IWCF 42 A Study in Oils

I was a Communist for the FBI, starring Dana Andrews and an exciting tale of danger and espionage. I was a Communist for the FBI from the actual records and authentic experience of the Matsavedics on many of the incidents. In this unusual story. Here is our. Star, Dana Andrews, that Matsavetic two for nine fantastic years lived as a Communist for the FBI. Iron curtain, even a self imposed iron curtain. And it's particularly distressing because we who have stepped behind that curtain can still see through it. We know the way you were living natural nor more happy lives. We know too the way you look down on us, despising us as traitors. But though we understand, it hurts because everyone has a craving for love, for admiration, essentials of living that are denied to the unknown communist for the FBI. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as math Semitics undercover man. No. Here is Dana Andrews as math Semitics under. This story from the confidential file is marked. I study in oils. As I work into commtt Horsting's house, I know again that feeling of apprehension that accompanies every special party summons. As always, I wonder why I've been called? Have they seen me making a contact with the FBI, or have they finally been able to fix the failure of some party project on me. It hasn't happened so far, but it can at any time, and the worry is always there. Then, in Commrade Horsting's living room, I learned that they haven't caught me yet. You have been chosen to perform a very important mission, comrades, mission which has already met with several reverses. And what makes you think I can swing it? And what I think has no bearing on the case. The assignment came from party headquarters. What is it? You are to affect a friendly acquaintance with a mister and missus world Wheeler. Where do I meet? I'm a New York bound limited which passes through here at eight o'clock to night. How'll I know them? I have pictures on him, newspaper pictures taken when the Wheelers overnight were catapulted from poverty to tremendous wealth. Oil five wells so far flowing thirty seven thousand barrels a day and according to my reports, this is only the beginning, and the party wants some of this oil money. Naturally, Oh, I see, your job is simply to affect a friendly meeting with them, a meeting which can be exploited after you arrive in New York. I leave at eight o'clock to night right the Wheelers. According to the report giving me will be in drawing room D Car seven oh one eighth. After leaving Comrade Hosting to go home and pack for my trip to New York, I stepped into a phone booth and call the FBI. I report to the agent in charge and ask for instructions, but he can't give me any until we know more about the project. Instead, he tells me to contact the bureau office in New York as soon as I learned something definite. I've only been in my room a few minutes packing for my trip when events began to catch up with them. You'll take your time, Comrade Swetic, I wasn't expecting you, Comrade Hosting, come in. Has my trip to New York been canceled? No, In fact, your responsibilities have increased. I just received this package, which you are to deliver to Comrade crowd at part the headquarters. What is it? I wasn't told Comrade Sweatic, and I didn't ask. I just wondered a large black package like that. If Comrade Crowd thinks you should know, he'll kill you after you deliver the package. Now finish your packing. We'll have dinner together, and then i'll drive you to the station. I'm curious to know what's in the package Comrade Horston has given me, but I can't look at it while he's around, and he doesn't leave me alone for a second. During dinner, he gives me his newspaper pictures of the wheelers, and I memorize them. After dinner, he drives me to the station, where I pick up a copy of Petroleum News, the trade paper of the oil industry, before a boarding my train. The first thing I do after the train leaves the station is to open the package I'm to deliver to Comrade Crowd at party headquarters, and I'm not prepared for what I see. It's an oil painting of a boy dressed in the period known as the Renaissance, and it's signed and Rerandt. Communists and Rembrandt don't go together, naturally, so I decided to phone from the first schedule stop to ask the FBI to inspect the painting at ben Central Station in New York. Then I take my petroleum news and walk toward the club car. Well, A man I recognize as the man in my newspaper pictures, Wolf Wheeler, is staring out the window. I sat down beside him and began reading my oil industry paper. It's bake well cast, and Wheeler opens the conversation. You and oil business mystery. Oh no, not really. I'd just like to read about it and hope that the leases I hold on government land may be worth something. Someday it could happen, sure, but not to me. It happened to me, mister. They're joking, not a smidgeon, mister. I was stuck with two hundred and fifty of the most worthless no account acres a man ever broke a plowpoint on. That's where they struck the oil. Yes, sir, imagine that. What's your name? Wheeler? Wo Wheeler? I think I read something about you on this magazine a month or so back. You might have. You sure had a flock of people after us, taking pictures and writing articles, trying to sell us things. You never even heard of ill that I didn't catch your name. Oh that's Smith, Mad Smith. Oh glad to know you, mister Smith. Well, I'm certainly glad to know you, mister Waller. You just call me walk. Thanks. Well, you know I haven't dared say that to anybody since we struck the darned oil. Found too many people ready to take advantage. There are those people, yes, sir, and men, and me met most of them. Men's my wife. I like to meet her. I would like to have him either. Right now, she's back in the drawing room primping. It does. Like a woman, she's entitled to it. If man wants to spend the rest of her life primp when, it's all right with me. He's had it tough enough before. Things were pretty bad before he stuck the oiler. It couldn't have been much worse. And I suppose that's why the communists tried to move in on us. So what was that about communists? Well, as soon as we struck oil, we was approached to join the Communist party. Well can you imagine me having anything to do with a red an oil millionaire like you? No, I can't all a millionaire, be darned even when we was poor. I was an American. I never believed that there was any place in America for red communism. I'm glad to hear you say that was I hate them too well me and ought to be through with their fiction. Buy Now let's go back and see it. Well, I'll be glad to As we leave this next stop, I have to get off the train and make a call in New York. Must be pretty important business. If you can wait till you get there, it is important. Well, i'll wait here. You get back on the train, then we'll go see me. Well, they're switching infants. I get off the train and call the FB high in New York and arranged to have an agent meet me at the in Central station and check on the rem brand I'm carrying. Then I meet Walt Wheeler's wife. Men, she's about fifty, and the years of poverty have left their marks, marks that their new found fortune can then but never erase. This trip's in New York's the first real shopping trip I've ever taken in my whole life. Mister Smith, I'm gonna make it a good one. What are you gonna buy first? Missus Reeler, No, no, exactly. I only know it's going to be the most extensive thing I can carry. Walt, promise me that I'm meant it too, Honey. There's nothing too good for my men. It couldn't be fun to go shopping with you, even though I couldn't buy anything. Well, why don't you come on with it? Why? Well, i'd like to. You've been around a lot more than we have it. We can sort of lean on you for advice, and I have a little business I have to take care of first. We got all the time in the world, mister Smith. Then we'll get together in New York sometimes. Will you be staying? Well? We got reservations just the towers really living like oil millionaires, aren't you? Is this guy's the limit this trip? Miss? I'm not sure that I can stand the altitude, and I'll certainly enjoy the ride. When the Wheelers and I get off the train in Grand Central Station, I know that I've established a contact. With them that fits my party orders, a contact that can be exploited to the party's advantage. After we part I try to figure out what the angle is going to be. Then suddenly, shockingly, the Wheelers are erase from my mind. But the sign of a man walking toward me, a man with his arms folded, the signal that he's an FBI agent that I'm to meet and show the Rembrandt. I nod and start toward him. He smiles. Then, when I'm only three paces away, his smile changes to a frown, and he turns his back as a voice says to. Me, mister Sveedik, But are you Matthew Svedick. Yes, I'm comrade Crowder. I believe you have a package for me. Yes, but I was supposed to deliver it to party headquarters. You were supposed to deliver it to me. Now I have it, please and send my bag. Oh, in that case, keep it there until we reach headquarters. Were you successful in contacting the wheelers? Yes? Good? How are we going to exploit them? That will be explained at headquarters. Come on, I didn't want to talk in the station or the cab, Comrade Svetic, But the party is going to sell the Wheelers the contents of the package you brought to me. How can we be sure that they'll buy? That is your assignment? Comrade? Oh and what am I supposed to sell them? Open your grip and take out the package here, thank you. Here you are an oil painting signed by Rembrandt. Do you think that you can sell that to the Wheelers? Possibly, though I doubt that they've ever heard of it. That doesn't matter. We have to sell it to them. Quite of the Wheelers, the Rembrandt would be worth a lot of anybody's money. There are several advantages in selling to the Wheeler's comrade. In the first place, they have almost unlimited financial resources newly acquired. Is that a particular advantage? Certainly, Once we have their money a check for this picture, we'll have to check photostadt it on both sides, and the endorsement will be made in the name of the Communist Party. Then we'll claim that the money was intended as a contribution to the party and can butt nail them innefinitely exactly. With your help, Comrades Vedick, we'll convert the Wheeler's money to the Party every dollar. Now back to Dana Andrew starring as Matt Simtic and I was a Communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. Now that I know the party's plan to sell the wheelers and oil by Rembrandt, I'm anxious to get away to report to the FBI so that Walton men can be warned against buying any painting. But I can't get away. Instead, with Comrade Crowder, I enter an inner office. Shut the door, Comrade s Vedik, what is he doing, your comrade, he has clients for our Rembrandt doctor Brokoff. Oh well, in that case, welcome Comrade Sletic, doctor the Comrade Veti. This is doctor Sergei broke Off. Comrade doctor broke Off as an art dealer, critic, an expert and party member. But of course, Comrade, my advanced art gallery is simply a necessary front. After several others have failed. Comrades Vedik finally straped up, an acquaintance of the pair of Dukes. Party has been most anxious to capture doctor peasants with oil Wells. They should be very good prospects. Factly, I don't if I've ever heard of rembrand doctor so much the better, comrade, they will not be so critical. Our artist, while improving, is not yet perfect. I'm afraid I don't follow you. For example, on this portrait of a num boy that was just delivered to us. Comrade Svetik also delivered the painting. Doctor, No matter who delivered it, our artist is improving, except for the subject's left eye being one centimeter too short in this forgery copy is a kinder word, comrade, except for that one small difference, and that will not be noticed by any except the most thorough investigators. I defy anyone to prove that this is not a genuine Rembrandt. The colors, the canvas, the frame, everything is a copy of the finest audit. If you don't mind, doctor, I just as soon you saved the sales. Talk for these suckers of Comrade svetic He and I need to work out a plan for catching them. Carter has a plan or worked out about any help from. Me, a con game that would catch people a lot more sophisticated than the Wheelers. There's nothing I can do to warn them, but I do get one break. Bob Crowder's checking in at the Wheeler's hotel. It's part of the trap. I got a chance to get to a phone booth and call the. FBI Lurry Hell office. I called you a long distance from a railroad junction last night. Oh yeah. Now, the man who was to check and possibly smuggling a stolen Rembrandt Forrest reported an interception. Now where are you now, I'm in a phone booth. That picture wasn't either smuggled or stolen. Sure, I'm positive it was forged canvas frame everything it described The picture. Doctor Sergey Brokeoff called it portrait of an unknown boy. It's a canvas about fourteen by sixteen inches. According to Brokeoff, the art critic, and a party member, the boy's left eyes one centimeters order in this forgery than it is in the original. I don't help money. Good work. Well that is no. They're getting set to sell this phony painting for some brand new millionaires, people named Wheeler. They're stopping at the towers. Mister and missus walk Wheeler anymore. Yeah, call the Wheelers and tell them that they're going to be shown a phony painting and warn them not to buy it. I'm sorry, but I can't do that. But look, the Reds planned to hook them then blackmail them. This is only the first step, and. I can't warn them, and don't you want them either, But look, I'm sorry. I have another call waiting. I'll explain it to you later. Bye. I can't understand the agent's attitude. I'm risking my neck to make this report to keep the Reds from getting their hands on the Wheeler's money, and I'm told to forget it. My hands are time. I know we're fighting a war against communism. In any war, people get hurt, but I still feel like a traitor, and I go to comic Crowder's room at the hotel, call the Wheelers and get them to come down to see the Rembrandt. Oh, come in, man off. I want you to meet a friend of mine, any friend. You're a friend of ours, Matt, Thank you, Aul. Oh, missus Wheeler, I'd like you to meet mister Crowder. Mister Wheeler, mister Crowder, Hi, nice to know you. What's this picture you were talking about? May it belongs to mister Crowder. It's called Portrait of an Unknown Boy. It's a fainting by Rembrandt, little known and extremely valuable. When mister Crowder said that he intended selling the picture, men, I remembered you're saying that you wanted to buy the most expensive thing you could carry. This picture might be it. You remember that and thought of it. I told you he was real folk to me and has considerable prestige. Connected with owning a genuine rembrand Oh he one of them. Modern Rembrandt has been dead more than two hundred years. Oh, he was one of the old masters. Oh then this is real expensive. Extremely, it's probably worth much more than you could possibly pay. How much is it worth? Maybe fifty thousand, possibly one hundred and fifty thousand. Well, now that's quite as spread. How do you find out for certain? Check some professional art dealer who your own if you like, Oh, we don't have an art leader. I didn't think you would. I don't know how you insisted on wasting my time, Matt. You're not wasting your time at the crowd. I'll vouch for the Wheelers if they decide to buy your painting, they can well afford to buy it. And any other painting you happen to have too. Why don't we take this picture to an art gallery you get an unbiased appraisal of it? Well, anything you can say, Matt, where's a good one? I'll pick one out of the phone book. Here we are the air old art gallery. Sergei broke off, art dealer, critic, an expert. Well, get the picture and let's go. We'll show mister Crowder who can or can't buy a painting. I am terribly busy at the moment, mister Smith, I have an appraisal to do at the Metropolitan Museum, showing to mister Rockingham the restoration of an early Goya. Yeah. If he's that busy, Matt, let's try somebody out just a second, mister Wheeler, Wolf Wheeler, I didn't refuse to look at your painting. Well did not yet, may not be. I was simply reminding myself of the number of important tasks confronting me. Will you appraise this picture? Doctor broke off, I'll walk you. I'll be very happy to mister Smith. Please bring into this next room and set it up on the easel. Thank you. You sure know how to handle big shots. Matt. There's no point in wasting time if he doesn't want the job. Excuse me while I helped mister Carter with the picture of the Eager Yeah, what do you think men you assure meet their eyes Papa back home. Ye, that's for sure, but maybe one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I would never pay that, mister Missus Wheeler Common, I want to thank you for bringing this work to me. I thought you had more than you could handle. I was referring to the painting. You've permitted me to make a discovery, which will be remembered long after I'm forgotten. You would be congratulated, mister Wheeler. Is the painting for sale? Well, I don't own it. It belongs to mister Carter there. Oh, oh, pardon me. Is the painting for sale, mister Crowter? It is surprises? Right? Would you accept one hundred thousand at well? It would take me a little time to get in touch with my principle. Hey, now, we brought that picture in here. You don't own it, mister Wheeler. It may take me a few days to get in touch with my client, mister Crowder, but I can assure you that he'll be more than willing to pay one hundred thousand for this painting. Now, if you will accept my check for ten thousand dollars as evidence of good faith, mister Clowder, we're buying that picture, mister crowd Oh. Now see here, mister Wheeler, if your client can pay a hundred thousand for that thing, men and me kN too, and we'll give you a check for the whole thing right now, with Carowder, Well, I talked to in there. I didn't know it before, but I do now. I got to have that picture. I know now why gamblers say only suckers can't wait. Min and Walt Wheeler were so afraid that Brokeoff's non existent client would buy the Phony Rembrandt. They couldn't take time to think it over, and broke Off and Crowder played them that way, and the Wheelers actually thanked them when they took the check. A little bitterly. I phoned the FBI and reported that their refusal to warn the Wheelers had given the Reds a present of several million dollars. I left for home that night, and it was two days before I again checked with the FBI and arranged a meeting. A man. Yeah, hey, well, de'll call yourself. Sure, I don't blame you. What are you talking about the Wheelers and the Phony rembrand He really worked a deal there, Yeah, quite a deal. The Tony Art dealer and comrade Crowder are going to get about ten years apiece. What happened When the story of the Wheeler's purchase broken the papers, Every art expert in New York wanted to see their unknown rem brand I can imagine and you can't imagine the trouble we were in. Half of the experts thought the painting was authentic. In fact, if it hadn't been for your tip about the left eye being one centimeter shorter than the original, we'd never been able to prove fraud against broke Off and Crowder. The red still got Wheelers hundred thousand. We wanted them to match. That's why you weren't allowed to tip them off. Once Crowder deposited that check we had them, it was never cashed because the bureau put a hold on it until the Wheelers actually stopped payment. Well, that makes me feel a lot better. I thought it went. All in all, it was quite a study in oils here, a study in oils, oil, wells, oil paintings, and communist oil. My cell leader praised me highly for. Having handled myself with such circumspection that the suckers as he called them, never suspected me, and the other members of our cell echoed his praise, for no wholehearted believer in the communist doctrine could ever understand that the Wheeler's attitude towards me stemmed from their own kind, generous, and just basically decent instincts, rather than from any cleverness on my part. I understood, though, and I have often wished that I could see them again as a friend. Naturally, that was impossible. If I am to have friends, I have to pick them from among the members of the Communist Party. I choose to walk alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews. All over America, and in all walks of life, men and women are belatedly learning that they've been duped by the Communist Party, tricked into contributing their names, or their time, or their money to a group whose only aim is their enslavement. Although to protect innocent persons, names, dates, and places are fictitious, the danger they worn against is very real. Many of these stories are based on the fantastic experiences of Matt Sibetic. Next week, we'll bring you another strange adventure. Join us, then, won't you