Secret Box an episode of Cloak and Dagger radio show

Please enjoy Secret Box a great episode of the legendaryCloak and Dagger radio show - A Classic Old Time radio Show - OTR

Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Are you willing to undertake a dangerousmission behind the enemy lines, knowing you
may never return alive. What youhave just heard is the question asked during
the war to agents of the OSS. Ordinary citizens to this question answered yes.

(00:30):
This is crook and dagger, blackwarfare, snars, international intrigues.

(00:53):
These are the weapons of the OSS. In today's adventure, the secret box
containing an American agent was turned intoa Japanese infested jungle to take back a
prisoner. The role of John Marco, the OSS agent, is played by
comedy star Jerry Lester. The storyis suggested by actual incidents recorded in the
Washington files of the Office of StrategicServices, a story that can now be

(01:18):
told. I always carried this littlebox. I never knew when it might
come in handy. It was aboutas big as a small lunch boxer.
Well, to begin at the beginning, I happened to be in the radio
room at OSS headquarters in Boma thatnight when the message came through, how

(01:42):
impart chop your come for shop John, Okay, Bob Harry. So that's

(02:15):
how Harry Stevens and I happened tobe in an eighty eighteen flying over Agent
Terry's position about eighty six miles behindenemy lines in Burma. And like I
say, I had this little boxin my knapsack. Oh oh, in
case I forgot to mention it.My name is Johnny Marco Snappy songs and
what are he sayings? Just mentionedmy name in Sheboygan. Oh they loved

(02:38):
me in Savoyga. Yeah, yeah, I know. Hey, Harry,
did I ever tell you about mylast tap and friscal before I went overseas?
I can hardly wait. Her namewas Rose. She had a name
like a flower and a face likea weed. I called her cream a
week because she was so mushy.Marco, I have but one thing to
say to you. We'll talk tome. I hope you'll live to be

(02:58):
as old as good jokes. Youknow the trouble with you, Harry.
You don't realize here carting around amillion dollars wasn't talent. I tell you
the lovely and your boy. I'mthe city yet. Hang on, I'm
gonna take a dive, see ifI can find a landing. Sim we

(03:23):
han't figured our checkpoints cut, butwhen we reached our rendezvous always because she
was a rough field with a Buddhistpagodas, the fire end. Nothing else,
no landing strip, no markers,no one waiting downstairs, just a
rough field covered with brush. Weknew something must have gone wrong. I
don't get if Marcos well, thejack's probably closed in and they're a place

(03:45):
to come out of hiding. Ohgreat, live Jeff. Presidents aren't go
up in our laps every day.Hey, Harry, h who is this
agent Terry anyway? Oh, missionarybeen working with a tribal Banglo Burmese for
years. Carol. Presley's already radioback a lot of information on enemy's position.
This is the first prisoner he's nevertaken on a routt and break.
We'll look circle around again, maybewe'll see something. No better, head

(04:15):
back before we run into tumble As. Hey, Harry, Harry, Look
look the brush it's being yanked away. Yeah, yeah, I see it.
Look those natives they're putting up thewhite market stripe, the safety land
panels out. It just like seeingsomething pump before your eyes. Let's go.
That landing strip came out of nowhere, just all of a sudden,
there it was. The plane bumpedthe ground and rolled in. But we

(04:39):
kept the motors still running in caseof a jab strike, and we sat
there and waited for whatever was goingto happen next Harry, Harry, look,
look, look something or somebody's comingout of that trump of bamboo at
the end of the field. Yeah, keep your hand on your gun.
I'll make a quick getaway. Perhapsa check Harry leaders, Yeah, but

(05:01):
friendly spears. Hey the rod?What's clari? Yeah? Hey, wait
a minute, what's there's a whitewoman with him? I missus Terry,
gentlemen, one would never suspect Iwas a Natron too? A run?

(05:23):
Well, what's the ad? Imean, well, I think you're proud.
Oh it's very simple. Really,My husband, the late Lebendos Terry
of God Killing Man, went tohis rest a few months ago. You
mean, man, you're the agentwho's been sending all that information to OSS
headquarters of Bambo. Naturally this islinkaw suppose would call him the right ten

(05:45):
men? How'd you do? Lynn? How you do? Hi? Lynn?
Incidentally sent to radio message he doesso enjoy tinkering its mechanical devices.
I showed him how to use it. Unfortunately, however, my husband,
the lake lessond Os for Terry,a god killing man, is the only
one of us who knew how totake it to pop and put us together

(06:06):
again. Lynn, Yes, pscaringthat radio? You have it? Ah,
have this here, excellent captain.Would you either have this replace in
Bombo with new pots or have anew radio dropped over to it by sure,
missus, Terry, I'll see whatcan be done for you. Oh,
thank you so much. That's safe. Almost forgot. We have a

(06:28):
Japanese prisoner for you. About ahalf a dozen Naters with short distance away
standing around the kit in that theyhad a Jaff officer with his hands and
feet tired. They dragged him over. He was a surly character. Maybe

(06:48):
I would be under the same circumstancesanyway. He didn't say a word,
just glared at us from under thebloody bandage around his head. Here is
your guest, gentlemen, Colonel Sawaka, the Japanese high command. He resisted
of this rather strenuously, so itwas impossible to avoid banging them around a

(07:09):
bit. Friends, goodbye, now, good luck, go, give my
regards to your colonels. We loadedColonel Slowaka into the small plane. A
few seconds later, as we swungover the field, we looked down and

(07:31):
saw that all trace of the stripthat completely disappeared. The brush was replaced
and there was nothing only jungle.How's our friend, Colonel Swaka doing?
Marco Bari's a little tied up atthe moment, Hey, friend? Are
you doing? Friend doesn't want totalk? You know, that's the best

(07:53):
audience you'll ever have. Marco onewho can't understand English? Oh come on
now, will you have Hey?Maybe you got something? Hey friend?
Uh? Did you know that theformer ruler of Russia was called the Tsar?
His wife was called us Arena?And do you know what they call
this kid? Get a load ofthis bards. Yeah, you know.

(08:16):
I think you're right, Harry.Friend obviously doesn't understand the word of comedy.
Indiay, oh okay, sat backguy takes part of it. So
we get away from him. Nowwe can try climbing, Harry, see
a thousand feet. I'm got tohave a minute, a good hacking out

(08:37):
of range this way. But whatdo we do? I'll love a lamp
and head for home. I can'tget away from him right to criming.
You hit it. We're out ofrange now. I think I get both
so fast? Double black must Theyhad one of the engines. It's not
all fine. How it could havebeen worked. I can get us back

(08:58):
on why oh brother, if youwere your sister, i'd married. Oh
you're up. They catted guy.You know that's Marco. So I don't
know if the rose and every dayyou better go back and say ol friend
is doing friend that Colonel Swaka doingextreme Molye as well. Thank you for
if your hands Tomsy flying instruments toCaptain Hey, Andy, you lieutenant,

(09:20):
give your hands in their way there. I thank you. Well, you're
dirty dump face. You're spoke Inlishall the time enough to tell you that
you do not so as you aretold. I put the boys through your
head. I thank you lieutenant beforeas you ain't gone with the easier each
and you do anything right. Nothing. He's got a plant throughout just the

(09:41):
continue to fly a plane. SoHarry kept the plane set. It's back
to our friends. I just stoodthere and watched Colonel Slowaka's he manipulated the
parachute and Blackamada, changing the gunfrom one hand to the other with his
arm, shoot of stacks of theshoes. Then he opened the handle of

(10:03):
the waist door. I we seethe pine now he's wise on the prisons
ride. Why you keep my handsin the air? What now? I
shoot you both? Then I lovegood bye, fans. Don't forget today.

(10:24):
Jack shouldn't have opened the waist first. All I had to do is
thanks the plane over on the sideand we lost Yeah, we lost him
all right? Oh you shoot open? Oh fine, mission unaccomplished. Well
anyway, it was a nice ride. Uh. Second engine couldn't take the
train of that flip flop pumping out. Yeah, it's got all right.

(10:50):
HiT's the stuff, Marco. Wegotta pail out. I made it okay,
rolled over a couple of times whenI landed and pulled the shoot down.
But it was another story with Harry. As he bailed out, his
slipstream caught him, flung him backagainst the horizontal stabilizer and cut a gash

(11:13):
in his head. Miraculously, hisshoot open and he drifted into the green
jungle and landed upside down in thetop of a tall Muhammed Harry, Harry,
are you all right? Can youtalk? Buck? Scribblind in a
suit? Kick it out my head, cut it yeah, I see,

(11:37):
Buck'll get me done. Yeah,yeah, easy boy. Now I'll do
something. But what. I triedto climb the tree to reach him,
but it was no use. Thetrunk was bare smooth, I could slip
him back. It was in thetwo of us were in the middle of
a nightmare. Harry, Harry,can you hear me? Yeah? I

(12:03):
can't climb that lousy tree. It'stoo slippery. There's nothing for me to
hold on. Marco throw you?Oh what do you mean? It's no
use? You waste time, sentand there you'll be caught. Jeffs tolerant,
you know that as well as like, hurry when you're listening, how
you're listening to me? Get awaynow, will you? You may have
seen the players shut up now whenyou're shut it out of a boat that
Dutch, I know I am anyway, just the one thing, Marcos.

(12:28):
Yeah, don't leave me here tostarve or flaw in the jet's hands.
Bete, you can make a backalong. You're nuts now. I couldn't
do that. Don't leave me tostarve, Marcles please please, huh showed
me first through the head marker.Please. I knew he was right.

(12:50):
I couldn't leave a place, Marco, not that way, and I couldn't
stay Marco. Well, I tookthe forty five from the holstert my dust.
When I heard the dry click ofthe hammer being drawn back, I
broke out in a sweat. Myhands started to get wet burdle. I
counted one, two, well lifted, and the looks of it, we

(13:15):
are right in time, Glynn howand the natives went to work swiftly knocking
down a second, smaller tree againstthe mahogany. They scaled it like cats
to the face of the branch whereHarry was handed, crossed a loop of
brat's hand across the branch, andtold a torch. Then they lifted Harry,

(13:37):
passed him from hand to hand,load of jumping to the ground.
And all the time I just stoodthere next to missus Terry, feeling the
blood pounding in my head, andI put the pistol back into my holster.
Then that of the bandage. Pleasehere here your arms theirry good sellow,
thank you so much. I wasgoing. We had now Captain Stephen

(14:01):
much better. Say, I stilldon't understand. How did you openay?
The Japanese at deat hit your planealmost immediate play off. Few left us.
It came along with the jungle Incase there should be needed this lady.
No one never needed you more,you say, colonels the walker,
escape deer, deer for the pity. Well enough, I think that bandage

(14:24):
will do. Do you'll get backMiss Terry? Yes? Lynn, Lynn
say leave now, do not stay? But so virtual Oh yes, Clay,
but that poses a problem. Istill you earlier. Our radio is
off of use, so there's noway of contacting headquarters and time them to
send a plane for us. Exactly, Lieutenant Marco, Well do you think

(14:45):
we can make it back to enemylines on foot? M Possibly take five
or six days anyway, But itcould be done, couldn't it. I
mean we could sneak through. Couldn'twe by passed the jet? So I
don't care to Flynn car help takeyour happy to like you a Lynn tow
my husband the lake resend Terry agod fearing man, Thank you. He

(15:09):
was a pill haughtily Lynn taw knewplenty of short cuts, and we followed
him, skirting jack patrols all theway. There was something uncanny about the
way he led us over miles ofjungles. We kept our attacks light because

(15:31):
we had a pretty long hiking head, but just the same, I kept
that little box with me. Inever knew when I might come in handy.
And we came to a small stream, our Moscow true stream. Here,
take off shore. We'll wait aminute. Then why bother. We'll
be waiting through a lot of water, and why take our shoes off?

(15:52):
And hour saw as lynch. Ifshoe get wet, feet wet our time
man, he's off, come onfee well. Not be easy for you
to walk much distance to Obama.We crossed several more books, and we
kept taking our shoes off, thenon and off the jungle along the bank,

(16:15):
scoot dinner, and so did we. The sun beat down high,
the water wash stand up around ourknees, the shoes off, the knie
on and off we'd splashing and thenstumbling, then start walking. A couple
of days of this we were prettybeat except for iron man. Lyn Ah,

(16:40):
feel good lint. Then the sunnerhas to hold up for we're left
here near scream. Hey, thisis an ideal spot for a picnic.
Fifty million insects can't be wrong.Got your first dew, little foreigner Marca
set me water left my can'tee dry? Yeah? Sure here, Oh your

(17:00):
gout, it's okay. Go ahead, drink. We're in the still of
water. We unt when TA say, do not worry. Watch I will
show what to do. So youknow, hey, wait a minute,
what are you thinking? The holein the sand. But first dick small
hall in sand near stream place leavein bomb like pies and water come to

(17:22):
shine, leave and not be muddy. Can bring Hey, that's the greatest.
The leaves act like a filler.Water is clear. Uh, drink.
Can't wear your hand. We'll nowhurt you. Now this lind Tower
had a dozen cute little ticks likethat, he'd be in a riot and
vogeo. Well. The next morningwe were back on the trail, pushing

(17:45):
our way through sharp blades of grass, and all of a sudden we heard
the tinkle of an iron bell.Then what's that? That's kay? Fuck
off for coming. Thanks to usvillage or in junk or put iron palamic
warm, Thank you our guts,we got guns. Let's shoot out a
horn on. You're not doing ourschool. You have the hood, not
go through hide only your elephant mustanywhere. Do not fool a still shie

(18:07):
them. Look at the size ofthem. It's like being charged that by
a six D. Will not shootyet all if we must passed right by
us here, maybe he didn't thinkwe were worth noticing. Do you know
something hurt? One thing? Ican't figure out about an elephant with a

(18:30):
tail at both ends? How doeshe know which end to sit on?
Funny man, come on, let'smake time. Lyn Pau did our scene
and our thinking for us. Hedid everything but walk for us, and
we got sort of used to leaningup. Nothing could happen to iron Man.
Wn O me you did? Oh? Lynn, Lynn, Harry,

(18:53):
Harry, he's dead. That knifewent right in his back. Where did
it come from? They came outof the jungle. At least fifty of
them, had naked savages carrying longstalks of bamboo that had been shopping to
deadly points. Their leader was agiant, must have been about six foot

(19:15):
seven. He held up his hand, and the sudden silence scared us more
than the noise bumb done. Whatdid he say? Did you understand him?
Harry? Oh? Look friend friendheavy prim no no friend quum dun

(19:36):
lee, white devil, white devils. That was us. He slashed off
pieces of the vine ropes around thetree and twisted them about us so we
could just move our legs. Thenthey pushed us ahead of them through the
gray daylight of the jungle, throughthe dim passages of winding lee. On

(19:56):
the climbing tropical plants, a straybird shot the color to the overhanging trees.
After about a mile, the pastbecame a trail aleannas were cut away.
We tipped over some coconut husks bythe side of a child fire.

(20:18):
We were coming into the village.Then Harry saw them first. Muckle up
there on the pool, human heads, a rower, skull head, hunds,
Marcus, he's a head hundreds woofQuan Dunlee. Woof. Hey,
look, chief chief, you gotit all wrong. No, no,
we're not devils. We're friends.Friend. No, no, you smirker

(20:42):
I macan, you are right,it's no yours. Colonel Sulwaka, I
am a great to friends of thebeach. I've had to find hunt for
I want them out of your coming. Told them you are Quan Dunlee.
What devils? Who common to bringa play? And the platt and them,

(21:02):
yes what the devil's away? Thenguambon, I bus up, you
know what, they untitled and threwus in a straw thatched hut they called
a basher. Through the makeshift door, we could see the skulls on the
poles, anndrous row of them underthe hot sun, and up the poles

(21:26):
streamed columns of jungle lands, givingthem an ancient burial. Looks like the
end of the line marker. Yeah, hey, wait a minute, Harry,
that chief speaks a little pigeon English. He understands a little. Do
you think we could reason with him? It doesn't look like the reasonable type.
Besides, our friend Colonel s Walkergot to them first. Dribes convinced

(21:47):
with dangerous. Yeah, about asdangerous as a glass of buttermise. A
lot of money buckets to walk outsidetalking to the good we got company.
I act you are a captain.Why don't you climb a tree? A
little monkey? Watch? Your songwas the most fussinate for me. I

(22:07):
found a way here to a friend. Will you come? Sorry? I
don't like your friend. My twinEaster do not to work you either,
think you are deble. Americans willbring evil to their people. Sleep well
tomorrow you will drawing the heads onthe poles In the morning they brought us

(22:37):
out. I guess we were prettyimportant because the Big Chief himself came over
to tire us to the poles.Then I got an idea. I slipped
my hand in my pocket and grabbeda coin, just held it tight,
Cum Dunlee tie you now, hey, jeep, look at this. What
are you doing carrying dimes around inyour ears? Oh? Oh what do

(23:00):
you know? Another in your otherear? Huh huh. And here's one
in your nose. Bobo, sayyou're a pretty sly character, aren't your
regular walking bag of Anglerbaka? Whatare you king? Just a couple of
magic tricks if I can get awaywith them, I tell you they love
me, boy mudgie, that's right, topah magic. Now, if you

(23:22):
get me that knapsack you grab forme, I'll do more. See knapsack
bag from back, Savvy, Rememberwe'll do Toba'll not listen to flan don
fuck off her heads. Now,hey, look at this. Look at
this? Now you see it?Now you don't, oh besto, coins
disappear, other get knapsack or you'lldisappear. Savvy going surp room byre Gura.

(23:53):
Boy, that coin trick got himin the Swaka's side. And one
of those rover boys to get myknapsack they brought it to me, and
I took out the little bottle.I always knew it would come in handy
sometimes. Then the chief held uphis hand again. Both dude and I
went into my act. What anaudience and what a performance. I'll watch

(24:19):
closely, ladies and gentlemen. Thehand is quicker than they are. That's
to change. Oh, I takethis little glass of water, just an
ordinary glass of water. If youwill observe closely, and lesto it turns
color, You're doing great. Close, I tell you close off of the
hat he used to you tell himChief, demo, go away, little

(24:45):
man, you bother me. Nowfor the next bit of magic, ladies
and gentlemen, I pulled every trickin the book out of that little box,
two cigarettes from the chiefs here hodo, pull hours out of empty pots,
and yanked a dozen colored scarves outof a single white handkerchief. And

(25:06):
then I broke a stick in halfand put it together. Or boy did
they love it. And now onmy final bit of hocus pocus, ladies
and gentlemen, and Mark, whywas it try so to walk and half
them forgets to put him together?They get something better? As I was
saying, you'll get him over.Tried to come half maybe will stop him.

(25:30):
Look what shinny from God up stoppedhim? All right. I pulled
a blow out in the box bluehot, and out came a tiny doll
dressed in a JACK uniform without hishead. Superstitious native stepped back, afraid

(25:56):
to come any closer. See seesign Japanese is Kwanton Lee God say so
Americans friends frowns dolls there on theground Japanese sign from God's follow break white
father and fight Jean Chee. Youtell them big trouble we had keeping them

(26:27):
from carrying Swaka park. We wantedthem alive to take back to OSS headquarters
in Bamba. Well that's the story. The next day the headhunters others back
through the jungle with our prisoner.There's only one thing I'm sorry about it.

(26:48):
Too bad Variety couldn't have cut myact. I tell you they loved
me. In Burma, Captain HarryStephens and Lieutenant John Marco safely delivered Colonel
Slowaka to OSS headquarters in Bambo,where he gave valuable information on Japanese war
industry and finance. And so onceagain, the report of another OSS agent's

(27:11):
closes with the words mission accomplished.Listen again next week for another true adventure
from the files of the Oss onK and Dagger bard. In Today's Clarke

(27:45):
and Daiger Adventurers Marco was Jerry Lester, with Larry Haines as Harry, Colonel
slowaka Daniel Aco Missus Harry Irene Hobbard, the Colonel Raymond Edward Johnson. Others
were Carl Weber, Arnold Roberts andJerry Jarrin. The script was written by
Wonnifred Wolf and Jack Gordon. Themusic was under the direction of Murray Ross.

(28:07):
Today's true Oss Adventure was based onthe book Cloak and Dagger by Corey
Ford and Alastair McMain. This hasbeen a Lost g Con production in association
with Alfred Hollander. I was underthe direction and supervision of Sherman Marx Programs.
Get your programs here, mystery fans. There's an exciting evening waiting for
you tonight on NBC. First,some listener will have a chance to win

(28:27):
one thousand dollars for solving the caseon one thousand dollars reward. One thousand dollars reward