 Herbert Marshall as the man called X. Wherever there is mystery, intrigue, romance, in all the strange and dangerous places of the world, there you will find the man called X. Now is the time for all wise men to treat themselves and their families to television. Of course, you're planning to buy a television set someday, but in the meantime, your family's missing seven days a week of the most wonderful variety of entertainment, whichever came the way of the human race. That situation's pretty hard for families to take. As a friend of mine discovered recently, when his children pointedly began leaving him out of their prayers and substituting the name of a neighbor generous with his television set. Don't make your family wait for the fun. Visit your RCA Victor dealer tomorrow and choose your RCA Victor television masterpiece from 18 beautiful new million proof models of all sizes and styles. Like the more than a million American families who now rejoice in the perfection of RCA Victor television, you will find your RCA Victor set the lasting pride and joy of your own life, as well as the best investment you ever made in the happiness of your family. It began a few minutes before midnight in the small dimly lighted cable office in Rangoon, Burma. Began when an elderly Burmese handed a laboriously written cable to the yawning clerk and then walked out into the blackness of the Asiatic night. Sorry, this office is closing now. We won't be able to... That's the story, Ken. The cable clerk was killed and a man named Laow Rao disappeared, along with the original cable he'd written to you. Luckily, the Rangoon police were able to make out the message from the impression left by Laow's pencil on the pad of message blanks. It's a copy of it. Thank you. The shadow from the north spreads swiftly over this land. For the welfare of all our peoples, I pray that you will come at once to Rangoon, signed Laow Rao. Oh, cheese! You remember Laow Rao. Sure. He worked for the Bureau of the Japs who were in Burma. Fractury ran the underground resistance there single-handed. Yeah. Nothing meant as much to him as his country's freedom. Yes, I know, Ken. But what about this cable? Chief, the United States has slapped an embargo on strategic war materials from Asia. Rubber, tin, antimony. Yeah, I know. So what's been hit me? We get reports of ten cartels of crude rubber turning up in Budapest. A thousand tons of tin are dumped at a Baltic port. Borneo oil turns up in Sofia. I know, Ken, I know. It's obvious we've been giving priorities to somebody who's been selling us out. Rerooting strategic war materials and shipping them behind the iron curtain. Well, what have we been doing about it? You know the Bureau's got men in every ECA country in Europe working on it. Sure. But we don't have any in Burma. Burma? What in blazes? Oh. Yeah. Take a look at your map. See what lies at the north of Burma. La Roe tries to warm me about a shadow coming from the north. Then he disappears. And when you tie that in with the fact that he owns some pretty big rubber plantations... Hmm. Well, Chief? Miss Brooks, book passage for Ken Thurston on the first plane for Rangoon. But this seat next to yours, it is unoccupied. Well, yes. Oh, do you mind if I take it then? Mine was so close to the engines and the noise was... No, please. Please do. Oh, you're very kind. You are traveling to Rangoon, Mr.... My name's Ken Thurston and the answer's yes. Ah, how fortunate. I am Olga Marovna. Why fortunate, Miss Marovna? Well, I've always found this journey from Bangkok to Rangoon, a most tedious one. Apparently my luck has changed. Yes. You see, I am engaged in what you might call a very specialized field of endeavor. I am a professional hostess. Sounds interesting. How does this business of yours operate? Well, there is little that a woman who is bored can do in Rangoon, except give parties. A number of us are very keen rivals in being the first to host the celebrities at our affairs. I see. I planned a party at my home for this very evening. I should like very much to have you there. Well, that's awfully nice, but I'm hardly a celebrity. Perhaps not, but you are obviously an American businessman and one who will be new to Rangoon Society. It will be a conquest for me. Besides, I will be satisfied in knowing that I have helped an American to feel more at home in a strange land. Will you be there? Well, after that, how could I refuse? Oh, you're very gracious. And I think you will enjoy it. Oh, there will be other businessmen there. Possibly with similar interest to yours. Nitrates, tin, rubber. Oh, I'm certain that you... You're pardoned, Mr. Thurston, but the radio officer would like a word with you up for it. Oh. He said it was quite urgent. Excuse me, Mr. Rovner. Certainly, Mr. Thurston. This way, please. Thanks. Mr. Thurston, radio call for you from the States. Apparently important enough to bypass regulations. You know how to operate? Yeah, thanks, yes. Hello, this is Ken Thurston. Hello, Ken. Chief, what's up? Ken, we've had a certain suspect under surveillance for some time as a possible international agent. I just learned that this suspect booked passage from Bangkok to Rangoon this morning and has aboard that plane with you. Huh? It may be coincidence, maybe not. But if that agent is mixed up in the sell-out of strategic war materials... Yeah. Let's have his description, Chief. It's not a he, Ken. It's a woman. The name of Olga Marovna. All right, then, Inspector Tejo. What have the Rangoon police found out about the disappearance of Lal Rao? We have placed a suspect under arrest and are holding him for questioning, Mr. Thurston. He is in the next room, even now. Good. What's the story? He had been lurking around Lal Rao's offices for several days prior to the disappearance. He had followed Lal Rao to the Lotus Bloom on a number of occasions. The Lotus Bloom? Yes, a nefarious palace of drink and of pleasure that is located in the dark area. I see. In addition, he has been most curious concerning passengers arriving on international planes. Well, let's talk to him, Inspector. Certainly. Come in here. So I guess you've seen demanding of your ways and are going to slip me my release, eh, Inspector? What? It was about time you learned you can't go around arresting every innocent crook that you see. I'm pretty lucky for you that I... Oh, hello, Mr. Thurston. Pagone. You know this person, Mr. Thurston? Does he know me? After all the years we've been friends together doing things for me. Inspector Pagone's elsewhere is without doubt the most unscrupulous man I've ever known. And I trust him as far as I would in advance case of the plague. Boy, what a terrific reference, eh, Inspector? What is your suggestion, Mr. Thurston? Release him in my custody, Inspector. I can use him. What? Oh, sure. You know how invaluable my services are, eh, Mr. Thurston? Pagone, you're going to be living proof that it takes a crook to catch a crook. Well, thank you, Mr. Thurston. Huh? You see, it was like this, Mr. X. I came here to Rangoon to be at my Uncle Ahmed's coming-out party. Coming-out party? Oh, sure. Coming out of the Kling, you understand? When I run into this Lallural, oh, naturally he was very grateful for how I'd practically snitched Burma from the jabs with a single-handed during the war. Sure. How must have you chiseled out of Lall? Oh, it was only ten bucks. Mr. Thurston. That's what I thought. But I didn't chisel nothing. He paid me for telling him where he could cable to you. And besides, I didn't get it. That dirty double-crosser got himself kidnapped to avoid payment. Yeah. Sure. In here, Pagone. Hey, what are we doing in this no-good-loaders-bloom joint anyway? To find out who's interested in shipping priority war materials behind the iron curtain. Huh? What's that got to do with finding Lall Rao? Yeah, let's take this table. I don't get it, Mr. X. I really... That Lall Rao didn't do nothing here except well talk to some strictly cornball characters about maybe selling his rubber plantations. Didn't say nothing about any kind of curtains. You wish to place an order, gentlemen? Yeah. For some information. Information, sir. You had a customer here during the past couple of weeks. His name was Lall Rao. This humble one does not remember all the gentlemen who are served here. He talked to some people here. Maybe about rubber shipments. This one is not in the habit of listening to customers' conversations. Maybe this will help your memory and your tongue. Mr. Thurston, a tense spot. I want to talk to the same people about the same things. If you find them for me, I'll double that. I will return with your orders in a moment, gentlemen. Mr. Thurston, if you have to be throwing money around, throw some my way. I could tell you for half what you're going to get from him. You could. Well, foolish in that character over there. Going into the back room. The one with the sheer sucker suit. That's the one that Lall Rao talked to. Who is he, Pagon? What does he do? Well, maybe I could find out for, let's say, 50 bucks. I'll give you five. It's a deal. What will I collect? I'll be here. Or I'll be at Algamorovna's party. Algamorovna? You know? That pretty petunia. See you later, Mr. Thurston. Yeah. Your friend is right, Thurston. Absolutely right. You're throwing your money away, throwing it away. Well, thanks for telling me, but what makes you think so? No, no, no, Thurston. Let's not beat around any bushy, shall we? I heard you talking to the waiter. I am the man you want, Mr. Stephen James. I am the man. Very interesting. You mind telling me why? Certainly not. I'm a broker, general broker. Imports, exports, insurance. That's me, Stephen James, general broker. Okay, you're a broker, so what? Well, sir, you better see me at my office, Thurston. Number 11, Kaising Road, about insurance. Insurance? Right, life insurance. If you're going to play around with Lallora's friends, you might wind up quite dead. Very uncomfortable experience, you know. Goodbye, Thurston. I am particularly happy that you came to my party tonight. Oh, why? So that I may prove to you that my parties are much more enjoyable than those given at the Lotus Room. Oh, how'd you know about that? I'm not a clairvoyant, Ken, but I do have friends. One of them is over there with the perpetual glass in his hand. Uh-huh. Stephen James. Is your old friend of yours? Stephen? Oh, yes. Very old. And once very dear to me. But those are not happy thoughts for a night such as this. All of you, my dear, your reputation as Rangoon's number one hostess is rapidly becoming taunt. Really, Henry? Heavens, what a disaster. May I ask why? Simply because your guests do not like to see you spending so much time with but one guest. May I meet him, Olga? Of course, Henry. He is Ken Thurston. Ken, this is Henry Salvador. Mr. Thurston? And let me warn you about him, Ken. He is very shrewd businessman who is a good deal more interested in what profit you may turn his way than he is in my reputation as hostess. You are absolutely right, my dear. So if you will run along now, I shall see how badly I can best Mr. Thurston in a business deal. There, Ken, you have been warned. I shall return later to see how badly this wolf of finance has mauled you. Charming woman, Olga. Charming. Even if she is brutally frank. You seem to do all right along that line yourself, Salvador. A competition among the shipping and export firms here in Rangoon is very keen, Thurston. And seldom, gentlemanly or polite in its mode of operation. Uh-huh. You're in that business? Owner of the Far East Trading Corporation. Rubber, nitrates, antimony, and tin. Uh-huh. Olga has told me you're here on business. If it involves the sale of any such materials, please do nothing until you have an offer from me. I will guarantee both a profit and the arrival of that material at the proper destination. What do you mean by that crack, Salvador? As a loyal American, what else could I mean but what I said, Thurston? Well... If you're interested, you can find me at the Far East Trading Corporation in the morning. Number 15, Kai Singh Road. It's been a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Thurston. Good night. Good night, Salvador. Uh-huh. Mr. Thurston. Hey. Mr. Thurston. Come to join the party, Pagan? Party, smarty. Who cares? I'm here to collect my 50 smockaroons. It was five. Got some information on that man at the Lotus Bloom? Sure. Already I know him like an old cook. His name is Hawkins. And he's willing to spill plenty. All about shipments of stuff that wind up some place where they're not going. Where's Hawkins now? Waiting for us at the place he works as a bookmaker. Some shipping joint down at the decks called the Far East Trading Corporation. There's the joint now, Mr. X. Yeah, no lights on. You sure Hawkins is going to meet us? Believe me, that guy would meet my aunts and all be at the altar if there's money in it. Hmm. See? Yeah, he's left the door unopened and everything. Come on in. Oh, Mr. Hawkins. Are you who, Mr. Hawkins? It's me, Zelschmidt. Down you idiot. All right, Pagan, you can climb out of that wastebasket now. Whoever it was, gone. Who do you think the dirt in the wood was anyways, Mr. Thurston? What's the matter, Mr. Thurston? Thurston? That's you, Thurston? James, what are you doing here? My office just a couple of doors away. Saw you come in, heard that beastly racket? Guess you'll believe old Jamesy Waymsie now, eh, Thurston? Told you you'd need life insurance, didn't I? Sure, told you. Crummy neighborhood, Mr. Thurston. Characters standing around would maybe cut your throat for a wooden nickel. Even less, maybe. Why do we have to pay visas down here anyways? Hawkins is your friend, Pagan, man. According to Inspector Tago's police records, here's where he lives. Well, he's not home. Why don't we go to a joint I know on a Queens Road and have a couple of short beers? Oh, quiet. Hey, what do you know? He's not home. Looks that way. One thing about your friend is you've got a nice habit of leaving doors open. The joint is empty, Mr. Thurston. Absolutely. Yes. Your friend Hawkins was at home. But why do you think somebody bumped him off, Mr. X? Maybe these papers he was working on can answer that. Hmm, hmm. What are they, Mr. X? They're from an outfit called the Aster Warehouse. Aster? Yeah. So what? So they might tell us what happened to Laurel Rao and who's recitarian strategic war materials behind the iron curtain. Oh, huh. Then why don't we figure out what they mean? I'm going to try right now, Pagan, at the Aster Warehouse. Boy, what a joint this warehouse is. Huh, Mr. X? Big enough to float the Queens Susie in. And all that rubber and metal and stuff. What does anybody want with all that junk anyways? Any country that wants a start of war needs plenty of that junk, Pagan. Sure, but look where it's going to. France, Switzerland, Italy. Nobody's got a chip on his shoulder there. I know. If that's where it's going. You don't think so, Mr. Thurston? I think Laurel Rao could tell us if we could find him. I think... Mr. X, who's that? What? He's up in that loft, Pagan. Let's get up there. Can you see anything, Mr. X? Well, I thought I heard a door close somewhere. Our friend's probably gone again. Let's take a round. A friend, he says. Such friends I wouldn't wish on Justin. There's sure to be a law against him. What is it, Pagan? I just checked on a sandbag. Sandbag? Yeah, I'll check with this flashlight. Mr. X? Yes, Laurel Rao. Looks like James was right. There's going to be plenty of life insurance. Unless we get some answers fast. In just a moment, we'll continue with the man called X, starring Herbert Marshall. Everywhere today, people who for years have sought a fast acting way to relieve the pain of headache, neuritis, or neuralgia are turning to Anderson. And it's interesting to know that these remarkable tablets work with incredible speed to relieve the pain of headache, neuritis, or neuralgia. Anderson is like a doctor's prescription. That is, Anderson contains not just one, but a combination of medically proven active ingredients. In fact, thousands of people have been handed envelopes containing Anderson tablets by their own physicians or dentists. If you have not already been introduced to Anderson in this way, why not try Anderson next time you suffer headache, neuritis, or neuralgia pains on this generous basis? If the first few tablets do not bring all the relief you want as fast as you want it, return the unused portion and your money will be refunded in full. Anderson is spelled A-N-A-C-I-N. Easy to take. Anderson tablets come in handy boxes of 12 and 30 and economical family size bottles of 50 and 100. And now we return to Herbert Marshall as the man called X with Leon Balasco as Pagan Zelschmidt. Henry Savadal. What about him, Chief? He was mixed up in a couple but plenty sharp. His Far East Trading Corporation looks clean. No adverse reports. Huh? An office about two years ago. Too much attention to drink and whim. I'll bet that record's clean too. Who owns it, Chief? Huh? What's that? It's Ren Corporation. Two of them are bookkeepers. You mind if I come in for a minute, Olga? Oh, I know. Please do. Thanks. The party has been over for some time, Ken. Yeah. I just came back to check on a theory. Theory? About these parties of yours. Tonight your guests were businessmen and government officials, military men. Pretty valuable contacts for making friendly deals. Oh. Yeah. Deals involving war materials shipped through licensed American firms to Marshall-planned countries where dummy customers reship them behind the iron curtain. But what do you think of that for a theory, Olga? Do you mind answering for me, Henry? Not at all, Olga, my dear. I should be happy to. So long as Mr. Thurston maintains his distance. I won't argue with you, Salvador. Or with that cult automatic. Excellent judgment, Thurston, as excellent as your deductions. Olga did hold these parties so I could make contacts, get customers, arrange private deals, but you made one mistake. Did I? Yes. I stressed the point once before that I was a loyal American. I am. My dealings have been and always will be for the benefit of my country. Well? And so, my dear Thurston, your accusations are false. I shall protect Olga from them at all costs. The door is directly behind you, Thurston. All right, Salvador. I'll go. Tell you, I got it all figured out, Mr. Thurston, that invoice staff that Hawkins was working on was a system to beat the bank at Las Vegas. No. Sure. Like I say, I got it all figured out how he was going to work it. Oh, well, all my needs are a little capital to get started on you understand. And you and me hope we'll be rolling in silver dollars. Believe me, Mr. Thurston, it's the chance of a life. Yeah, sure. Huh? What's this place? Number 11 Keising Road. Let's go in. Still in the mood to talk about insurance, Mr. James? Well, well, well, so you decided to take my advice, Thurston, very smart, very smart. Nothing like life insurance to ensure your life, I always say. Pretty good, eh? Pretty good. I'm talking about a different kind of insurance, James. Different kind? Yeah. Insurance to protect a free world. Huh? What do you mean by that, Mr. Thurston? Ames is an export broker. He'd contract the priority materials and ship them out through Aster, a licensed shipping firm he owns through dummy stockholders. What's that? He'd send the staff to dummy customers in legitimately cleared countries and then reship behind the iron curtain. You must be crazy or something. You must be older. She owns Aster? Sure. Olga does. Her name's on the list. Sure, because you played her for a sucker when she was your girlfriend before Salvador came into the picture. Another cover-up. Huh? That gorgeous Gerdini was, was this character's girlfriend? She let it slip at the party pay gone. And here, on this desk. Now, Aster invoices the same kind that Hawkins had when he was killed. You're doing a great deal of surmising without evidence, Thurston. It all ties in. Hawkins could have been one of your agents who decided to double-cross you. La Rau, a customer who got too suspicious. The invoice numbers. A code for the real destination of your cargo. Even if what you say were true, such operations would be perfectly legal. The only ones breaking any laws would be the customers overseas who were guilty of reshipping. Hey, is this character right, Mr. Thurston? I'm afraid he is, Pagan. We can't touch one any of that, but we can get him for murder. Murder? Yes. The murders of La Rau and Hawkins. And that gun you're wearing in your shoulder holster will give us all the proof where... Don't get that gun, all right, Thurston. Look out, Mr. X. Let's have it, James. Come on, let's have it. I said, let's have it. Grab it, Pagan. I got it, Mr. X. I got it. All right, you have it. Let go. Let go. You'll be glad to. Oh! Boy! What a smoker, Roo. He's out like a couple of lights. Well. Well, I guess we cleaned this one up, all right? Yeah, I guess we did, Pagan. Sure. What a pushover. Thinking he could pull the bull over his sheep's clothing by acting drunk. Well, that's the trouble. It wasn't an act. Huh? James, and all those like him, they're never acting. They're all drunk. Drunk with greed, with power. James thought he'd get away with murder just as long as he held a gun. He found out different. And you know, Pagan, that holds true for certain countries, too. And now, ladies and gentlemen, here is our star, Mr. Herbert Marshall. Thanks for being with us. Next week, Ken goes to the forbidden city of La Salle, high in the snow-covered mountains of Tibet. As Ken Thurston, a warm welcome awaits him. As Mr. X, sudden death. And of course, Leon Balask will be along as Pagan Zeltschmidt. So join us, won't you, when next I return, as the man called X. It's the Saturday night feature on NBC's five-show festival of comedy, music, mystery, and drama. Brought to you five nights a week by RCA Victor, world leader in radio, first in recorded music, first in television. And by Whitehall Pharmacal Company, makers of Anacin, Coronos, Bicidal, and other fine products. Good night. The man called X, starring Herbert Marshall, is a J. Richard Kennedy production with music composed and conducted by Felix Mills. Tonight's story was written by Sidney Marshall. All characters and incidents on this program are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual characters or incidents is purely coincidental. Be sure to listen tomorrow evening for The Big Show with Tallulah Bankhead and Fanny Bryce, Groucho Marks, H.C.O. Pincer, Jane Powell, Hanley Stafford, John Agar, David Bryan, Frank Lovejoy, and Meredith Wilson. And until next week, same time, same station, this is Jack Latham saying good night for the man called X. For a maximum of fun here at Tallulah and The Big Show tomorrow on NBC.