Welcome to the Great Detectives of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham. If you have a comment, email it
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Barbara as our latest Patreon supporter at the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars and
fourteen cents or more per month. Thank you so much for your support,
Barbara. Now let's get into this week's episode of Dangerous Assignment. The original
air d eight November the nineteenth, nineteen fifty two, and the title is
Private Sanitarium. Dangerous Assignment transcribes Darring, Bron Dunmaz, Steve Mitchell. Yeah,
danger is my assignment. I get sent to a lot of places I
can't even pronounce. They all spell the same thing, though, trouble.
But when I walk into the commissioners alf that I don't realize this assignment's going
to approved. But sometimes the best way to stop a guy cold is to
step on the gas. Appointing commissioner you sent for me, Steve, how'd
you like to take a risk? Fine? I know just the place A
fireman her mind. Sorry, I've already picked a spot for you, the
Varia Private Sanatorium. A great, I understand the nurses are quite attractive.
Oh great, Well, my bag's a packed, commissioner, what's it all
about? Two weeks ago a Czech diplomat was arrested in Prague and a charge
of preason. He made a quick confession. Sure they usually arrange it that
way. In that confession, however, he implicated an American newspaper man,
a foreign correspond but named Emerson. Emerson, he said, was an American
spy. Uh, here we go again. The correspondent got winded, the
frame up and ducked out fast. He managed to slip across the Zech border,
got as far as Regensburg in southern Germany, then ran into war trouble.
What happened? He was kidnapped, picked up right off the street and
brought daylight by three men, but not before he'd put up a terrific struggle.
That was ten days ago, and no word of incense until last night.
A young doctor named Minda got word to us that he thinks Emerson is
being held in a private sanatorium in Bavaria. I get it. That's where
I'm supposed to check in with my battered nerve. Right, Doctor Minda will
contact you when you arrive in Munich. Get to that sanatorium, Steve.
If you find Emerson there, get him out and bring him back. That's
it. You've got your assignment. Good luck. The National Broadcasting Company is
presenting Dangerous Assignment, starring Brian don Levy in the role of Steve Mitchell,
colorful two fisted government agent. At all those places of the world where danger
and intrigue walk hand in hand, there you will find Steve Mitchell on another
dangerous assignment. Thursday evening on the NBC Radio Network is filled with great entertainment.
Yes for Western adventure and songs. There's the Roy Rodgers Show from Paradise
Valley, and along with Roy you'll hear Dale Evans and the Whipperwells and immediately
following the Roy Rogers show, listen to Father Knows Best with Robert Young in
the title role. On Father Knows Best, you'll hear the amusing adventures of
the Anderson family. And of course, Thursday also brings another hilarious sation of
truth or Consequences with Ralph Edwards, your favorite funmaster. On many NBC stations,
Thursday ushers in another station of Bettie Canter's show Business show. So for
the most enjoyable Thursday evening entertainment, be sure to set your dial to the
NBC Radio Network. Sure I got my assignment, Get over to Germany.
Check on a tip giveness by a doctor minder. Hope it leads me to
a missing American correspondent named Emerson. Get to him before he's hauled back to
Czechoslovaki to face a bum rap as a spy. It's late Tuesday evening when
my plane lands in Bunich. The voice on the PA is calling my name.
As I hurry across the airport waiting room, a gentleman lifts his envelope.
Here Mitchell, Oh, thanks, hmmm the idea for the service?
Yeah? How do I get to sixty four? Oulster Plotz Ouster Platz,
a street on the other side of town. I will suggest a taxi.
Thanks. One more thing about the man who left this note. What did
he look like? He was here but a short time ago. A small
man in middle aged rather stout. The message is not signed. Yeah,
it's signed by doctor Minder. I just wanted to check the description against the
signature. Oh it doesn't fit. I grab a cabin on the way across
town. I ask myself a few questions. I don't like the answers I
get. Ten minutes later, the cabby drops me off and find of sixty
four aster toots. Even that sixty four ulster clutch is a mortuary, I
swish open the door to go inside. I follow the long red carpet down
the dimly lit corridor. At the end of it there's a desk and another
small vase of flowers, the card and next file, and the buzzer.
I lean on it. A few seconds later, the curtain behind the desk
part and a long, slender gentlemen frock coat steps out of the poles,
his crall like hands together and glides towards me. Good evening, my nail,
all right, I mean, good evening, I'd like to see doctor
Minder. You'll name me Mitchell, Steve Mitchell. The next through, I
don't turn around when the door clicks softly shut behind me. I just stare
at the casket at the far end of the room. The casket is empty.
Surprise number one. Surprise number two follows a second later. A gun
nestles in the small of my back. Do not move the identification place of
funds there you are. Thank you. Don't mention it that you've got a
lot to learn about this business. Wait a minute, you fit the description
I have of doctor Mimber. Yeah, yeah, yeah, your identification.
Well what's this all about? Just a precautionary measure. I was afraid I
might have been followed today. Oh boy, picked this place to meet the
man you met a moment ago. He's a very close friend of mine,
a doctor with a more partition for a buddy. I wouldn't spread that around
Mender. It doesn't inspire confidence. I see what you mean. Why do
you think you might have been followed? Doctor? Because of what happened two
nights ago when I saw Emerson at a sanatorium. He is listed as a
hair Langford. They had me in a small private cottage that's really of the
main building. Go on. I was looking for doctor Ansteed. He is
ahead of a sanatorium. I thought I might find him at the cottage.
When I arrived, I saw the man they called Langford, lying in his
bed. The bandages were moved his face badly mid boost. His face is
usually covered with bandages. Yeah, yeah, I moved in clothes, and
then suddenly his nurse appeared from the next home. She screamed at me to
get out. Called one of the gods. Any repercussions over your visit?
No, no, no, The metal seems to have been dropped. He
probably figured you didn't recognize Emerson, so they let it ride. Who's his
doctor, Doctor Ansteed? You known him wrong since I joined the staff two
years ago. He is truly a great doctor. IM That is why I
failed to understand how it could be mixed up in an affairs such as this.
To the sanitarium. It's several hours, Tive, I have my car
brought state. Okay, let's get going. We'll figure out something on the
way. I hope. We rumble out of Munich heads south. Two hours
later, we're rolling along a narrow, winding road high in the mountains.
Doctor Linder finally comes up with a suggestion. Mitchell, I've been considering your
possibility. I might be able to get you into the gowns by way of
the back wall. I could possibly hide you in the clinic. Yeah,
if I could pass myself off as a villager with a livery complaint, no,
no, no, no, it's a truist. Perhaps, yeah,
but it would be too dangerous. Too many questions would be asked. Wait
a minute, they couldn't very well expect me to answer questions if I'd been
knocked out cold an accident? An accident, why not we stayed an accident
for the benefit of anyone who might be watching from the sanatorium. Yes,
yes, the gods of the gate they have an unobstructed view of the hole
leading to the main game. What would happen then, Well, called the
clinic a gate guard and I would ride to the scene with the ambulus.
Right now, all we need is an accident. But what kind uh ultimobile?
Yeah, my expense account won't stand for a car's crash. How about
a bicycle? Yes, of course. Can you get one of the villagers
to co operate with a gentle side swipe? Yeah, I'll bet help.
He's a farmer. His place is not far from san a toll um.
He has a truck. He would be eager to help us. Yeah,
you make sure he isn't too eager. I want this to look real,
but not fatal. It's early in the morning when I registered the village in
After breakfast, I sawed her up to my room, check our schedule again
and look over the map of the road mender it sketched for me. At
exactly ten minutes after one, I hop aboard my bike and ride out of
the village, making like a happy tourist. I tattled along the winding roadway
for another ten minutes, and then I spot a landmark. I'm looking for
a tree on my left, burned and blackened by as of lightning. I
round the bend and up ahead, maybe a quarter of a mile, I
spot the main gate of the sanatorium. At the same time I spot her
pose truck as a chief side of the side road comes bearing down on me
past. Yeah too fast. Suddenly I know something is wrong. Instead of
swerving and CHI coming straight for me, I dive walk the black ship of
the hunt higher hits to day. Steve Mitchell will continue. Has dangerous assignmtter
in just a moment. This is the time of year when every motorist must
revise is driving habits to conform to winter's rain, snow, and slippery highways.
The National Safety Council warns that winter driving conditions present more hazards than at
any other time of the year. So as winter comes to your section of
the country, change your driving habits to meet changing road conditions. Too many
times, when roads are wet and slippery, the posted speed limits are not
the safe speed limits. Remember, the safe speed for your driving is the
speed that matches road conditions. America's professional truck drivers, the men who drive
for a living, are taught that now more than ever, they must drive
ahead of themselves. By watching the changing road and traffic conditions on the highway
ahead, you can avoid accidents before they happen. When you see an accident
threaten on the road ahead, you will have time to keep it from happening.
So remember, drive as slowly as the road conditions demand. Drive as
if your life and the lives of your passengers depend upon it. They do.
Now back to dangerous assignment and Brian Dai Levey, Steve Mitch Mitchell.
Hell Mitchell, eh, are you I am helpful? Hey? The farmer
who ran me down with the truck? What's the big idea trying? I
was not the one who was driving the truck. That was my hired man,
Trekka. Trekka also does some gardening over the sanatorium. He must have
overheard doctor Minda and myself setting up the plans for this accident. He stole
my truck and tried to kill you, possibly hoping to get some kind of
reward from them. Brother, he almost turned it two when I realized the
truck was gone. I came here as fast as possible to warn you.
I was climbing up the vine when you came down the hard way. Oh,
this is just Dandy's workers, probably up at the sanatorium right now,
spelling the whole gag to them. Oh here, Mitchley, I saw him
climbing down here after the accident, perhaps to make sure you were dead.
I waited for him in the bushes. He's tied up at the bottom of
the and I will turn him over to the police. Nice work. Hey,
what's that the bell and the ambulance? See up there? He's winding
down the road from the sanatorium. After I took care of trek Can,
I telephoned the report of the accident as we had planned. Okay, you've
been very likewise. You can get lost now I'll take it from here.
I watched the ambulance winding down the narrow road. It's bell climbing, hot
and heavy either so I don't get there's no traffic around. Why make with
the bow? But it's soon. The ambulances poke to the staff on the
road. Above me, I see doctor Minder scrambling down the side of the
ravine and waddling along behind him is a fat guy who bulges out of an
alpine suit with short leather pants. I close my eyes and pretend to be
out. Yeah, here is doctor. She's still alive, Yeah, but
unconscious. You go ring down the statia. The driver comes down with a
stretcher. They loaded me aboard and led me up to the road. They
slide me into the hand. The accident gets in beside me. On the
way we go. Oh, they cannot hear us in the front seat.
We could hear anything of that bell playing. You have to do that,
it's not in my head a part. I I'm sorry, but there's lots
of fun works. Tomaran. That's the name of the bell. No,
no, no, no, the name of the man who's raining. Oh
that's that work. Yeah, you see, lots of tamarin. Is a
patient is a sanatorium. It's quite well. The only sense is I'm riding
with the Dibo whenever the ambulance goes out, so he can range on them.
He's no problem. The bell is a problem as far as I'm concerned.
I'm afraid that they had no choice. Mitching. You see, he
donated the ambulance to the sanatorium. A play almost at the gates, the
better become unconscious again. We drive into the grounds with Porky. The bellboy
is still hard at work. I'm taken to a small room at the rear
of the main building, which overlooks the cottages scattered around the grounds. I
keep my eyes closed as doctor Minder goes through the motions of making a further
examination. Nurse hours close by, Alan Sean Bok. You seem to be
studying the patient most carefully. I was just trying to remember, remember what
well I have seen this man before. You feel that you have It looks
familiar anyway, an American wouldn't you say, I don't know. Possibly yours
is doctor einstet On the couns. No, he went to Munich yesterday,
Munich. He left shortly after you did. He said he had business in
Munich. Oh, yes, I see, Well that will be all for
now. Will you please order the x Y at one start Mitchell. Yeah,
I almost swallowed my Adam's apple when that nurse started wondering where she'd seen
me before there? Could you have seen you search me? Maybe around the
village this morning, or maybe she's mistaken. I don't like it. You
don't like it. Another thing, this doctor instead, you think, is
mixed up in the deal. Yeah. Yeah, she said he had gone
to Munich shortly. I would he followed you? If so, he knows
who you are and why you are here. Well, we're in too deep
the back out now, but we better work fast. No, here's the
plan. Sit up in bed now. You see the cottage under those three
needs the back wall? Yeah, that's where they got Emerson. Yeah.
Yeah, we must wait until dinner time. Two hours. I will signal
you from outside is a papa time? And what the guarded the cottage leaves
for dinner? The special nurse Hermas I've tried to keep her occupied while you
sleeping into the college. If the patient is Emerson, the ambulance will be
waiting by the car. You have to make a run for the right right.
Well, oh, oh, splendid I see our patient has recovered consciousness,
but he is still weak and needs I asked you play pinocle. It's
like one decent pinocle player and the player as you see, and I must
give a patient an injection. So and now I must ask you to leave.
But of course, well until later. Sound our first pineapple game.
That's most unfortunate. I wish to make it appear that you were still unconsciousness.
What was that? Because Parmean's version of a yodel? He thinks it
quite amusing to make that sound whenever one of the more attractive nurses passes by.
He is even now very probably in pursuit of an alpine wolf. Was
so good? Look, how am I supposed to slip over to that carriage?
When you slip with the making with a needle injection? Was not a
satitude vitamin B good for the nerves. Minder leaves and I settle back to
wait for his signal, and minutes dragged by. Finally it starts getting dark.
I stare out the window, but there's no sign of Mender. I
begin to get an uneasy feeling something has gone wrong. Finally I decide I
can't wait any longer. I ease out the window and work my way through
the shrubery to the cottage where they've done Emerson. I take a quick look
in the window. The patient's on the bed with his face bandage, but
there's no sign of a guard. This is my big chance. I go
inside and over to his bed, Emerson, Emerson. He doesn't answer.
I start to shake his arm, but it falls off the bed limply.
I jerk the bandages off his face. It's not Emerson. It's doctor Minder
and he's dead. Well, doctor men there dead, Look nurse him.
Shut up. I didn't kill him. Look you're a friend of his.
Eh good, so am. I promise me not to yell, and I'll
take my hand off. Okay, I'll make it fast. I'm Steve Mitchell,
US government agent. Doctor Mendho was helping me get to an American newspaper
correspondent named Emerson, who was being held here and there sedatives until there's cuts
and bruises healed. Then they were going to take him back across the check
border to face the phony spy charge. I saw them, Oh, his
special nurse and the god they kept here. They drove off in the Namerdan's
just a few minutes ago, with Emerson probably in the back, and the
one. They're heading north for the check border right now. If I can
only get a car, doctor Minder's car. He had offered to let me
borrow it. I noticed him approaching the cottage a while back, so I
came here to tell him I was leaving. You're all right, let's go.
It's if the cottage to member's car and wore away. We head north
towards the border. The minutes dragged by. Do you think we're gaining any
on? Hey? Up ahead the ambulance and then that phone, both beside
the end the nurse. She's probably calling a head to let them know they're
coming. Pull up. We stopped beside a clump of trees. I tell
the nurse to wait for me down the road a mile or so. She
pulls away, and I walked to the ambulance. The guard that's sitting in
the front seat alone. The nurse is still in the phone both time,
almost to the door before he spots me. He reaches for a gun,
but I nail a street. He slumps over the wheel. I drag him
out, jump inside and take off fast. A small frosted glass panel back
of the driver's seat. I can make out a figure on the stretcher on
one side. I pulled her a stop around the first bend in the road.
I get out and go out of the back. I open the rear
door. Hello Mitchell, Well, coummern to be sure, don't try anything?
Well, well, the fat boy himself. So you've been running the
deal? Huh? I take it that's Emerson on the stretcher quite right.
How'd you get doctor and Stead to help you? He knew he had relatives
across the border. The threat of prices was very effective. I see,
well, what happens now? You will drive us to the border, and
if you try anything, Emmerson will be shot immediately. All right, get
back into the amulance. I walk to the front and get in. I'm
pretty sure Cameron won't shoot Emerson. He wants him alive. But I gotta
figure out a plan fast. I can make our palmer and to frosted glass
panel behind me. Then I get an idea. Suddenly I throw open the
door and duck. It works. He thinks I'm going outside. I can
hear him scramble toward the rear door. As soon as he opens it,
I step on the gas. I look out the back window. Palmer and
his sprawl face down on the road, out cold. Emerson, Emerson,
you're okay. Let me get some of this talking about why Steve Mitchell,
government agent. You're going home. He's out cold. I sort of drove
the ambulance out from under him. We're leaving here in your place, and
you know it's just as well. I've got a hunch when they find out
he goofed up the deal, he's gonna need an ambulance. Our star Brian
don Levy will return in just a moment. One of the most important functions
of a radio network is the quick dissemination of news. Here on the NBC
Radio Network, you can depend upon expert news reporters to bring you all the
important news whenever and wherever it happens. A schoolteacher in Michigan, in a
recent letter, says it better than we can quote. I want to thank
NBC for its complete coverage of both the national political conventions and for your accurate
and timely reporting of the national election. I'm particularly grateful to read that NBC
will be on hand to broadcast the inauguration of our new president in January.
For when I add this broadcast to the others I already have recorded on my
Webster electric echo tape recorder, I'll have a complete history of the nineteen fifty
two political campaign. Again, I want to thank you and praise you for
your wonderful news coverage, and we thank you, Miss Miller. Here at
NBC, we scribe to bring you the finest reporting of the latest news.
So remember the NBC Radio Network is your headquarters for top news coverage. Next
week, Sweden a nursery rhyme that almost turns out to be my epitaph,
and that will be Steve Mitchell's Dangerous Assignment next week. Included in tonight's cast
where Byron Kine, Paul Freeze, Tony Barrett, Jack Crushan, and Jemmie
Tatum. This is John Storm Speaking. Dangerous Assignment, starring Brian dan Levy
in the role of Steve Mitchell, with her Butterfield as the commissioner. Is
written by Bob Bright and Adrian John Doe and is directed by Phil Carr.
Be with us again next week at this same time, when Brian dan Levy
is starring in the role of Steve Mitchell will embark on another transcribed dangerous assignment.
This is NBC, the National Broadcasting Company, Welcome back. We see
a continued pattern with Robert Riiche's writing. I noted in a previous episode how
he had a villainous traveling button salesman in Dangerous Assignment, and then in the
Jony Dollar five parter he wrote the villain was a zipper salesman, and in
today's episode, the villain is someone who acts like a fool and loves playing
pinnacle. In the same Johony Dollar serial, the villain acted like a fool
who claimed to like playing cribbage. Apparently, Robert rye composite most evil villain
was a card playing salesman. I will say this for our villain. I
don't ever anticipate having the money to find a private sanitarium, but I think
if I did, I too would want to ride around in the ambulance and
ring the bell. The mid show PSA was interesting and kind of ties into
our conversation about home recording on Monday, I think we listened to a similar
listener from the same person, or maybe it was someone else with a thank
you for just the national conventions. I can only hope that the recording survives
and was passed on to someone who would appreciate it. It's certainly an interesting
historical artifact for our purposes. I think it occurred to people far less to
record radio dramas than it did news events or even music, which I think
make up the majority of the home recordings that I've heard of off of radio,
and of course more likely than that they were for just family home recordings
and that sort of thing. What that all says about society in the post
war era or society today, I guess is something for debate. Well,
now we turn to listener comments and feedback, and Richard writes in on YouTube
regarding the Guy Fawk Special, very interesting comparison. Well, thank you so
much, Richard. Now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead and thank Chuck. Chuck has been one
of our Patreon supporters since September twenty twenty two, currently supporting the program at
the Detective Sergeant level of seven dollars and fourteen cents or more per month.
Thank you so much for your support, Chuck, and that will do it
for today. If you're enjoying the podcast, please follow us using your favorite
podcast software. If you're listening on on YouTube, be sure to lock the
video, subscribe to the channel, and marked the notification bell. All those
great things that helped the channel to grow. We will be back next Wednesday
with another episode of Dangerous Assignment, But join us back here tomorrow for Mister
Chameleon, where it's Missus McLachlan the housekeeper. Here. She says that Martha
Phillips was working on her memoirs that the Williams Publishing Company had already contracted to
publish them. Miss Phillips was writing the story of her life. Uh huh.
And the last time Missus McLachlan saw her, about eight o'clock in the
evening, Miss Phillips was sitting at her desk here writing, mister Dalton,
did you know about these memoirs? Well, no, mister comedian, that
is, Miss Phillips said she was going to write them, but I didn't
know she'd started them. You didn't know that she'd started. You who were
so close to her, yet the housekeeper knew. How is that, mister
Dalton? Were you calling him a liar again? No, no, miss
d I'm simply asking him a question, and I intend to keep right on
asking a great many more questions. I hope you'll be with us then.
In the meantime, do send your comments to Box thirteen at Greatdetectives dot net,
follow us on Twitter at Radio Detectives, and check us out on Instagram,
Instagram, dot com slash Great Detectives From Boise, Idaho. This is
your host, Adam Graham signing off.