Windfall

Cloak and Dagger is an NBC radio series, a foreign intrigue adventure adapted from the book Cloak and Dagger by Corey Ford and Alistair McBain. Ford also was host of the series. Cloak and Dagger was broadcast from May 7 to October 22, 1950, as part of "a mystery block with several other shows of far inferior quality". The program was sustaining for all 22 episodes

Episode Transcript

(00:01):
Are you willing to undertake a dangerousmission behind enemy lines knowing that you may
never return alive. What you havejust heard is the question asked during the
War of agents of the OSS.Ordinary citizens to this question answered yes.

(00:25):
This is cloak and dagger, blackwarfare, espionage, international intrigue. These

(00:50):
are the weapons of the OSS.In today's adventure, Windfall, the part
of McAllister is played by Lestra MayJan Minor plays Jen and Mike's is played
by Bill Quinn. The story issuggested by actual incidents recorded in the Washington
files of the Office of Strategic Services, a story that can now be told.

(01:19):
We had three new guests at thelodge at Noirmont that day, and
the first one blew ind just afterlunch, and I recognize him right away,
at least I thought I did.I didn't know who he was,
you understand, but I thought Iknew what he was. A fellow American,
for one thing, and probably amember of the diplomatic mission at Baron.
I wish now that that was allhe had been. You have a

(01:40):
reservation for me the name Monsieur Heywood, Frederick Heywood. At one moment,
Monsieur I made a mental note ofthat name as I shuffled my cards and
dealt myself another hand of solitaire.I was sitting in the lobby close to
the desk, and not by accidenteither, I made my business to catch
the names of new arrivals. Ifyou know a man's name, he's usually

(02:00):
more willing to sit down at thecard table with you. And if the
guests at Noirmont didn't play cards withme, how could I eat well?
Clerk, do you have the reservationor not? Yes, hit is monsieur.
It was frond in yesterday from Bill. Your room is being prepared nowson,
let me know what it's ready.I'll be in the bar. I
went to work, then followed himin at the bar. I was sure

(02:23):
by then that i'd size him upright. A secretary or a file clerk could
come to the lodge to ski andrelax. He was ripe for picking,
I figured. I found him ata table by the window, looking out
over the mountains of snow and iceand down into the green Valley where Switzerland
became France, Nazi occupied France.Welcome to normal, mister, heywood,

(02:44):
Eh, who are you name?Slade? Mike Slade? I heard you
ask for your reservation. I couldn'thelp overhearing your name. You're an American,
that's right. You mind if Isaid, now? Thanks? Up
here to do a little ski.I suppose perhaps planning stay long? That
depends. Oh what a number ofthings, none of which are your business.

(03:08):
Relaxed, mister Heywood, you don'thave to be afraid to talk to
me. I'm not on the enemy'sside. In fact, I'm not on
anybody's side. I'm just a plain, ordinary private citizen. Oh and what
are you doing in Switzerland? Heyesked, So I told him the whole

(03:30):
sad story. How I shipped outof San Francisco when I was fifteen,
how I jumped ship in Shanghai,How I'd spent the next twenty five years
gambling my way around the world tillI hit it big, knocking over a
roulette wheel in Paris for a millionfrancs. So you're up here blowing your
million francs a slate, No,not exactly. Didn't last long enough to

(03:50):
blow. A week after I wanted, the Germans marched into Paris, and
my money wasn't worth a thin diet. I got away and landed up here
at Walmart. And ever since waitingfor what why, for someone to win
this war? Of course, someoneanyone, you mean. Oh, I'm
not too particular, mister Haywooden.Like I say, I don't play sides.

(04:11):
I'm what they call a neutral,I guess, a neutral American.
Well, it's been a long timesince I was in America. I just
wanted to get the war over withsomehow, so Jen and I can get
out of here. Jen my girlwins to hey wood She's one of the
skiing instructors here at the lodge,and when I go, she's promised to
go with me. I see,I'll go see if my room's ready.

(04:32):
Oh wait a minute, how aboutanother drink? Thanks? Well, look,
if you're not doing anything tonight andyou'd like a little game of stud
just got away as any to passthe evening up here. Maybe, But
I'm rather particular about the kind ofmen I gambled with, Slade, especially
the kind of Americans. Oh well, I figured some guys couldn't help being

(04:56):
patriots. Me I had other thingsto worry about, not enough money in
my jeans to pay for my roomat the end of the week, and
no stud game in sight. Hello, Mike, Jen how are your babies?
Mike came into the bar a fewminutes ago, But you were talking
to somebody here. Who was he? A guy named Heywood, an American
just checked in from Bern from Bayen. But Mike, he couldn't have What

(05:18):
do you mean we laughed that heavysnow last night. He couldn't have come
by automobile. And you know perfectlywell the train from Beern doesn't arrive for
another three hours. Hey, Iforgot about that. And how the devil
did he get here? There's onlyone way. You must have walk walked
all away from Bern. He walkedfrom down there in the valley. He

(05:39):
came across the French border. Baby, you're forgetting there's a war on.
There aren't any Americans touring France thesedays, No, but there are some
fighting for France, fighting with aFrench marquis. I don't know what cha
can intelligence agents, Mike, Hey, wait a minute, Maybe you've got
something there that would explain why Heywoodbrush me off that way. He must

(06:01):
be one of those OSS guys weheard about. It was the only answer.
I didn't think much of it.I figured an OSS agent just out
of occupied France wouldn't have enough moneyto finance a game of stud So I
went looking for someone who would There'stwo ones, clerk, one for dot,

(06:24):
one for myself. Crowds were crowds, and you didn't have to be
a patriot like hey would not tolike them. But I figured that these
two guys at the desk were acouple of jokers on a holiday. They'd
be well healedus ridiculous. Welcome tono more, gentlemen. Clerk, what
about those ones? I don't believeI quite caught your names, gentlemen,

(06:46):
if you please, my friend deartime to get the accommodation. I am
sorry. All I can give youand here you and here Vierstadt is a
double room. There are no singleone, No, sir. The American
who arrived today took the last one. Oh a milk, I'm alive to
day. I'm an American too,slaves. My name Mike Slade. But
it does not you who just came. No, no, I've been around

(07:08):
for nearly three years. The newguest is mister Heywood, mister Haywood,
eh and his room eighteen, Roomeighteen. I'm in twenty seven myself.
Gentlemen, if you'd be interested ina friendly game of stud poker, the
saving. I'm afraid we are goingto be busy this evening. Yeah,
that is true. We are goingto be a valley busy. So that

(07:32):
took care of my last chance toput some meat on my thin bank roll.
Jen and I had dinner at thelodge that night. Then I walked
back to a cottage above the hotel. The moon was bright, dry,
snow squeaked under our feet. Wasthe same as any other night at Maamont.
Seemed the same anyway, even thethings we talked about were the same.

(07:54):
You must be patient, Mike.We will leave Maamore some day,
but when and how We'll never getout until I lay my hands on some
dough, big dough, I mean, not the kind I can win from
a bunch of yoguls who don't knowtwo pair from a straight. Your government
would send you home, maybe,Mike, Yeah, sure, sure,
and shut me in the army.Only they don't have any use for a
guy my age, and that makesa mutual. Besides, they wouldn't let

(08:18):
you go with me, but Iwould wait. And when the wars,
no dice, kid, When Igo, you go. So the answer
is still money. Listen, no, it sounds like somebody's been hurt.
Come on, Honey, done thisway, Mike. There's something lying noose.
Yeah, yeah, that must behim, Mike, Mike, it's

(08:41):
the American, mister Haywood. Itwas Hayward, all right, but it
didn't look much like him anymore.His nose was broken and the rest of
his face was pushed out of shape. And lord knows what else they've done
to him. Mm hmm hm.You all right, take take it easy,

(09:05):
fellaw. We'll get the doctor atthe march. No use, shore
slave, shure you want to stayhim? Gent It sounds as if you're
saying shoes. Sure he left shorethe heel of his left shore back.

(09:30):
Alice, What what was that?Mcalliston? Yes, two, he's beIN
dead. I'll get doctor Ghanda.Mike, never mind, doctor Gantajen.
He's dead dead. No, howcould it have happened? Do you think

(09:50):
he very found a rock up there? No, baby, he didn't fall
of any rock. He fell intothe hands of a couple of Germans.
It was all clear. By theHeywood had been an OSS agent, and
the only winter sports the crowds hadcome to Noirmar for was torturing and beating
him was tough, plenty tough.But then I still had problems too.

(10:13):
I unlaced Heywood's left boot and slippedit off his foot. What are you
doing, Mike? Finding out whatHitler has happened? As boys were after
Look, the heel slips right offthe shoe. Yeah, something inside it.
Wait a minute, myke. It'sa little ceylander. It looks like
a bullet. That's no bullet,baby, it's a cylinder of microfilm,

(10:33):
microfia beaches. I don't know whateverit is, it's important, whatever's importance
is valuable. What uh me?I'm thinking about you and me, sweetheart?
Never mind? Now, look,you take this film and get back
to your cottage and hide it asfar as anybody's concerned. You weren't with

(10:54):
me when I found Heyward's body.I don't understand. You will get gone,
baby, But what are you goingto do? Not a thing?
Just sit around and cool my heelsand wait for a guy named mc callister.

(11:15):
Of course, I had to reportHeywood's death. I reported it to
doctor Gunther, the house physician atthe lodge. This is terrible, such
a tragic excoity. I didn't sayit was an accident, doctor, but
it to us. Of course,I'll wait a minute, you said,
so I am the doctor. Yeah, but you can't here Heywood's slip and
fail for my lock. We willall do our best to see that there's

(11:39):
now another such tragedy. Will benot sleep. It gives the lotch a
bed reputation. So gun Through hadalready been briefed by his fellow crowds,
and Heywood's death was an accident.Well, I was all right with me.
It didn't hurt my angle a bit. The next morning, Gunthera got
all the guests together in the lobbyand broke the sad news. And I

(12:01):
know, my friends that you canall want to pay your last respects to
the victim of this unfortunate accident.Services for her Heywood will be held in
the chapel at three o'clock this afternoon. Turned away and I fell little sick.
Sometimes these Nazis made it hard fora guy to stay strictly neutral,
I was thinking. Then a handclapped me on the shoulder, Good morning,

(12:26):
al slid, Hello Kitle this aswell as said this news about your
fellow countryman. Yeah, you're allbroken up about it, aren't you.
Doctor Gunsa informs me it was youwho found the body. In you and
doctor gun to keep each other prettywell informed. I was wondering how slid.
Yeah, I was wondering if,by any chance you also found something

(12:50):
else we are you will you keepright on wondering her kitle. I spent
most of that day playing solitaire atmy favorite table near the desk. I
wasn't listening for the names of pokerprospects anymore. I was listening for another
name, McAllister, but I didn'thear it. At three o'clock I went

(13:15):
down to the chapel. I figured, iodo pay my last respects to Hayward
too. Was the least I coulddo, considering how much I was gonna
owe. Life is so cheap.The accidental death of a passing stranger may
seem like a trivial thing. Believeme, my friend, it was almost
over it when a big blonde guysat down next to thee You, Mike

(13:39):
Slayton, Yes, that's right.You found Heywood's bundy last night? What
was left of him? He washere with us, He was still alive,
wasn't he his spirit? Movie?Slightly? Lightly? Did he say
anything? Not much? He's adog mentioned a name, McAllister, Maybe

(14:03):
I'm McAllister. No, he isgone, okay, and we are left
here alone. He gave you somethingfor me? Yeah? Good? When
can I get it? When canyou pay for it? Pay for it?
That's what I say. I wenttwenty five franks dollars full the filthy

(14:28):
double. I'll watch it. Isthat a way to act at your buddy's
funeral? And now, dear friends, let it's all bow our heads in
prayer. The minister's sermon wasn't theonly one I've heard that day. On

(14:50):
the way back to the lodge,McAllister preached one too. And you call
your slag, McAllister. You've gotmy proposition, take it or leave it.
You know what's on that microfilm?You realize, what do you think
I could get that kind of money? You might try the embassy at fair.
If they won't find then maybe Berlinwill Berlin. You would actually shall

(15:13):
that film to the Nazis. Sellout your own country. I haven't had
a country for a long time.You were born on America, sure,
but I've lived in Switzerland for quitea while. Some of its neutrality is
rubbed off on me. I stayedaway from Jen all that day because I
didn't want to attract any attention toher. But as soon as it was

(15:35):
dark I started out for her cottage. I didn't get very fun good evening.
I slid if Yestad and ivish totalk the you guys pick funny places
for conversation. On the contrary,this fits our needs admirably. Th of
us are we had another conversation lastnight in a similar day. It would

(15:58):
regret to have this one ended thesame way that one did. Okay,
what are you after the microfilm?Of course please give it to us.
I don't know what you're talking about, and I said, course, we
will have to stop the field.There's arms ver sut ver stut pinned my
arms behind me, kinda let mehave it square in the face with a
fist is hard. There's a sledgehammer. Where's the microfilm? Slip? You'll

(16:23):
never get it this way? NotYou didn't get away from Hey with this
way, did you? Why don'tyou meet heads? Get smart? Kill
me and you'll never lay hands onthat film. And if we don't carry
you and you might have a chance. How much would the chance cost a
slid? I'll catching on much well? I would have let you have a
cheap before you started to push mearound. The price is gone up.

(16:45):
I want fifty thousand, fifty thousandmarks dollars. Think it over, boys.
They must have seen some logic init, because they stopped slugging me
and went away to talk it over. I didn't go to Jen's cottage after

(17:06):
all. I didn't want them followingme, so I went back up to
my room. And when I gotthere, while my door unlocked, the
room was a shambles. Somebody'd gonethrough it like a cyclone one. You
oss boys, now how to takea room apart, don't you, McAllister?
When we have to? Did youhave to do this? Oh?
I came up to do it,but those get Stoppa agents saved me the

(17:26):
trouble. It was already done.I was afraid they might have found what
they were looking for. How doyou know they didn't? By the condition
of your face. They've been workingyou over, haven't they? What have
it? They wouldn't have bothered ifthey'd found the film. You're quite a
brain, aren't you. Mccallis.You're not slaved. If you were,
you wouldn't be playing this game.You're gonna wind up just where Heywood is.

(17:47):
I'll take my chances. You don'tknow what the dough means to me,
you'd understand you don't know what thesefilms mean to the Allies. Or
maybe you'd understand. Those are picturesof German maps, Slade maps, showing
the location of every Naziv two rocketlaunching site on the French coat. They
could mean the saving of thousands oflives. They could even mean winning the
war or losing it. Does thatmake any impression on you? My price

(18:10):
is still the same. All right, let me tell you what Heywood went
through to get those films. You'llbe wasting your time. My price is
still the same. Okay, you'rethe guy who has to look in the
mirror at yourself in your shave.I'll be around if you. Oh,
I forgot about this. Why thispicture was on the floor. I accidentally

(18:34):
stepped on it and broke the framethat I noticed the inscription to Mike with
all my love Jen. Okay,Okay, let's have it. She's the
skiing instructor, isn't she beautiful?Girl? Be a shame if anything happened
to that face? Is that athreat mccallosy. No, oh, the
oasays doesn't go in for torturing women. Maybe we're too sentimental. Why would

(18:57):
anybody want to touch her because she'shelping you play your little angle? What
makes you think? So? Justa guess. And if I can guess,
it's so can Title and Erstadt.And they're not a bit sentimental.

(19:18):
It took me a while to fallasleep after that, but I managed it
finally. Couldn't have been much laterwhen the phone beside my bed woke me
up. Yeah, Mike, JenBaby, what's the matter. I've got
to talk to you. Mike,come to the cottage right away. I

(19:42):
was scared then all the way over, MacAllister's words kept bringing in my ears,
and I was scared to look ather face. But there was nothing
the matter with it. When Igot there, the only mark Senta,
with the marks of worry and aguilty conscience. I couldn't sleep, Mike.
I had to call you. I'vebeen thinking about it all night,
about my a new business enterprise.I suppose you mean, yes, trying

(20:03):
to make money out of those microfilms. It's wrong, Darling. We can't
go through with it. Too bad, says McAllister was here. Yes,
yes, he was waving a flagall over the place. What he said,
madsense, He told me what wason the film. He made me
see how Hayward had suffered to getit. I'm surprised you didn't turn it
over to one. I wouldn't dothat, you know it. But I
want you to turn it over tohim. I will for twenty five grand

(20:25):
Mike, for nothing, because theybelonged to him rightfully, and because they'll
help the Allies win the world.No dice, baby, Mike, do
you want those vile metal s natzistoo win? All I want is my
twenty five geez. Then you andI can get out of here, not
you and I, Mike what.I won't go with you under those conditions.

(20:48):
You don't mean that I do.I do. I love you,
Mike, but I couldn't go onloving you if you did a thing like
this, I'd come to hate you. Jen. I'm sorry, Darling,
It's true. Well, Mike,I've waited twenty five years for break like
this. I'm not going to letit run down the drain, not even

(21:11):
for you. If you don't wantto go, okay, I'll be traveling
alone I don't think you'll be travelinganywhere just yet a slide. It was
titled and just behind it was Verstadt, and both of them carried lucas.
Before I could move, Verstat hadused his the butter had clipped me on

(21:33):
the head. No. I rememberhearing Jen scream and feeling myself crumbling toward
the floor. When I came to, I couldn't move my arms on my
legs. It took me a minuteto figure out why I was tied with
a chair. Slowly the room cameback and focused, and I saw the
two Guestapo agents. Then I sawJen. What they've been doing to get

(21:57):
your hands off? For your rightdon't touch her again. There there'll be
no need to touch a her sleeveif you will co operate with us better
than cheers been doing. Where isthe microfilm hair sleeves? You still think
you're gonna find out for free?Huh? Yeah, me think so?
Where is the microfilm hairsleeve? Faralong? You? Then tell us where
it is? All right, allright, stop it. I'll tell you
to stop it. We have stoppedher slide. Please tell us, okay

(22:26):
a microfilm is it came from outsidethrough the window that revolver shot fierce that
let out a groan and dropped thefloor. Titdle dropped the floor too,
but he hadn't been hit. Heflicked the light switches. He went down.
The room went black. The advantagewas all his now he was in
the pitch black room. Whoever wasoutside was moving around on the bright moonlight,

(22:48):
made even brighter by the snow.I saw a title's gun spit the
gun outside, answered, I wasstill tied hand and foot to the chair.
There wasn't anything I could do,or was there. I remember that
the light switch was just over myhead. I worked until I got my
chair turned around so I was facingthe wall. I started butting up but
at the switch with my head.Three times I missed it. Fourth time

(23:11):
it clicked. The room was floodedwith light. Kydle was outlined at the
window like a sitting duck. Therewasn't any great surprise when the tall blonde
guy walked in a minute later.He started one timing. Looks as if
you had to choose signs after all, Slaine, Yeah, it looks as

(23:34):
if maybe I did MS. Youare right, Jen, I'll be fine,
sure, baby, Yes, Mike, and thank you mister McAllister,
I should have said that to McAllister. Thanks, that's okay, Mike,
and I don't you see now,don't you understand I don't know what you're

(23:56):
talking about? You do? Youmust the difference between hearing those horribor broots.
It's the whole point, Mike.That's why you can't hold onto that
microfilm. Oh yeah, yeah,the microfilm. I've been thinking about that.
You've decided to give it to me. No, I haven't, McCallister.

(24:18):
I'm a gambler, and gamblers don'tgive things away. All I do
give is a sporting chance. Whatdo you mean? I'll cut cards with
you for the microfilm? Double enough? If I get the high card,
you will give me the film,right and if I get high card,
you pay me fifty thousand. It'sa deal, slade, okay, yeah,

(24:49):
shovel McAllister. You cut first,one card doesn't well? Six not

(25:10):
so good, fellow, go on, slate, cut well, four,
I win there, you win,get him the film? Jen all right,
Mike. Now, both sides inthis war have cost me money.

(25:30):
There is, mister McAllister. Thanksand good luck to you. With his
luck, he'll win the war.Single handed these microfilms will help. Good
bye, Jen, Yeah, he'sseeing you. Mcgallan'sy my like, why
did you do it? To what? Here is your card? The one

(25:56):
new card. He wasn't four it. Yeah, I know you had him
beaten. He would have paid thefiftieth thousand. That's right, Mack.
Why did you do it? Idon't know, baby. I guess some

(26:18):
guys just can't helping suckers. Iguess some guys just can't helping patriots.
So we were stuck in Switzerland fora couple of more years. Jan and
I. There were times when Icould have kicked myself for being a sentimental

(26:41):
chump, lots of times until aday came after the war when I ran
into McAllister again. I felt betterabout it. Then. I guess you
know what the Alliant Air Forces didto those Nazi rocket launching sites along the
French coast couldn't have been done withoutthe microfilm slave, so you can take
some credit for it. You werethe toughest to lie the OSS ever had,

(27:03):
brother, but you did the job. And once again, the report
of another OSS agent closes with thewords mission accomplished. Today's story was based
on actual incidents recorded in the Washingtonfiles of the OSS and was brought to
you on Cloak and Dagger. Heardin Today's Cloak and Dagger Adventures. McAllister

(27:47):
was Less Tremaine, Mike Slade,Bill Quinn, Jan Jan Minor. Others
were Grant Richards, Raymond, EdwardJohnson, Carl Weber, Charles Irving,
Steffan Schnabel, Boris Aplin, PaulArnold and Jerry Jarrett. The script was
written by ken Field and the musicwas under the direction of John Gart,
sound effects by Jerry McGhee, engineeringby Joe silver To Day's Oss Adventure was

(28:11):
based on the book Cloakndagger by CoryFord and Alistair mc bain. This program
was produced by Lewis G. Cowenand Alfred Hollander and under the direction and
supervision of Sherman Marx.