Speaker 1: Welcome to the Great Adventurers of Old Time Radio from Boise, Idaho.
This is your host, Adam Graham. In a moment, we
are going to bring you this week's episode of Cloak
and Dagger. But first I do want to encourage you,
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From August sixth, nineteen fifty here is recommendation from Rummel.
Speaker 2: You willing to undertake a dangerous mission behind the enemy lines,
knowing you may never return alive.
Speaker 3: What you have just heard is the question asked during
the war to agents of the OSS. Ordinary citizens to
this question answered yes, This is Clock and Dagger. Black warfare, espionage,
international intrigue. These are the weapons of the OSS. Today's
story recommendation from Rummel about an American OSS agent in
Italy who almost outsmarted himself, is suggested by actual incidents
recorded in the Washington fire of the Office of Strategic Services,
a story that can now be told.
Speaker 4: Hey, come back here. You can't leave me here. I
demand to see someone in the thirty Let me out
of here.
Speaker 3: Brother. That was some spot to be in me. Joe
Donado in a jail seller, Milan, Italy. It was crazy. Well,
after a while, I got tired of yelling. So I
sat down on a narrow prison cot and thought back
to the way it had begun. On a train from
Verasi to Milan. The French Underground had smuggled me from
Leon across Switzerland, and I made my way over the border.
There on, I was on my own, posing as an
Italian chalk salesman. So I sat back in my compartment,
lit a European cigarette and blue smoke rings over my
head to the rack where my shortwave radio was hidden
in one of the suitcases. All of a sudden, the
train gave a lunch. One of my suitcases took a
flying dive to the floor. There was a suitcase with
a pen knife scar across the leather handle, the one
with the radio. I was glad I was long in
that compartment. I couldn't wait to find out if that
radio was all right. You see, the case was lined
with a false backy of boxes of chocolates to hide
the radio. I unfastened the backing and there was the radio.
It was okay, nothing was broken. And then before I
could refasten the backing, I heard voices outside the compartment door.
I didn't have time to refasten the backing. I had
just enough time to slam the case shut again, slide
it back up in the rack, and get back in
my seat. Major, What is this? I was under the
impression of this compartment was reserved from me alone. There
must be some mistake, Field Marshal. There was a mistake,
all right, my mistake in tacking the one compartment on
the train that have been chosen for Field Marshal Ramo,
what is the meaning of this? I do not know,
and you are a measure. There has been a mistake.
Speaker 5: I have a mistake.
Speaker 3: Do not tell me of mistakes. This is your stupidity.
You had your orders. No, no, I instructed the train. God,
I will not have this disturbance, you understand, Yes, excellency,
I am sorry if I have been the cause of
this I assure you it was quite unintentional. I will
take my suitcases and may immediately. I'll see if it
is best you live. I will find you another comput
Oh wait, it is unnecessary, conductor, gentlemen's already here. There's
room for both of us, we Germans and Italians must share,
Is it not so? I perhaps say you would prefer
your privacy. There's nothing for me to move on. I
will not hear of it. See where you are?
Speaker 5: Actually I would welcome company. I did test train rides.
Better arrange the table for me in the dining consci agency.
Speaker 3: You're a stupid Next attention to such a fuss over nothing?
Tell me your name? Oh my name is Donato. You
said donat to your excellency. Where you're headed for? S Donato? Oh,
I am getting off at Milano. See well, we should
have time to get acquainted. It is time to get
a quite ed. Great what are we going to talk about?
Maybe I could get the conversation started by saying Hairfield
Marshall Ramo, it might interest you to know that I
am an OSS spy. I am an Italia radio back
information on your northern supply concentrations. You say you are
a chocolate salesman. See, my office is in Verona. Here
is my card, but I'm not in the market for chocolate.
You may put the car back. Oh it here you
drop this. Your medical classification in the Fascisty army, you gratchy.
That was a great disappointment to me, your excellency, But
you see, an old back injury kept me out of
the army.
Speaker 5: You must not blame yourself or something you cannot help.
Speaker 3: Still, it is a great disappointment. Yes, I understand, your excellency.
Speaker 5: Yes, Major your table in the dining room, you say, aha,
look it.
Speaker 3: I will return soon, or we will continue our conversation.
We had taught ten minutes and I aged ten years.
I wondered if I should change compartments before he came back. No, no, no,
that might seem suspicious. I looked out of the window.
The green rolling hills of citrus and otive trees didn't
tell me anything. I just crossed my fingers and hoped
we were coming in them a lot soon. You do
not see what do you want with me? I do
not want anything with you. Field Marshall wants to see you,
and you'd better be quick about it. Oh see, no, no,
leave your suitcases. Just come with me quickly. You wanted
to see me, your excellency.
Speaker 5: Yes, sit down there opposite me. Oh gratch, gratch, I
thought about you after I left the compartment, Senor the
lot or see see.
Speaker 3: Would you care to join me for coffee? Senor? It
would be my pleasure.
Speaker 5: Coffee with Piel Marshal Ramel. When I tell the game
back home about this, I thought.
Speaker 3: There was a am across the aisle, a dab a
little guy with a waxed mustache. I and Ramel nodded
to each other, and then a dab a little old
guy kept watching me, watching me.
Speaker 5: Yeah, I never can get used to this Italian coffee
with all its chickory.
Speaker 3: Don't suppose I ever will. I would naturally have a
fondness for it. I have had it all my life.
Speaker 5: Well, was your home originally uh in Urbino, the birthplace
of Raffia.
Speaker 3: My family is still living there. Would you like to
see some snapshots, your excellency, Yes, very much, and they
are right here in my wallet. I hear you see
that little farm in the valley. It is here, you
see this is a huge sorry as the pretty child wish. Oh,
my sister franchise, gay, she looks very much like you. Yea,
it was interesting, Rama thought. The kid in the picture
of these snapshots had been made by OSS photographers, and
an early picture of me had been super imposed over
the very attractive family group. You know, I've taken quite
a fancy to you. Oh tell me, Uh these chocolates yourself?
Are they any good? Oh? See that very good? Not? No?
Speaker 6: No, no, no, well surely well one two of them
would not be mister. Is it all right with you
if I sent my adjutant to get one of the suitcases? Yes,
we Germans and Italians must share.
Speaker 3: No, No, it's perfectly all right. Only I will get
them myself.
Speaker 5: No, I wanted the don't need major go to the compartment,
bring one of the No, no, it is foolish to
send him.
Speaker 3: I can easily go myself. No, no, how insist.
Speaker 5: We would have so little time for talking before the
train stops at Milando.
Speaker 3: I had no choice. I had to sit there and
sweat it out, just pray that the adjutant brought back
the right case. I felt as if there were a
band of steel around my head that kept getting tighter
and tighter. What is it, my friend? Are you not
feeling well? Oh, it is very hot in here, is
it not?
Speaker 5: Yes, it is unfortunately. Yes, Perhaps I should quot the
conductor and have it. Oh yeah, the Major returns with
your samper case. The first thing I looked at when
the Major put the case in my lap was the handle.
There was a long scar in the letter. It was
the one with the radio. You know I've always had
a fondness for chocolates. Well, come open it. Well the
catch it. It seems to be stuck.
Speaker 3: Surely you can fix it. Oh see, see, of course
that is a I will try. Dear to me, what
what I have? An excellently depend Now, perhaps I can
adjust the lot? No, no, no, no, no, I I
will get it in the moment, I'm sure I Oh, Milano,
that is my stop, Your excellency so soon? What a pity? Well,
if if you wish, I will stay until the next station.
All this for you take a buzz ball O. No, no, no,
I would not think of it. It is too kind
of you to suggest it.
Speaker 5: We must say. I'll be the same Lefield Marshall Rommel.
It has been a great honor. I hurried back to
the compartment to get my coat, and hat, and then
on an impulse, I grabbed the other case of the
wreck and as the train stopped, I turned and ran
back toward the dining room.
Speaker 3: Then you, then you, I know, I know I'm getting
off in a minute.
Speaker 7: No momento, Yeah Hill Marshall, senor do not do I
did not expect to see you, fair, your excellency, if
you will permit me a hideous this case of chocolate,
oh for your you see, luck works now.
Speaker 3: Than gluts it multi grots you. If I passed through Milano,
I would look you up. I don't know where I'd
be staying, Sir. It is not difficult for the police
to find the man.
Speaker 5: I'll be the same, And with this pleasant thought, I
left him glad.
Speaker 3: To get off that train. You don't need oss training
to tell you when someone's following you. It's an instinctive
feeling you get. I started to walk a little faster,
and the footsteps behind me quickly too. I passed a
small coffee shop, and through the reflection in the window,
I could see coming after me the man in the
dining car who had never taking his eyes off me,
the dapple little guy with a mustache. He and Ramel
had nodded to each other. Was it a signal? Did
Ramel just trying to string me along? He broke into
Iran Signor. I didn't tend to stop until I got
Then maybe I could use some.
Speaker 2: Of the crowd. I said, wait, wait to stop him
with somebody?
Speaker 3: God, what are you doing? Open that gate? I am sorry, Senor,
this gate is closed, and now use the south day
But I am sorry, this gate is closed, Senor. I've
had such trouble catching Hapo with you. Who are you?
Allow me?
Speaker 2: Allow me to introduce myself. I am at the Count
Pietro imperially.
Speaker 3: What do you want with me?
Speaker 2: Well, I noticed you were having coffee on the train
with Phield Marshall or Rammel himself. I'm a great admirer
of the Marshall, and I have a nodding acquaintance with him.
Speaker 3: Or say, what has that to do with me?
Speaker 2: Well, I have to know, Signor that Roma does not
make friends easily. And so when I saw you two together,
I I mean, ko, would you do me the extreme
honor of joining me at my palace for dinner this evening?
It would be a great pleasure to entertain a good
friend of Romans.
Speaker 3: As the long black limousine drove up to the palace.
I felt like a visitor of the Middle Ages. The
gray stone steps were hallowed age this way signor. The
lower windows were blazing with life and till told you
set in brackets like the doors. Quiet, quiet, quiet. The
flaws are made of color a marble. On the walls
hung ancient tapestries with scenes in the Old Testament. I
walked through past a line of servants. My mouth was
open at all this grandeur, and I walked right into
a sud of Mama, excuse me, goma, mico, mio, dinner
is waiting. Ah, that was a delicious dinner. Gratchy cant
imperially molt. I'm delighted you enjoyed it.
Speaker 2: Now we will sit here in the library and talk
of ramel siicatto.
Speaker 3: Gratch You no tell me what was he like? What
did he say?
Speaker 2: Oh?
Speaker 3: We merely exchanged pleasantries, Great leader, great chief. Once when
he was in mid and he kept looking. He was lively.
He was I want to set up my basket games. However,
while this was being introduced to Alan and a while away,
what was that little brandy? Oh, no, no brand, what
is it? Bobo?
Speaker 8: What's the matter, Good evening, Count Pale, They told me
you were here.
Speaker 3: You see Bobo, it is only Antonio.
Speaker 2: Gum my, dear, I would I would like you to
meet a friend, see Senior Giuseppe Donato, great friend of Rammers.
Speaker 8: I am impressed. The pleasure is mine.
Speaker 3: Gave Bill a quest. My secretary is very pretty.
Speaker 8: Your lordship, there is a call on your private phone
in a small library.
Speaker 2: Oh see, I will return. It will give you two
a chance to get acquired.
Speaker 3: Riet Bobo, eh multe bella signorina. You are very pretty.
Counting pettyally was right?
Speaker 8: Did you find yourself faced into that compliments in your
own No?
Speaker 3: No, no, not at all. We Italians are proud of
our beautiful women, and it is impossible not to notice
how well you represent them.
Speaker 8: Where do you live in Milano?
Speaker 5: No?
Speaker 3: No, no, I'm here on business.
Speaker 8: Where are you staying?
Speaker 3: Oh? I only arrived today. I've made no plans yet.
Speaker 8: You are the count secretary, his personal secretary. Since the
Countess passed on, I attend to all arrangements for his
banquets and receptions, as well as his personal correspondence. Oh oh,
I see he is on grand signor. I am very
fond of him. I remember how disappointed he was when
Field Marshall Romel failed to attend a reception he planned
for him.
Speaker 3: Why I know he told me that he is.
Speaker 8: A great admirer of Ramel. So am I tell me
about him?
Speaker 3: Signor?
Speaker 8: Does he intend to come to Milano soon? Perhaps we
can plan something else in his honor.
Speaker 3: I don't know his intentions.
Speaker 8: Perhaps he is returning to Africa immediately.
Speaker 3: I don't know that either. Here, well, I.
Speaker 2: See you two have become acquainted, eh Martabne your lordship.
Speaker 8: Since the Signor is staying in Milano, shall I give
him the name of a good hotel.
Speaker 2: Hotel with forty rooms here, most of them empathy, I
should say not. You will stay here at me comello
as long as you want.
Speaker 3: GRATCHI molta gentile. I'm very grateful. They gave me a
sweet to myself, with a tremendous canopy dead and a
sculptured rug on the floor. Through the casement window I
could see the Piazza Sundial, the narrow streets of Milan,
and off in the distance the Church of Santa Maria
del Grazia. Who was going to look for an American
spy and I set up like that. Who was my order?
Every night? I patted the radio on the suitcase and
hoped i'd have a message to send back soon. A
few days later, counting Piiali asked me to walk to
his office with him.
Speaker 2: Ah, this Italian summer makes me feel ten years younger.
You know, if I were twenty years younger, I would
be more tended to that dock E had secretary of mine.
Speaker 3: I don't blame you. She seems to have taken an
interest in you. Oh that's all she is.
Speaker 2: See, she's a keep on to ask questions about you.
Speaker 3: See you still have not told me why you want
to see me at your office.
Speaker 2: I refuse to speak business at the home, never do.
Speaker 3: And your business I don't know that either. You will
soon enough come.
Speaker 2: My office is in the municipal building across the square.
Speaker 3: I followed him across the square, over the fen and cobblestones.
Everywhere around me were black shirted for shisty. I wondered
if my good luck so far had made me too
sure of myself. I followed him up the stairs the
municipal building, down the narrow corridor, and we started the
door third from the end, and then I know what
his business was. Superintendent of police, brego, I beg of you,
please go in, count Imperiality. I don't understand. Now you
know my business.
Speaker 2: I am superintendent of police, often an unpleasant occupation. Come in,
I said, come in.
Speaker 3: That's right.
Speaker 2: I wanted to see you here because it's necessary for
us to have a little talk about you and the police.
Speaker 3: What have I to do with the police. How would
you like to work for me? Come? Come, come, don't
look so startled work for you as a member of
the police.
Speaker 2: But of course, perhaps this communication from a Rama will
explain gratch. As you can see, it's a request from
him for me to locate you in Milano and offer
you this position. He's obviously very fond of you, great
Chief Rommel, and he knows how badly you feel about
your medical classification in the army.
Speaker 3: Ah.
Speaker 2: I don't know what to say, just to say you accept. Ordinarily,
of course I would have to make extensive research into
your background before offering you this position. But the personal
recommendation from Ramel hardly makes that necessary. But what do
you say, amico mio? What do you think I said?
Speaker 3: I said yes in a hurry, and when I left
the office later, I had a badge in everything. Ever
since I bought the train of Verace, I had one
bad scare after another, but so far nothing had happened.
I was beginning to feel I had a charmed life
until I got back to my suite at the palace. Antonia, Ah,
what are you doing with that suitcase?
Speaker 8: These are excellent chocolates? Will you have one?
Speaker 3: What right have you in here?
Speaker 8: I was curious about you. I found out I had
reason to be curious. I'd like you to meet two friends,
Jacamo and Mario.
Speaker 3: For the first time I saw them, two men standing
half hidden the shadows of the big room. And now
the chair before Antonya was my suitcase. She turned it
around so I could see the inside. The backing was off,
the radio was gone. Who are these men? What is this?
Do not be afraid. I don't know what's right. When
she said we were thrain but.
Speaker 8: This was a foolhardy place to leave your radio, Americano,
I found a better hiding place in the wall, safe
of an unused room in the palace. It is all right,
sing your donato. We are partisans, members of the underground.
Speaker 3: You you just stand there and tell me this. Why not?
The American radio has given us proof who you are,
no doctor, you want a proof of who we are? Escort,
I'm listening. We will tell you all that you came
here to find out. All you have to do is
to ask and we will answer. We will answer even
before you ask.
Speaker 8: The Nazis are using northern Italy as a supply base
for the Africa Core. In fact, Ramo is expecting air
reinforcements to leave here at the end of the week.
Speaker 3: How many plans? Seventy five bombers? Where are they in
a field that caravet You're ten miles west? You wanted
my police there was an altitude bomb there? Did you
find it?
Speaker 8: Is this what you mean?
Speaker 3: Yes? Is there anyone in the underground who can duplicate it?
The professor of chemistry in the University of Milando is
a train. What you see, if you remove the pin
from these bombs and plant them in an airplane, they'll
explode automatically when the ship gains altitude. We will let
you know when you can see the fireworks. Oh oh,
and another bit of information. See it might interest you
to know that you have been talking to a member
of the FASCISTI secret police.
Speaker 2: Anthonia, you look more lovely than ever this evening, my lord,
and you and Miko, where are you going before it drive?
Speaker 3: Sir?
Speaker 2: How wonderful it must be to be young again, especially
in the summer.
Speaker 3: Well, go and enjoy yourselves. Oh we will, We are
sure we will.
Speaker 8: It is fortunate the Count and not invite himself a.
Speaker 3: Long You're sure we can see everything from this hilltop,
very sure.
Speaker 8: When the planes take off from Carabicho after midnight, we
will see them.
Speaker 3: It's cool up here on this hill.
Speaker 8: Not cool enough to offer you an excuse to put
your arm around me.
Speaker 3: Oh you remember what the Count said. We are young.
It is summer in your business, business, Scott, listen the plans.
They are taking off any minute now, any minute. What
if something happened.
Speaker 8: But if they weren't able to plant those bombs?
Speaker 1: What if?
Speaker 3: What if?
Speaker 9: He Although this seems a poor way to repay Ramel
for his hospitality, Rammel didn't get his seventy five of
Obamas no sky protection, and that played a part when
he was thrown back from l A La Main a
short month later.
Speaker 3: The OSAs continue to get total information or then Italy
supply concentrations, troop movements, and underground activities. Each time police
triangulation detected my radio antenna, I, as a member of
the secret Police, would lead a raid. Having first as
a member of the underground moved into another spot. And
then one day the Americans took over Milan. I walked
into G two headquarters to give them a personal work.
What do you mean just walking into my office like this? Sergeant?
Who is this? I'm sorry, Major, I couldn't stop them.
Where the black shirt he's wearing? Whoever he is, I
don't like him. Now. Wait, man, wait a minute. You
boys got me wrong. When I came to tell your name, Donado, Lieutenant,
just me, Joe Donato. Look, you don't understand I'm a
member of the OSS. Yeah, sure, he's a member. Look, Mac,
that's enough, Sergeant Donato. According to our list, you're a
high ranking member of the Fascisti Police. Thanks for giving
yourself up. I'm not giving myself up. That's what you think, Mac,
I tell you I'm a member of the US. They
have your full record. Donato in his own report Theisty
headquarters count Imperial I thought very highly. I don't care
what he thought. The files we found a personal recommendation
from Ramel about you, a personal recommendation from raml and
you expect us to believe you're a member of the OSS.
Speaker 10: But you you hate came always Sergeant bro I'm in jail.
You can't do this way, all right? To my congressman, Hey,
come back, I demand to see someone the thirty.
Speaker 4: Let me out of here.
Speaker 3: I stand on my constitutional rights. Let me out of here.
A week later, OSS in London sent verification on Lieutenant
Joseph Donato, and an embarrassed g two Headquarters released him
from jail. Thus, once again, the report of another agent
closed with the words mission accomplished. Listen again next week
for another true adventure from the files of Oss on
Folk and Dagger.
Speaker 11: Heard in today's Cloakndagger adventurer as Joe As, Ralph Bell, Rammel,
Barry Kroger, the Count Arnold Moss, Antonia Jan Minor, the
Colonel Raymond.
Speaker 3: Edward Johnson.
Speaker 11: Others were Boris Aplin, Jerry Jarrett and Carl Weber. The
script was written by Winnifred Wolf and Jack Gordon. Music
was under the direction of John Guart. Today's true OSS
Adventure was based on the book Cloakandagger by Cory Ford
and Alistair McMain. This program is directed by Lewis G.
Cohn and Alfred Hollander, under the direction and supervision of
Sherman Marx.
Speaker 3: Programs.
Speaker 11: Get Your Programs Here, Action and ADVENTURER Yours Tonight one
thousand Dollar We Want offers the mystery for you to
solve at home for a three thousand dollars cash prize
bought by the Corps.
Speaker 3: Said Ouch.
Speaker 11: Tonight's case on the Saints, and then Sam Spade solves
another exciting caper searching for the bell King Solomon used
to call his wives. That's tonight on NBC. No, I'll
stay tuned for High Adventure and The Big Guy on NBC.
Speaker 3: Welcome Back.
Speaker 1: A few weeks back, someone said you couldn't really do
a lot of episode of this series. Well, the writers
proved them wrong because this was great. Our hero was like,
I thought I'd lived a charmed life, and then it
turned out it was the Partisans who found his radio,
and so it was like, yeah, you really didn't have
a charmed life. But then the final twist did show
him finally get into trouble, and that made me laugh.
He needed some misadventure to balance that out and definitely
got it. And this was all because of a friendly
encounter with Ramo and him taking the time to get
him the chocolates. It's such a great story and somewhat
of an uncharacteristic role for Bell, and particularly here where
he gets to play the protagonists where we tend to
hear him a lot in character roles. So good stuff. Well,
listener comments and feedback now, and we have a comment
on Spotify regarding the secret Box from Mechanics sixty six.
Why did he keep saving Sabby? Did he think they
spoke spanished? These guys surely were not Seal Team candidates.
I would guess that what they were saying or trying
to say is do you save save? Which could be
a term used in certain West Indian islands, which means
do you understand what was said? That was the way
I took that particular phrase. Now, I will admit that
some of the OSS agents are not up to the
standards of our modern intelligence operatives and what we expect
from them based on popular culture and also what we
have read in books that are about their true operations.
But that's one of the appeals of the OSS while
these people did have specialized training, they came from civilian backgrounds,
and there's a bit of an everyman nature about the
way that the organization worked during the war and the
way individual operatives handled themselves in this situation where you
did not have things as well established as they are today.
And then we have a comment on YouTube from Sasoff
on the episode The Trap, Raymond Edward Johnson, Ralph Bell,
and Everett Sloan all in one episode together, three of
the greatest old time radio talents, all in one place. Well,
thanks so much, say Sov. And I emphasized that over
the last couple of weeks you had some more prominent
stars on the program, but that is not to in
any way disrespect the great cast of actors who they
had coming back to the series week after week. Because
these performers were the backbone of the New York radio industry.
They were in so many programs and were so versatile
and talented, and in some ways, I do think they
may be more appreciated by the old time radio fandom
that we have today than they were in the modern audiences,
because we're able to consume so much more of it
and in such a volume and be able to spot, hey,
Ralph Bell is doing so much work and really and
can play all these great characters. And those who did
survive into the seventies and eighties at least got to
hear a lot of that and realize how much their
work was remembered and appreciated, and certainly Ralph Bell was
on that list, particularly as he got to work a
lot in the CBS Radio Mystery Theater as well. All right, well,
now it's time to thank our Patreon supporter of the day,
and I want to go ahead and think Denise, Patreon
supporter since March twenty twenty five, currently supporting the podcast
at the secret Agent level of four dollars or more
per month. Thanks so much for your support, Denise, and
that will do it for today. If you're enjoying the podcast,
please follow us using your favorite podcast software, and if
you're only listening to The Great Detectives subscribe to The
Great Adventurers. To here our Tuesday podcast, which will feature
the interplanetary adventures of Flash Gordon, and of course we
will be back next Saturday with another episode of Cloak
and Dagger. In the meantime, send your comments to Box
thirteen at Great detectives dot net from Boise, Idaho. This
is your host, Adam Graham signing off.