 You're twice as sure with two great names Frigidaire and General Moulters Frigidaire presents 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 More Frigidaire serve in more American homes than any other refrigerator Now Frigidaire presents Herbert Marshall as Ken Thurston, the man called X Far south in the last reaches of the great Pacific Ocean at the very back door of Asia Lie tiny hidden lands of mystery called the islands of spice Java, Sumatra, Borneo Valley Nearby across the treacherous swirl of the Java sea moves a vessel whose cargo is death Of course Pagan Zelschmet knows nothing of these things when he answers the phone in his room in New York Mr. Pagan Zelschmet speaking Huh, who are you? Sure, the fish peddler rides in Batavia by boat in a week. So who cares mr. X might care mr. Who I Don't know anybody with that name like that, but if you wanted him to know, uh, how come you didn't call him yourself? Hey wait a minute Things he's a wise guy give me a hundred dollars mr. Thurston Of course, I didn't really expect anything you understand just for delivering the message for sure Pagan I'll be forced it on you. Well, I that is there can't this could be the break We've needed for two and a half years cheap. It seems almost too good to be true if it is true It's the absolute truth. Now. How could I make it up? I don't even know who is this fish peddler? Oh, neither do we that's the trouble, huh? They only know what he is all right or what she is maybe yeah The worst international crook in the whole dirty racket the fish peddler has been back at the scene in every war and revolution for the last 10 years Buying and selling information bribery assassination. Oh, but how could one person do all those things he or she? Has got a string of agents scattered all over the world known as the net and we don't know who any of Marr But this may be the chance chief Wouldn't be the first time one crook settled a little garage by squealing on another Only you think that accounts for the phone call could be Anyhow Pager and I are going to the East Indus and find out Hang on if this turns out to be one of your bum's tears. I want to know exactly what are their hands on you chief Are why you from Macassar Macassar? I thought that message said the boat would arrive in Batavia The Dutch Airlines office says the only boat you in Batavia on that day is a cargo lineup from Macassar Makes a three-day run across the Java Sea and I'm going to be on board Mr. Thurston smells like a fruitcake spice market pay gone You want a ton of cinnamon? Here's the place to buy it. What would I do with a ton of look? Mr. X over there in that blue sarong Bagel bagel. Well, I was only you know, here's the rest apple cafe. Come on Is this where that captain? That's what the shipping agent said. Let's go in Apple cafe. Thanks. Always glad to see a new face step right in and shake hands with Michael Joseph's it should tell it a Tom cat at a keyboard. Hi The world's greatest hot piano player bar none sit on sit on you ask me about Ellington fats waller I never hate him here. Take a listen How about that? Yeah, well, that's right use that as my theme for 16 months at a night like club or picket Then he went from there to Folly's bird chair played a full season back in 27. Hey, you remember this one? I Brings back memories. Oh sure sure now. I want to just call me Joe. Everybody calls me Joe You know this cafe jobs only a fill in you understand got a big engagement over at the opera house in Batavia next week a solid 30 minutes That's great great Maybe we'll we'll catch your act over there, but right now I want to talk to I want to find captain John suit Somebody want to talk with you on suit Wait here. Yeah. Is that you? Yeah, yeah captain yon suit cargo liner Nampark Maccasa to Batavia My name is Ken Kirsten captain happy to know you man here. You want passage maybe for two of us. Have you got room? Yeah, yeah plenty room only three four passengers so far the sale in the morning If you will pardon me captain yon suit, perhaps I should be going now. Oh Forgive me man here vessel permit me to introduce dr. Muhammad see Oh Dr. Singh is certain. How do you say it again? Zoologist mr.. Thurston Specializing in the study of reptiles. I have collected some specimens from the jungles here to take back to Batavia Snakes in boxes. It's a funny business. You're sailing with us then dr. Singh that is correct Mr.. Thurston. I hope the voyage will give us time to become acquainted See you on board dr. It's a funny cargo sometimes I carry yeah, especially funny on this trip Captain one of your passengers happens to be wanted by authorities all over the world Oh, and you know who it is not yet. I may need your help Manier it is my business to hold cargo all passenger is know my business to catch criminal if nobody me I know bother him. I know one trouble with nobody. I just might take me to dinner. Oh your honor I forgot you come here manier Thurston. It's your honor. How do you do? Is this your daughter captain? Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe we go eat now your honor. Glad to pop. I'm starving. Yeah. Yeah, well come come I'm happy to met you miss young soot you going with us in the morning by any chance what? Yes, mr. Thurston. I am as a matter of fact Why do you ask? Oh? Let's not bother with it now. We'll have a lot of time to talk about it before we get to Batavia. I Should have had that little cookie in the blue sarong and this trip mr. X. I never saw such a moonlight before It's like daylight You almost see the Java coast over there You do what I told you to oh sure sure Joe just plays that piano and talks about Broadway back in 1926 All the dr. Singh things about his snakes and Captain Janssen talks about eating Your honor for she she spends all her time with you. Yeah, she's Very interesting mr. X These people don't know from nothing. I don't think this fish peddler crook is even on board Anyhow, I'm practically broke. Yeah, the only chance you'd have of making any money is a way that's out of the question Huh? You mean there is a way well the fish peddler will probably pay plenty to find out who I am you mean Oh Like you said mr. X it's it's out of the question. Oh, I wouldn't tell us so all I know that of course he wouldn't Tell me about it He is the man called X Maybe it's worth about 50 bucks to find out Joe my friend as a matter of fact pay gone my friend I was wondering if I could borrow about five from you just until we get the betta vehicle Of course, I wouldn't tell this to another soul dr. C Mr. Thurston is really called Mr. X so I find this most interesting most interesting So maybe it's worth about a hundred bucks, huh? Mr. Zell Schmidt or poor scientist such an amount seems staggering Oh my good friend, please take my advice and never become a zoologist Financially it is most unprofitable Ken Thurston the man called X. Oh sure. I know him for a year, but then Who else have you told about this? Not a soul. I only thought you might like to hey wait I'll see you later, but but oh Wait for me, maybe yeah, I thought you'd shop here on the bridge sooner or later. Yeah, Mr You take them here. Hi, I said good want to see me money Same thing the fish peddler, but you don't even know who is it this fish peddler? I may know pretty quick What is it bigger? Mr. Thurston come quick down to your cat. What's the matter? Oh, it's it's your honor my daughter What is it? Come on. Let's have it. She's she's lying at the door of your cabin. Mr. Thurston somebody kills her dead blood all over You with frigid airs man called X starring Herbert Marshall Following up a tip concerning the whereabouts of a mysterious international crook called the fish peddler Ken has taken passage on a Java sea cargo liner bound for Batavia To draw the criminal into the open. He allowed his true identity to become known to the handful of passengers In a short time later the captain's lovely daughter Johanna was found lying on the deck at the door of Ken's cabin Now Ken and Captain Yon Soule who carried the girl into the ship's ward Thanks, haven't you know is dead? My nearest ill Schmidt you come to preach and say my daughter is dead And I I think I died too right there. Well, she looks kind of dead. You need some more bad What is that? Hey, maybe it's a torpedo or pirates or a minor captain. I think it's somebody called the fish peddler the fish bed Now the engine stopped. Oh, Kimmel what is happening on my ship? Precisely what I came to ask you Captain Yon Soule dr. C. Oh, oh the young lady has been injured She'll be all right. Oh good good then with your permission. I shall remove myself to the lounge right here Hey, don't why don't you go with him? Well, I was I mean I Well, sure sure come on dr. C. Well, that's that Now we'd better get up to the bridge money of thirst and if I know who is the dentist with these two hands I break the ball That was a shot out on deck. Oh How about it captain? Can I count on your help? I do anything, but you say good get on that radio in the next room and contact But a yeah, yeah, see if the Dutch authorities there can send out a sea plane with a doctor and a police inspector What's the matter? Yeah, that lock has been forced open what was in it the ship's guns three pistol one rifle all gone Then we'd better get to the bridge captain come on What has happened mr. Why the engine stop explosion somewhere below decks must have damaged the rudder sir Who stopped the engines you and nothing else to do sir. She wouldn't respond to the wheel So what's up anyway plenty trouble right away you go below and see what happened I tried to serve at somebody shot at me. What you know it was now they fired from the shadows and Somebody's fastened down all the hatch covers whole crews locked below decks. No chance of letting him out now The man would be too easy a target out there on the deck in that moonlight. Yes, sir You have a gun now sir, but there's some in the radio room. Not any more somebody's taken them Yeah, but but why I think the fish peddler found out who I am and thought he was getting pushed into a corner. So Manier Thurston, I make bad mistake before I think cream it'll least know my business This mistake. I know make again. Okay, then come on. Let's see what's going on in the lounge Yeah, I can see it is paying Just sent thanks Joe go to find you and pay gone. It's at a cheerful frame of mind Gonna get mighty we're gonna get mighted that's all Don't you have a little drink though? No, thanks. No, where's the doctor sing Who knows I was keeping a very close watch on him, but all of a sudden Then except for him and the crew below decks All of us aboard right here in the lounge We forget about your honor Norman here. It's all right. You think I locked the wardrobe door before we came in here captain Oh, yes, right. I forget. Well, what we do now we identify the man. I'm after How you find out yeah, who is him sir first and the only person on board besides me Who's got a gun? So I wanted to know Thurston don't move the gun. Well Joe, so you're the fish peddler smart guest Thurston It's a little late I'll take your gun Thanks. All right now just take it easy and maybe no one will be hurt you try to kill my Johanna Your daughter shouldn't have barged in on me while I was going through mr. X's cabin. Well, Joe What are your plans very simple for a spur of the moment? I dear? It's less than 10 miles to the Java coast. So I'm taking the power launch and heading in I see And with the ship's radio knocked out in the motors dead We don't have much chance of contacting anybody before sometime tomorrow. That's right Now let's go out and lower the launch. You do a good job of it. Maybe I'll let all of you wave goodbye to me Friends in five minutes. I'll be gone and off your hands now here gentlemen What is happening dr. Singh's been looking for you doctor? Come on follow him with the rest of them Mr. Thurston, why does this man have a gun to your body later doctor right now? We've got to help friend Joe get this launch into the water All right, Captain Yoncle push out that stern David to help murder us keep his pet business. We haven't got much choice All right, let her down Glad you're so good natured about this Thurston. I was afraid I might have a little trouble with you What's the use you're the one who's got the gun? Well, there she is we're good to go good My deepest thanks to all of you now move back down the deck I want to get slugged with a wrench when I drop down into this watch That's it keep moving. Why are they yet? He will get away. It's nothing can't be done. Don't be too sure What mr. Rex in the school of rope guns pick them when you shut up. Oh, I should have Hit the desk fast. Give me the gun He dropped down behind that hatch coming. Yeah, he's undercover. You can't move away from it But he's gone. I found the way hidden them before we came in the lounge I was waiting to even over the side. All right, Joe the game is over. Come on out Thurston, I Think we can make a deal not a chance not even for the names and addresses of the net the rest of my organization Huh? I've got a list of all 26 of my agents here in a notebook. Well, I can toss it to you or I can throw it overboard It's up to you What do you want for it your word that I can leave in the launch without being shot at? It's a deal Joe. Let's have the book. I thought so here To each other again sometime So long chums what money you first I'd always played one crook for twenty six captain Besides we'll have him back again by the end of the week There's no place for him to hide in Java. I know promise him nothing quick. Give me the gun. No use captain He's out of range, but don't worry If you will pardon me mr. Thurston, I might suggest the probability he will never reach the coast of Java What do you mean dr. See I overheard what was happening in the lounge So before you came out I took the liberty of emptying one of my specimen boxes into the bottom of the launch Those snakes. Yes. Yes quite deadly They were rather sluggish, but perhaps by now the heat of the launch motor has made them very lively And you won't even know about them until one of them hits him Well Serves him right mr. Thurston. He'd just assumed kill anybody's look at them. Yeah, you may be right at that Pager Anyway, there's nothing we can do about it now Here in the East Indies there's an old proverb something about The conscience of an evil man is sharper than the fangs of a venomous serpent Maybe Joe could tell us if that's true or not Right about now our prisoner star Herbert Marshall. Thanks for being with us Ladies and gentlemen America's production of things you want depends on steel Billions of jobs depend on steel and to make more steel America needs more scrap metal. So join the big drive Collect scrap metal around your home. Give it to a local scrap collection agency or sell it to a scrap dealer right away Now next week our story is called a Tiger for the lady and mr. X runs in the plenty of trouble in a little town called Porto Colombre Panama. He also runs into a shadow pig on Zell Schmidt played as usual by Leon Balasco So join us. Won't you were next I return as the man called X. Good night Frigidaire's man called X is directed by Jack Johnstone with music composed and conducted by Johnny Greene Tonight's story was written by Les Crutchfield 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 on this program are fictitious Any resemblance to actual persons or incidents is purely coincidental Remember every Sunday night brings you two popular dramatic shows on CBS the man called X and the adventures of Sam Spade Yes, for the best in entertainment tune in and stay tuned in to CBS the biggest show in town This is CBS the Columbia broadcasting