an answer this morning said dr. Wagner's papers had already been picked up and by an operator from this bureau What? Here's kin and hang on to your hat According to the cablegram The name of the operator was zeal schmidt Pager good lord. Yes, he's in plenty deep this time. All right chief. I'm on my way I'll be in touch with you. I better call me as soon as you get to french guiana french guiana chief I'm going to Monte Carlo. Ken, what in sam hill are you talking about so long chief? Oh Sorry missy no more bets perhaps the next time and the winning number is 23 red and dark unfortunately not the cover So that was you madame. I miss you. You don't seem to be interested in roulette this year Oh, I'm just to keep it some of myself I probably shouldn't start a conversation with a complete stranger, but Well here in Monte Carlo. We tend to become very informal a good system. I like it You don't live here. Oh, no not here down the coast of me My name is jenette qualey, miss you. My name is ken first and how are you miss quill? Pleasure bet ladies and gentlemen quickie. Please bet for you. I uh, I've noticed you watching the little man with the beard at the next table Oh See a friend of yours by any chance. No Strange-looking fellow You don't happen to know him. No, miss you first. Oh, pardon me, mom On number 13 crookie. We met with it Your lucky number miss qualey. Why not? What might be unlucky for one could easily be very fortunate for another just a hunch The betting is closed no more bet me Yeah, I had a I had a hunch myself a little while ago. Oh, did you play? Oh, no, no, not that kind I had a hunch you were going to speak to me But why? Well, I noticed you yesterday Sitting three tables away in a new york restaurant and the winning number is seven Let them out and not go bad too bad miss qualey. Oh, well, you can't win all the time You're uh, a very observant man, miss you first Perhaps we should have a long talk sometime Of wire Of wire janet How's as good a time as any for showdown? I beg your pardon. Huh? I don't know you miss you It's that beard of yours. I've been wanting to pull on it for the last 20 minutes I don't I don't understand miss you you crooked double crossing little rat. Huh? All right, pig. I'll come on out of that brush Listen, mr. Thurston, you gotta save save you. I'm gonna make sure you get 90 years What did you do with those papers you stole? I'm very glad you asked that mr. X I I think risking the peace of the whole world impersonating a bureau operator But who else would I know how to talk to they gone you pulled some shady deals But this is the worst one yet now you're in trouble But it was only a bit sure this baron ruten bet me $5,000. I couldn't fool those people in french guiana What sucker it was a cinch. Yeah, it'll be a cinch for the state's attorney The jury won't be out five minutes If you don't help me, I won't even live so long. They're gonna bump me off good Maybe even better yet. Mr. X. How can you pay gong? Where are those papers of dr. Wagner's? That's the whole trouble. I haven't got them. What I held them out on baron ruten Just trying to make an honest dollar you understand honest dollar. Is there any other car? Never mind that Where are they now? I air mail them to myself here in care of general delivery They should come in in the morning well For once that simple bird brain of yours made some accidental sense. Thank you, mr. Oh shut up if you would bother me mr. First um, I have a message for you Yeah, you're invited to join the countess coran at a table across on the mezzanine Oh, who's the countess coran, sir? Everyone knows the countess That's all right. I'll tell the countess. I'll be over in a few minutes. We miss you milky Take on you've probably heard of being boiled in oil. Well, yes, but I don't you go to your hotel room and wait for me And if you step outside once I'll show you at least five tricks that are a whole lot worse than boiling in oil One moment, sir Your name is thurston. That's right Inspector mom keist monaco department of police I'd like to see your identification, please. What for the customers boys took care of all that as a matter of routine Yes, this is special. There has been a complaint. Oh by whom the complaint was made by me, mr. Thurston. Oh, yeah I take it you're the baron rutan. That is correct any man who can be a very bad enemy. Yeah, you told me that in new york Well, what's the complaint inspector your passport first, please Thank you Baron rutan believes you to be a jewel thief who was wanted by the pal's police a few years ago Well, ordinarily, I'd be willing to accept the baron as an underworld authority, but uh Right now I've got a date upstairs with the countess corrin Countess corrin You are a friend of hers. I'm joining her of her invitation These people seem to be quite in order. I'm afraid you made a mistake baron rutan. Well, I I did not realize My apologies mr. Thurston if my department can be of service at any time You have only to call on me. Thanks inspector. I remember that I may want to make a complaint myself sometime Never know Really no mystery at all. Mr. Thurston. Jeanette is a guest at my villa down at niche She told me she'd met you and I invited you to join me up here quite simple I see. Well, I've Have been here a little soon if I hadn't been stopped at the bottom of the stairs by a gentleman named Mamquist Mamquist. Oh, yes, the police inspector. Something is wrong. Oh, no, no, just a case of mistaken identity The countess Do you happen to know baron rutan rutan? No, I've never heard of him I was told you knew everybody in Monte Carlo. Oh hardly mr. Thurston People come and go in monaco. They make a fortune or lose one and either way you never see them again Well, the world is pretty much the same way On a bigger scale. I suppose so When you think about it life itself is a kind of tremendous roulette wheel People bouncing around the rim and not having a great deal to say about the matter That's quite an idea And it doesn't offer much incentive for living We're not everyone has the same chance. Maybe except once in a while Somebody discovers a new way to fix the wheel so Nobody has a chance fix the wheel count this current one sure method to make zero come up on the next spin Would be a new kind of nuclear weapon Pagon open up won't you come in mr. Thurston? Thanks, shenna Of course, I could have the wrong room. You don't look much like pagon zealschmidt. I hope not Then you did know that it was a man with a beard bound to be busted Oh Looks like you've been pretty busy bad guessing the room was torn up this way when I got here. Oh Well, uh Where's pagon under the bed? No, I already looked He seems to have stepped out ken I uh, I suppose you're here after the same thing. I am It's a little hard to say well What are you after? Oh, all right be difficult Anyway, someone's already beaten us to it could be least pagon didn't walk out of here by choice. So Where do we go from here? Oh Maybe a lot of places I knew you better But I don't yet so not leaving already. I thought I might You wouldn't detain a lady ken. Oh, it depends I'd detain anybody to stop the wagon of formula from being turned loose on the world I think you would Well, I don't have it you can take my word for that unless of course you'd care to search me No, you're really quite trusting Very likely we'll see each other again So I hope you won't mind if I say good night now Mr. X Now to continue with frigid airs man called X starring Herbert Marshall Still regard this is highly irregular. Mr. Thurston, even though the postmaster did authorize Relax, there's nothing to worry about here. Hand me that, uh, John of paste I must say that in 20 years service with this post office I have never done anything so unorthodox before and it's about time you want to get out of your rut once in a while now we'll, um Seat it up again. So And it looks as good as it ever did Hey, uh, tampering with the monaco male a very serious thing very serious. Wait a minute here. He comes now I'll stand here with the door out of sight. You're on your own Oh Good good morning. You you don't have to have some mail for mr. Pagan's zelschmidt. Do you That's me. You understand. Well, of course, we don't ordinarily open for another five minutes yet, but Oh, yes, uh, here's the letter z Zelschmidt it's airmail from new york That's it. I mean that that's me. You you you couldn't just keep it a couple of days. Could you oh good heavens? No, be very irregular Here you are Do you think maybe there is a policeman around here somewhere? Oh, I know. I haven't seen a genre more morning. Oh Well, goodbye Old friend. Goodbye mr. Zelschmidt Old friend Hello Pagan mr. Thurston. Wait, look out John Pagan It's baron rooten. He's the one who brought me here. Yes Yes, it was ballon rooten Mr. Thurston, I swear by the father of my father. So help me Pagan if you don't tell the truth all of it I'll mop up this hotel room with you even after I saved your life. You've saved nothing I knew you'd never walk into that post office alone Where were you all night anywhere lying unconscious some filthy dungeon where that baron rooten put me after he dragged me out of this hotel See anybody besides rooten only some rats they chewed on my beard Pagan how's the Jeanette figure in this? I don't know. I met her on a plane from new york. Uh, she was so charming and you were so talkative So that's how she found out about me. Mr. X. I swear it all right Pagan. Let's get this straight Rooted looked you up in new york and made you a five thousand dollar bet You went to french qiana picked up gardener's papers Came back to new york and gave them to rooten But you held out one envelope math secret I only wanted to do my duty, mr. Yeah, you only wanted to soak him for more money later. Okay So rooten found out what you've done and turned on the heat You mailed the envelope here to monaco and grabbed a plane over How did rooten know you'd come here? I guess because he was the one who told me about the roulette system What was this system anyway? Oh, it's very simple mr. Thurston You go to table number seven in the casino and wait until 23 comes up on the wheel Then you play 13 three times And zero once Hello, oh sure barone rooten said I could make a million maybe maybe two million Why don't we go down and try it mr. X? That's exactly what i'm going to do good. I'll get my coat. What for? You're not going anywhere, but but but Don't leave the room Pagan See you later Better for you 100 francs on number 13 again. Thank you Monsieur has a fondness for number 13. Well, call it a hunt. What a very lucky one so far Whenever I know it's miss you this time perhaps and the winning number is 26 red even Too bad miss you. Oh, well, that's the way with hunches Uh, perhaps you miss you would like to try number 13 again No, no this time. I think I'll play um I'll play a zero Monsieur intends to play zero. That's right But monsieur no one wins on zero. I Very well, monsieur Ladies and gentlemen, this wheel is temporarily closed Your bets will be taken by any of the other tables And now monsieur you will come with me, please. Why not? This is one hunch that looks as though it may have a payoff Here I was sitting completely rejected all alone in this dirty little hotel room And then you come in Ah Jeanette, please mr. Zelschmidt. Why don't you call me pagan or better yet ducky Ducky. Well, why not? There's nobody here, but just us baby You're so right ducky Why don't we sit over here? Well, if you want to only wait till I get my purse purse What for I want to show you something in it Oh What's here on the dresser? Huh? Oh, it's nothing just a letter. I got at the post office this morning What are you gonna show me? I'm afraid you'll laugh at me. It's so silly See a billet ball But what's it for? Well, you see it's rather heavy So it sags in the bottom of the purse Then when I take hold of the top like this And swing it You see how simple it is Thanks a lot for the letter ducky About time they've been walking through half the town Uh one moment, please Oh, hello Pierre Mr. Thurston Inspector Mamquist Miss you played the correct list of numbers Correctly I don't know what you're talking about. I think I do That'll be all Pierre. Good night. Hey, but miss you I Huh Why don't we sit down inspector? There's uh Evidently some mistake here. I don't think so. It's an old trick among espionage agents Getting in touch with one another by applying a certain sequence of numbers at some designated roulette wheel. Now look here This one happened to be rigged up for Pagon Zelschmidt The idea had been to eliminate him after he'd done that job in french guiana And you'd forgotten to let Pierre know the deal was off. Are you implying that the men in my position Just what is the opposition inspector? I check with the Monaco police today. They've never heard of you You You have dr. Weverless papers. That's right All I need now is the brain behind this thing Somehow, I don't think that you are That unrooted fits the bill Well Any answer there Drive so fast Such a rough road. I don't see why you can't drive slow mr. Thurston Pagon, we may be too late now Nobody's going to steal that villa down in Nice and besides every time we hit a bump my stomach flies up and bruises my brain May knock some sense into it Unkindness I never get any sympathy. You don't have any coming after what you pulled off But mr. X. I didn't give her the letter. She took it away from me with brute force and a billet ball I'm talking about you stealing Wagon's papers. I didn't know what I was doing I was strictly non-composable. Tell the judge that And besides I thought it was only a bet. I didn't know what it was all about No, I don't think you did And that's the only thing that may save you. I knew you would fix it. Won't you mr. Thurston my very dear friend I don't know Pagon. That depends on the way things turn out When we get to Nice Can this car go any faster? You like some more coffee mr. Thurston another sandwich perhaps. No, thanks counter. Mr. Zershmit. I Don't mind if I do. They're very small Thank you This visit is really a most unexpected pleasure, mr. Thurston But I feel somehow that you have something to discuss which you have not mentioned As a matter of fact, I have counters Karen. I thought we might talk about the Wagon of formula for nuclear reaction Or haven't you had time to open the letter yet? What letter do you mean the one you took away from Jeanette when she came back here about an hour ago? You are very clever, monsieur How did you find out about me? Are you might say inspector mom kissed gave you away. He would not dare talk. No, he didn't But when I mentioned his name to you in the casino last night, you verified that phony title of inspector Remember I hope you have made the mistake of killing Jeanette I had not yet decided what to do with her. She's locked in the third room down the hall Go get her Pagon whatever you say mr. Thurston, but if you hear a noise like a billiard ball, you better come up and pick me up Balanruta and inspector mom kissed and the counters Karen. You're quite a trio I should not have worked with such stupid assistance. That was my mistake We could do much better Ken. Oh sure. Yes, we make a great team You don't seem to understand The person who controls the Wagon of formula controls the world Don't you realize what that means? I realize exactly what it means So I'm here I see Well, I suppose I may as well accept the fact that you won't change your mind And of course you're planning to break through that door From where you are sitting you can't stop me without shooting And I don't think you with mr. X. You're gonna let her get away Topper ken. She's got the formula you're both wrong, but she keeps a plane out there. She knows how to fly it She'll need to know more than that with a half dozen men of the French purity sitting out there waiting for her But and as for the papers one man's already died for I have them here You took them away from her. Pagon, I took them away from you. Huh? I've had that sealed envelope since this morning in the post office There was nothing in the letter you picked up but a folded newspaper Well, it was a very dirty trick to let me get wait a minute. Jeanette. She's another one. Mr. X grab her Nice idea. Pagon only is pretty rough treating for the daughter of a prominent French scientist You Dr. Wagoner How did you find out ken? I didn't I was guessing But there's a strong family resemblance and I couldn't see how you figured it in the other way Well, I've been a guest at the counters for several months That's how she found out about my father's formula Jeanette You knew who I was Why'd you keep on fighting me? You had a legal claim to the papers. Yes, but I didn't know whether you'd want to do the same thing with him that I do Oh, what's that destroy them. I know how my father felt during the last months of his life I had letters from him can't burn that envelope. Please don't even open it I'm afraid that's impossible. Jeanette I've already opened it. Oh, no, mr. Thurston. That was dishonest. Pagon. Don't tempt me Too late Oh, it's horrible. That depends Inside of this envelope is something that's already caused the death of one man And I've probably sent two others to prison I'd like to have a look at it here Mr. X There's nothing but ashes. That's right I think dr. Wagner knew we'd understand what he was doing Then He destroyed it himself You were plenty of reason to be proud of your father Jeanette He was a great man With death staring him in the face He deliberately wiped his name off the list of the world's immortals Because he felt it was best for his fellow human beings No small man could do that The secret will be found again someday by somebody else But before that happens, oh, if only we'll have the sense to grow up Stop gambling the future of the whole human race on the wheel Where every number is zero Virginia star Herbert Marshall Thanks for being with her Next week our story is called all the flippers And I think you'll enjoy it because it's packed full of excitement and mystery As usual, Leon Velasco will be along as Pagans Elschman. So join us. Won't you? When next I return as the man called X. Good night And called X is directed by Jack Johnstone the music composed and conducted by Johnny Green Tonight's story was written by Les Crutchfield And so until next week same time same station. This is Wendell Niles speaking for Frigidaire made only by general motors All characters and incidents used are fictitious Any resemblance to actual persons or incidents is purely coincidental Remember every thursday For the best in entertainment tune in and stay tuned in to cbs the biggest show in town This is cbs the Columbia broadcast