IWCF 45 - The Red Ladies

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. You're about to hear a strange story. Names, dates, and places are, for obvious reasons, fictional, but many of these incidents are based on the actual experiences of Matt Savetic two. For nine fantastic years lived as a Communist for the FBI. Here is our star, Dana Andrews as Matt Savetic. Treachery and betrayal are hard to live with, but for nine years they were my companions as I opposed as a Communist for the FBI. Freedom is never cheap, however, and I know that no matter what price I had to pay, the Reds had to be exposed and stopped for Unless we stamp out the Party's subversive activities, freedom in America will die as surely as tomorrow. In a moment, listen to Dana Andrews as Mat Sevetic under coverman. Now here is Dana andrew der coverman. This story from the Confidential File is marked the Red Ladies. The Party ordered me at a Midwest city. I was to help a club called the Women's Peace League spread the common doctrine the peace at any price. The club sent a committee to welcome me at my hotel. The committee was made up of three expensively dressed ladies, two middle aged, one young, and none looking like red sympathizers. I'm missus Fisher, mister Savedic, this is missus vain delighted, Missus Sevettic, my pleasure, and miss keething Edith. Please, how do you do? Very happy to meet you, Edith. Yes, well, you're here to help us, mister Savetic. Obviously you're sympathetic with our cause what I know of them. Our plan is to arouse the women's clubs of America. In a concerted plea for peace at any price? Can you do it? Missus van? We've done it in the Women's Peace League. It's a large club, but we've gotten control of it. All we have to do is duplicate it in other clubs here in other than then, and then we get the clubs to unite in peace demonstrations, wires, telegrams to congressmen, picket lines around the White House. I see, it's the procedure. I've been well taught. Is that why I'm here? No, we are well organized already, but they'll need you to give speeches, represent us in certain cases and handle women that we feel would be more vulnerable to a man's approach. It's amazing how many women will listen to a man where they won't to another woman, Or is it amazing? You will be mailed your first speech tomorrow, be ready to give it at the Women's Peace League Friday night. I understand. Are you in charge of this movement, missus Fisher? I'm chairman of the Women's Peace League. That's all you need to. Know for the moment. Oh, mister Sevidk, you'll have to prove yourself with us. To do that, it's important that you don't make any mistakes and that you don't become too curious. Am I quite clear? Edith? You couldn't be clearer. The next day was Wednesday, and as promised, my speech arrived in the mail, neatly typed and is full of trouble as an atomic bomb. In three hours, I had it memorized, then I took it to a little music shop just off the main street. Yes, sir, what can I do for you? Do you have Prokofiev's fifth played by the Georgian Symphony. No, I'm afraid I haven't heard of that orchestra. We have it by the Boston Symphony with Serge Krusowski conducting. I have eighteen minutes? May I hear it? Certainly this way, sir. In this book, I'll show you how to work the machine. Hi, Matt, how's life with the commies? Lousy Frank gaining weight? Yeah, wife's got me in our new diet. I'll take a look at this speech. This ought to worry a little of that weight off you. You going to give this t. Women's Peace League? No more fighting, no more army, no military machine to frighten the poor foreigners in the war. Yeah, no more America as soon as they can't chess on armed. Don't get mad at me, I'm on your side. Spotting that camee rat makes me sick to my stomach. And this Women's Peace League is it a red front? I don't think Saul's such a women's club that has let itself be taken over. I'm working for three women who seem to be running the club and the movement party members. One of them certainly is whichever one organized this movement. Maybe all three? How far is this thing gone? Just this one club so far, but they're planning to branch out. That's why I was called in. We'd better check those three women names. Missus Paula Fisher fifty tall, bony face. Missus Loretta Vain about fifty five, small, white haired, Edith Heeling thirty, dark haired, beautiful. If you like icicles, I don't say frank out of something. All three of them are top drawer society ladies. Yet they're running around with commis. They're even good bets to be commies. What do you make of that? That's what we want you to tell us, Matt, Yes, sir, Oh your key, mister Sevettic. Please thanks, Wait there's a man been asking for you. Huh yes, he's. Uh waiting over there, the one on the chauffeur's uniform standing by. The pocket part. Wheah, I see him. Thanks be careful, sir. That ballg under his arm isn't exactly muscle. Thanks again, compliments of the house, mister Sevettic. We hate to lose a good customer. Looking for me. Oh yes, Svetic, I'm mister Sevetti. Time you shut up, will be late for dinner. Who's dinner in case I decided to go. Missus vans, you'll go. I got orders to bring. You always obey orders always, I was afraid. So well, there we go. Sweet buggy huh ninety and she just sings, you. Want to fly? Why don't you get an airplane? M hm. You're gonna have me a car like this someday. Hey, have a cigarette and relax. Thanks. Oh, you drive something huh and then I'll get it. Hey, ladies, diamond ring, kim me what you're driving? Do you think I was gonna steal it? Yeah? Never mind what I think? You just forget? You ever saw that ring? Oh? Good evening, mister SETI oh, put the car awake on. Tommy didn't say you'd be here. Would it have made any difference? Not the way he put the invitation? Sit here, missus Vane will be down in a moment. Sure you mind if I call. You Matt, not at all. When we're more friendly, you can call me Edie. Are we going to become more friendly? Is there any reason why not? Lots of reasons. I don't make friends with people who don't trust me, or who send me invitations backed up by a hoodlum's. Gun Tommy is a little impetuous. What do you hear my name for him? No, well, I'll tell you anyway. He's not a chauffeur. No serv I ever talked the way he did. I'm betting he's a strong arm man for the MVD. Let's say he's a handyman. He does a lot of things for Missus Fisher and Missus Vane and I that we can't do ourselves not and remain ladies, that. Is, and you are ladies, aren't you eat it? Edie? I'm feeling very friendly this too. I beg your pardon, Edith. It's got whiskers. Girl gets boy alone, girl gets friendly. Boy tells all only what is it I'm supposed to tell? Pretty obvious? Obvious enough. Your charms are usually much more effective. Good evening, missus gooding, Missus vain. Just in time. I told you he was a smart young man, Edith. Well now we know he is. So that's the reason for this marry around. It's important that we know we can trust you not to betray us, even accidentally. He's proven himself alert. Now let's reward him with dinner. I think it's ready, so wonderful dinner missus Vain, thank you. I'll tell cook you enjoyed and me too. But I'm afraid I must go now. Missus Fisher is expecting me. Oh can Tommy drive me? Of course, he'll be back in plenty of time to take you to your hotel. Mister Sabetty, sorry to run. Good night, matt you. Know, oh Tommy, I seem to have mislaid the valuable diamond ring. I may have dropped it in the car. Would you look around for it? Is sure, missus Vain, What did you say, diamond ring? Why is anything wrong, mister Savettic. No, no, nothing's wrong. Tommy had taken missus Vane's ring. There wasn't much doubt of that, but it was no time to get involved with the exposure of a petty thief. I needed information, and of the three women, Missus Vain seemed the least likely to be a red, so I took the chance of pumping out with questions when we were alone. She was charming, agreeable, but after an hour I still had learned nothing. Do you like my house? Mister? It's lovely, Missus Vain like it's mistress? Why? Thank you? How soon do we start our campaign? Soon. You know, Missus, it's fortunate for you that I'm not Edith or Missus Disher. Questions like that would annoy them madly. No, I didn't realize. It's all right. I'm afraid I'll never be like him, No suspicions. I'm not the type. I was sure now that Missus Vain was only a pawn in the game, and I wanted to confide in her, but training and habit made me go slow. Then Tommy returned to take me back to my hotel, and the opportunity was lost for the moment. You like the all day, don't you. Yeah, she's a very sweet woman. Tell her about the ring. No thanks, when I owe. You forget it. Still could play on my But you got to leave stuff like that laying around and lose too big a temptation for a guy like me. Just what kind of a guy are you? Tell me? Besides being musclefully MBD? Who told you. That he just let it drop? That female ice cube? She talks too much? Why not to me? I'm a party, remember, I know. But they're playing us with Cagy. The Women's Piece leagueuld throw a fit if they knew it was really behind this movement. Then what about that club? Do we really control it? Yeah? Oh, there's some little housewife named Judson who keeps fighting us, but so far she hadn't gotten any place. If she keeps it up, I'll probably get orders to teach her a lesson. A lesson. Sure, a little accident, a few bruises will help remind missus Judson to keep her mouth shut. I can imagine. You know you're a nice guy. I like you, and I owe you a good turn. So here's a tip. Watch your step around as his van I don't want to have to teach you. A Missus Vaine, don't tell me she's a party member. He's more than that, comrade. She's in charge of this operation. Now back to Dana Andrews starring as Matt Sivedic, and I was a Communist for the FBI and the second act of our story. The groundwork had been well laid for the Red plan to infiltrate the Women's Clubs of America in Midwest City. The Reds had taken over the Women's Peace League as a start. The key read organizers were three women backed up by Tommy, a greedy and none too bright muscleman for the COMMI secret police. My job began with a speech. Lateist latest Please, as chairman of the Women's Peace League, I have a special honor to day that of introducing your speaker, Matthew Sebbetik. Thank you, Thank you, ladies. My message to you is one of primary importance for every American who wants to be free, to live without the dread of war. No matter what the cost, we must stamp out this reckless slaughtering of our young friend. It was sickening, propaganda and lies all mixed up neatly with half truths and emotionalism. I hated it, but I had to keep playing the red game. After the meeting, I reported to my FBI contact. FBI report came in on those three women, Matt. And nothing on any of them. Hmm, well yeah, they're still rids, all right. But this is one of the party's secret cells, missus vain heads. It can you prove this? Not a word, but I'm right, Frank, And if we can expose missus vane as Akami, this whole plan will fall apart like a house of cars. You said there's no proof. There's proof in one place, the Communist MVD files in New York. Oh, swell, that's a big h. I think there's a way to get that proof. This job is getting you, Matt. The MVD wouldn't let you get near those. Fires, No, of course not, but they would permit another MVD man to look at them. And Tommy, that's missus Vain's so called chauffeur, is an MVD goon boy. So Tommy's not very long on brains, and he's the greedy type. He even swiped the ring of missus Vane's what. I'm pretty sure that the temptation of big money would be stronger than his party loyalty. Like a lot of reds, Tommy's in the party only for what he can get out of it. Go on, Well, despite the fact that she's a communist, missus Vane is wealthy, Frank, very wealthy. With proof of her being a commie, Tommy and I could blackmail missus Vane for plenty. Now, look, Matt, we can't okay anything like that. Hey, Frank, stop it. I'm not going to actually blackmailer. All I want to do is make a deal with Tommy so he thinks we are long enough for him to steal her record from the MVD files. And then when you get your hands on her. Rag give it to you and send copies to a smart little housewife named Missus Judson, who one of the members of the Women's Peace League who won't give in to the commie propaganda. She's dying to get her claws into the reds that have taken over that club, and I want to give her that chance. Yeah, yeah, sounds good, Matt, Go ahead. Me blackmail Missus Vain. You sound like you're a few bricks short of a load, comrade. It would be simple for you to get that file, Tommy, and with it you could live in luxury the rest of your life. Both of us could. Yeah, yeah, I always dreamed. Ah, No, it's crazy. Just like I said, why the party'd have both our hearts. With that kind of money, you could buy a lot of protection, Tommy. I guess we could find a place where there isn't any party. Sure we could we live there like kings. Sure never would have figured you as a crook. You got one of them honest faces. Maybe I'm an honest crook. There's too much money in this for anyone to pass up. Yeah, okay, Svetic, I don't mind telling you the whole idea scares me, But you got a deal. Tuesday was Tommy's day off, and at eight fifteen in the morning he caught the New York plane. If all went well, he would do back that night. So I stayed in my hotel room and waited. Then at ten o'clock I had a caller that wasn't Tommy. Good evening. May I come in, certainly, missus Vain. We are calling a special meeting of the Women's Peace League tomorrow night to vote on starting our campaign on a national basis. Well, what's good news, missus Vain. In private, you may call me comrade. Comrade. You a party, remember for. Much longer than you, and I'm the head of this operation. But I thought missus Fisher or Edith comrades. Yes, but only my assistant. Well, to say the least, I'm surprised. Oh, don't feel badly. The party has gone to great lengths to keep our connection with it the secret. Of course, after. The meeting tomorrow night, come to my house. We'll blueprint our immediate action. Good night, come man, you're night. What a time? Yes, a sbetic you alone? Yeah? Did you get it? I couldn't get the whole file. Too risky, but I got enough to prose he's a party member. Good work. Where are you. Right down the lobby. I'll come right on lobby. Hey, get out of that quick. Missus Van's on her way down. No, look, I ain't keeping this stuff on me. It's too dangerous. You keep it. I'll leave it at the desk in your name. Here are the photostatic copies. Man, how are you going to work getting them to the jetson? Woman? Simple? I'm going to get Tommy to take them to her. Ali Man, all clear, for sure? Come in, you get the stuff. It's locked in the hotel safe. Stop worrying. I won't stop worrying until this thing's over with. When do we put the bite on missus Vane? Tomorrow? Why not? Now? Why? Wait? Take it easy? Too much is going on? Just play like nothing's up till tomorrow. Yeah, maybe you're right. Tonight's a bad time. But sure is Tommy and I'll see you at the meeting. A special meeting of the Women's Peace League was scheduled for eight thirty, but I was early, and then my pocket was the copy of Missus Van's party record, neatly folded inside some party literature eight twenty The room was a hubbub eight twenty five. Missus Vain arrived with Tommy. Whenever attention was taken by several members, I went to Tommy, noisy, ain't thing? Yeah, call me tomorrow as soon as you can get away. Sure, Only what do we do if she don't want to pay. Well she'll pay. Oh will you, Tommy, take this stuff and give it to missus Judson as she is in the back of the room. Judson, what the double are you given her? Just some party literature? Missus Vain thinks if Missus Judson reads it, she might become converted. Well, I'll give it to her, but it sounds like a wasted time. I hope not. Tommy, Oh, Missus Vain, could. I didn't see you in this crowd. Where are missus Fisher and Edith? They should be here now I don't see them yet. But well, while on earth is Tommy talking to missus Johnson. Well he's giving her something. Papers looked like must be good reading. Look at her face. Oh, there come he is, Missus Fisher. Now good, we can get started right away. Here, sit with. Me, Missus Fisher. Wasted no time? In calling the meeting to order, and Tommy ducked outside to avoid listening to the talk he should have stayed. Be a very interesting meeting, fellow members. Of the Women's Peace League. In order to get at the bitness of this special meeting, sooner, we'll dispense with the usual formautas of Roco missus Chairman. The chair recognizes Missus Judson. Before the club both on its proposed project. I believe it's my privilege to. Raise a question, not unless it is pertinity is very pertinent or very well. If you insist, Missus Judson, you have the floor. Thank you. My question is to you, Missus vain me. Well, please go ahead, Missus Judson. I'll be happy to answer if I can. I'm sure you can. First, you, along with Miss Keeling and Missus Fisher, are the sponsors of this suggested campaign. Is that right? Certainly, I'm quite proud of the fact because. It represents what you believe in and what you stand for. Is that correct? Yes, Ladies of this club, something was brought to my attention that I believe you should know. To some of you, obviously this will come as no surprise, But to most of you, those of you, who have only been misguided. It will be more than a surprise. It will be a shot I have in my possession at this moment, the Communist Party record of Missus law record Vain. True. No, that's not true. She can't. Lady Lady Vain, we better get out of here and fast follow me. I'll get you to your car. I can't understand. How could you get my record? What's going on? You? You did it. That's what you were giving to Missus Johnson. And now wait, you trait. Don't play innocent. We both saw you give her Missus Vain's record. What so that's I'm gonna kill you for this? Nice work, Comrade Holy, I'll bring up the car. The party is going to want a don talk with Tommy. Yeah, Tommy, you slug me my pleasure. Here a spy. I'll tell the party, Tommy. I don't think the party is going to pay much attention to what you have to say from now on. You taught me into it. It was your I used to show you, Tommy, never trust a guy with an honest face. They make lousy crooks. It was over. Missus Vain's plan was ruined and she had been exposed. For what she was a communist, and scratch one COMMI goon what he would see to that the way I had to work wasn't pleasant. No one brought upon the principles of fair play and decency. I could enjoy it. But for the sake of freedom, for one hundred and fifty million Americans. That had to be done, and by a man like me who, in the midst of his enemies would always walk alone. Dana Andrews will return in just a moment. This is Dana Andrews. A long time ago, our forefathers fought and died so that we might be born in a country where everyone. Has the rights of freedom to speak, to think, and to pray in his own way. It's a precious heritage. Let's be sure we don't throw it away. Join us next week for another thrilling chapter from the files of Matt Savelic. Won't you