The Adventures of Frank Race starring Tom Collins. The war changed many things, the face of the earth and the people on it. Before the war, Frank Race worked as an attorney, but he traded his law books for the cloak and dagger of the OSS. And when it was over, his former life was over too. Adventure had become his business, The Adventures of Frank Race. And now we join Frank Race for the adventure of the Fat Man's Lube. Nothing like a Turkish bath for complete relaxation. I hadn't had an assignment for two weeks. The heat and the humidity of the steam room at Berens Bath on Third Avenue were rapidly dissipating any desire I might have had for ever working again. But the door opened and I was joined by a familiar figure who made his way through the wispy steam of all the abandon of a cab driver and a fog. Hey, Race. Come on here. I got me melted and ran right down the drain. Hey, Race. Over here, Mark. Oh, holy cow. I've been in here long enough to turn into a lobster. For all the guys to have to go looking for, you are the only one which has ever made me get dressed up in a towel. Well, it's good for you, Mark. Opens your pores. Yeah, huh? Let's get out of here. Look at the color of me. I'd be lucky if I'm not snatched off the streets and sent to an Indian reservation. If you don't like it, why didn't you wait outside where I left you? Because somebody's looking for you. Ted Coleman, the Universal Shorty writers. Hmm. Must be a jewelry case, huh? From the sound of it, with the diamond left in the world, it hasn't been stolen. All right. One cold dive in the pool and we can get out of here. Ted Coleman, insurance company vice president, with the eyes of a heavyweight champion. He doesn't talk about it, but one of his souvenirs from the war is the Congressional Medal of Honor. As we came into his office, he got up from behind the desk to shake hands. On the desk were a couple of items of jewelry that would have made whistles come from the Vanderbilts. And on the wall behind the desk hung a map of Europe. Hello, Race. What do you think of these trinkets? Pretty bubbles. They must be paste. No stones could be that large. No, Race, they're real. They were even larger before they were cut and reset. Who do they belong to? Some unfortunate people who are no longer with us. People who were murdered in Europe during the war. I've been waiting for some of this stuff to turn up. This is only a small part of what I'm looking for. And you want me to find the rest? Yes. It's going to be easy, Race, because these jewels are part of the loot confiscated by Herman Gering. Oh, old fat stuff himself, huh? Hey, Gering's dead, ain't he? Yes, he's dead all right. But obviously somebody who was close to him is still alive. Alive and living like a king with stuff like this in his possession. I don't like the idea of that, Race. Neither do I. Where do I start? A Nazi captain named Ludwig Strauss was in charge of Gering's jewel collection. I've checked all the war crime records. Strauss has never been picked up. He's had a couple of years to change his appearance. And his name. He better start in Berlin. That was Strauss' home. Here are some notes on him. Former addresses, names of intimate friends, many of whom were taken care of at Nuremberg. Here's a picture of him with Gering at the gambling casino. Gering's in the background and that's Strauss getting ready to throw the dice. He's almost as fat as Gering. Tell me, Ted, where did these jewels turn up? We've got the places circling red on the map. Marseille, France, Torino, and Geneva, and Italy, and the necklace in Barcelona, Spain. Details are in the notes I gave you. I guess you've paid out a fortune in claims on this stuff. Now, this might sound funny coming from an insurance man, Race, but I wish we'd paid more. Because that would mean that some of the owners would be alive to collect. I want that Strauss, Race. I wish I could go after him myself. Well, I'll do my best, Ted. Arrange visas for Mark and me. We'll take a plane to Berlin in the morning. Berlin, capital city of the losing team. And yet they didn't act like losers. They seemed better clothed and better fed than the rest of Europe. And the old arrogance was returning. You could feel it behind their thin, careful smiles. The conversation was limited to two negative statements. None of them had ever been Nazis, and none of them knew anything about Ludwig Strauss. Hey, listen. Sounds like a party going on someplace, huh? Yeah, right across the street there. Must be a nightclub. Brother, that's for me. I would just love to park me a tight carcass and inhale one short beer. All right, Mike. Must be it had been almost deserted, but the interior of the club wasn't. It was more than a nightclub, and it wasn't for ordinary patrons. There was gambling going on, and it was strictly big time. Wow. Hey, we must have gotten off the wrong plane. This looks like Monte Carlo. Yeah, it looks better than that, Mark. You know, I think we hit the jackpot. What do you mean? The groupie at that dice table in the corner. One with the green eye shade. Yeah, yeah, but I don't get it. You haven't forgotten this picture Ted Coleman gave me, have you? Hey, same guy, all right? In a picture with Strauss and Garing. Yeah. What's our play? Let's see if we can't roll a couple of sevens. Excuse me, let us through here, will you please? Place your bets, please. I'd like to make a private bet. Please, mind here. All bets on the table. Well, you wouldn't really want me to place this photograph on the table, would you? Where did you get it? I don't have any questions. Where's Ludwig Strauss? He's dead. Why don't you talk to us in private? If you'll step this way, please. All right. Where is he? I do not know. I could turn this picture over to the denazification authorities. I was not a Nazi. You know I believe you, don't you? Come on. I haven't seen him since just before the occupation. He used to come here every night and then he disappeared. Keep talking. That is all I can tell you. Karl is right. It is all any of us can tell you. I couldn't help overhearing. I was behind the drape looking out the window. I couldn't have helped myself, Ma'am. They have a picture. Who are you? I am the wife of the man you are seeking. Frau Ludwig Strauss. She pitched the statement like a hand grenade and Mark and I reacted. No picture was going to rattle this woman. She was cold. But beautiful. Are you right? Did you hear what she said? I heard. Where is your husband, Frau Strauss? I am not sure. Nor by you, Sweden. I wish I could help you. You see, I hated my husband. But you love American investigators, hmm? If somebody like you, it might not be hard to learn. What have you got against Ludwig, baby? I did not share his beliefs. You see, I was not... You were not a Nazi, I thought that was it. You do not believe me? Oh, of course I do. Of course I do. If I sound surprised, it is only because I keep thinking of how much damage Adolf managed to do all by himself. Come on, Mark, let us get some fresh air. So, here we go again. Which do we try for? Norway or Sweden? Neither one, Mark. We are being steered. No Nazi officer would hide out in Norway or Sweden. If people discovered them, they would tear him apart. Then you think Strauss is still here? No, too many people might recognize him. That means we have nothing but the whole wide world... Save it, Mark. What is up? The car has been telling us. Quick, this doorway. Herr Ex, may I give you a ride to your hotel? He says the guy was running a crab camp. I know you are here someplace. I just want to help you. Get out of the car and walk over here with your hands up. Oh, there you are on the doorway. All right, Adolf, schnell! Somebody else in the car. Down, Mark! Come on, Don. Adolf is making a break for him. Stop! Oh, he hit me. Just a minute, Don. Frank! Damn, Adolf. Frank, you all right? Yeah, in the side. Better come into that car and get out of here. All right, all right. Take it easy, Reiche. Come on. I lost a lot of blood. Yeah, you did a pretty neat job of bandaging. Oh, don't even mind. I got a medical over from the American sick. He'll be back to see you tonight. We won't be here tonight. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. He said you can't move out of here for a couple of days. Besides, what's the use going off on a wild goose chase? Do we know something? We do know something, Mark. Something that should have been obvious. Something that Frost Strauss made even more obvious. Like what? Like steering us north. That should mean that Strauss is someplace in the south. Yeah, yeah. The figures. Where? The place you mentioned last night. Monte Carlo. Ah, now you're guessing, Reiche. Maybe, but with reasons. Strauss spent all his spare time gambling. When a man doesn't change his habits, you know. Yeah, but there are other places... Yeah, get that map out of my pocket, will you, Mark? The one Coleman gave me. Yeah, right. Yeah. Look at the places circling in red. Where the jewels are found. Yeah, yeah. See what you mean. They all fan out around Monte Carlo. He goes to a different place each time he unloads some of the stuff, but it all points to a home base in the middle. This I gotta buy. While you're at it, buy something else. Two tickets on tonight's Riviera Express to Monte Carlo. Oh, brother, they're kidding. What a train. I know what they do with all American cattle cars when the cows refuse to ride them anymore. Only a few more hours, Mark. Why don't you try to cop on that? How can I sleep when this guy next to me is using my shoulder for a pillow? Come on, Mark. Wake up, will you? Oh, pardon, monsieur. I must have fallen asleep. For a minute I thought she dropped dead. You gentlemen are tourists? We're in the jewelry business. A buying trip. Oh, one can pick up some wonderful bargain in Paris. Have you tried there? I thought Monte Carlo might be a good spot. Monte Carlo? I'm afraid you would be disappointed. Most of the jewels one sees in Monte Carlo are worn by your rich American women. Well, natives must have some jewelry of their own. I guess they might sell some of it if they get a losing streak at the casino. Again, you will be disappointed. The regular residents of Monaco are not permitted to play at the casino. It is against the law. Really, you would find very preferable. Everybody seems to have a suggestion as to where I should go. I do not understand, monsieur. Perhaps you don't. We'll skip it. Oh, this is my station. Au revoir, monsieur. Au revoir. Yeah, au revoir. Hey, wait a minute. Wait. You forgot something. Oh, this is my lunch. I overslept. My wife will have oatmeal prepared. Please accept it with my compliment. Well, thanks, hey. I wouldn't eat that if I were you, Mark. Ah, don't be so suspicious. A guy with just a farm. I'm hungry. You can wait a while. Well, we'll take a look anyhow. Oh, boy. Really, that thing's a pet over here. Hey, look. Wires. Throw it, Mark. Quick. Out the window. But I can't... I can't... We'll return to The Adventures of Frank Race in just about one minute. And now, back to The Adventures of Frank Race. What that homemade bomb would have done in the close quarters of the compartment, I hate to think about. But I got it away from Mark and made a heave just in time. Even so, it tore up a section of track next to us and broke enough windows on the train to make it look like the aftermath of a Sandlot ballgame. The blast couldn't be traced to us. After the authorities finished their rather confused investigation, we went on to Monte Carlo and settled into the Hotel Crown. Hello. Hello, Mr. Race? Yes. Well, I'm Helen Farragut. You don't know me, but... Well, the sound of you, I'd like to. Well, that's just what I'm calling about. You see, I'm a fellow American and, uh, I'm lonesome. Your looks don't match your voice. I mean lonesome for company from home. I've been here for four years, sort of a self-imposed exile. Every time a new American comes to town, I hear about it and I'm buying them up to the Villa of the Teen. What time and where? Four o'clock. And I'll send a car for you. I'll be waiting. The villa that housed Helen Farragut was something you see in dreams or on picture postcards. You could count seven different shades of blue in the Mediterranean as you looked down from the hillside. But beautiful as the sea was, Helen Farragut could snatch your attention from it without half trying. My blind dates don't always turn out this well, Mr. Race. I was just going to say the same thing. Will it be tea or something more stimulating? This is definitely Cointreau with him and atmosphere. I'll join you. Two Cointreaux, please, all right? Yes, Miss Barrowden. When we get our drinks, I'll introduce you to my protectors. Protectors? You see, I always invite a couple of extra people just to have them on hand if the blind date should turn out to be disappointing. They're out on the balcony. Will they always be out on the balcony? No. Next time we'll be alone. You found us, Mr. Hughes. Oh, thank you, my lady. Thanks. And now, the balcony. There were three of them, two men and a woman. One of the men was an American businessman, Dan Carpenter, a bit on the punchy side. He had the distracted futile air that Americans get when they've been abroad for too long. Then there was Rudolf Richter, a German right down at the proverbial Heidelberg Dueling Sky. I needed no introduction to the woman. We meet again, Mr. Race. Yes, Mrs. Strauss. Despite all obstacles, we meet again. Oh, you know each other. Well, that's nice. You can chat while I get on ready to fetch around. I'm telling you that I would understand. I had a run-in with some of your friends before I left Berlin. They were not my friends, but there's no point in telling you that. You don't want to listen. Your voice, yes. The words, no. Perhaps in time I could convince you, but this is hardly the place. We'll be meeting again. Tonight, perhaps? Dinner? All right. Race, I'd like you to settle an argument for us. You've just come from the States. Yes. Richter thinks that America is all for keeping Germany down. I told him once we've won, we forget about all that nonsense. Sure we do, Carpenter. Places like Belsen and Dachau are easy to forget. There you are, Richter. I think I denoted a note of irony in Mr. Race's voice. I get that way around people like Carpenter. What do you mean? I mean, I think you sat the war out in some nice cozy spot like this. You can forget anything. You weren't hurt. The guy was too old for that. Sure, you were too old and you had no sons. It figures. Why, uh... Easy, fellow. Oh, tell Helen I had to go. I'll call again when the tourist season is over. I'm afraid Carpenter does not like you. Well, that makes it even. I don't like Carpenter. I'm surprised to find you on my side. Why, Mr. Race, because I am a German? I was not a... No, I won't say that. It is too commonplace. Coming from you, I might believe it. Coming from Richter, you should believe it. He lost his family at Dachau. I'm sorry. I was a jeweler, Mr. Race. My company was well. It was comparable to your Tiffany's. Now I have nothing, nothing but the desire to find one man and to make him pay. Not for the jewels, but for my wife, my child. Ludwig Strauss, huh? Yes, Ludwig Strauss. This just runs quite an establishment, don't it? Miss Farragut is very wealthy, Monsieur. Nice of you to drive me down. Miss Farragut wished it. I do as I am told, Monsieur. I guess the casino collects quite a bit of revenue from Miss Farragut and her other guests. Monsieur Carpenter plays heavily and loses. Miss Farragut does not gamble. How about Richter? He spends most of his spare time at the casino. Usually, as with the other lady. Mrs. Strauss? Oui. His madness, this gambling. We natives. It makes us laugh. It's always funny, from the collector's side. You wish to go directly to your hotel, Monsieur? No, I wish to go directly to the cable office. I need a little information. I set a cable to Ted Coleman. There was a sense that Ludwig Strauss was in Monte Carlo or not far away. And there was a better than even chance that I'd already met him without knowing it. I went back to my hotel, took a fast nap and waited for the answers. Hello, Mark. Where have you been? Over at the casino getting my pockets picked by the roulette wheel. Oh, brother, my sauvy. Oh, here. It's a cable for you. Pick it up at the desk. Oh, good. I've been waiting for that. What does it say? Hmm, plenty. Information Coleman dug up about Strauss. Went to school in England and the United States. And English is one of the languages he speaks like a native. So how does that help? It helps plenty, Mark. His physical appearance changed. Hair dyed, new name. He might be almost anybody we meet. Might even be an American businessman named Dan Carpenter or a German named Rudolf Richter. Yeah, might even be my grandmother on Williamsburg. What a case. Mark, would you say that a piece of jewelry would be an appropriate gift for a lovely lady? Well, only if he was going to marry the dam so he could get your claws on a thing and how could a thing's got tough wire? I've been thinking of buying a brooch, a large diamond brooch with a sentimental offering. Are you off your rocker? I know, Mark. I want you to go to a jeweler and have one made up. Race you nuts. Well, listen to me, listen to me. I want a pace job that will look like the real McCoy. Plenty of flash and no value. That's different. Now scoot. I've got to dress and meet a lady for dinner. You look different by candlelight race. Your eyes, they are not so golden, Adamant. You look different yourself. Make me feel that I've misjudged you. As a matter of fact, I've been feeling sorry about you. You can make it up to me. I brought you something that might help. Will you accept it? A brooch? Why, it's lovely. Oh, it's nothing really. I would like to thank you, really thank you, but this is not the place. Shall we go out on the terrace? Yes. Now I can thank you. She came into my arms. I said she was cold, but she only looked badly. Her lips took me on a rocket trip to the equator and nothing flattered. I hated to break away, but it wasn't a matter of choice. I'll touch you. Rudolph. That gun doesn't look very friendly, Richter. Move away from her, Race. All right, I'll move. I turned the gun toward the sky and Richter and I struggled for it. He had the power of a madman. I caught his fingers, bent them back until he let go of the gun, but as I straightened his foot, shot out and caught me under the chin, I went sprawling. Are you all right? Yeah, I will be in a minute. Where's his gun? Oh, never mind, I'll get it. Oh, I'm frightened, Race. You better take me up to Helen Farragut's. That's a thought. I'd like to go up there myself. Must have been quite an evening, Mr. Race. Mayda will be all right as soon as she's had some sleep. I gave her a sleeping pill. You'd better keep an eye on her. Call me if you see Richter wandering around anyplace. I will. You know, you should have had dinner with me. It would have been less hectic. And also, I know how to be grateful for expensive gifts. Glad you're impressed. I like to impress people, especially beautiful women. You impressed Mayda all right. She gave Henri the brooch and told him to put it in the wall safe. Would Henri mind driving me down? I'll let the taxi go and I want to stop at the casino. Not at all. I'll call him. I am glad you asked me to drive you down, Mr. Race. I had the urge to visit the casino this evening. I thought you were opposed to gambling. One is human, Mr. Well, don't lose your shirt. With my salary, Mr., neither the house nor I can get you into much trouble. I left Henri and wandered around the casino looking for Rudolph Richter. He wasn't at the roulette tables. He wasn't at the dice tables. I went into the back right room, watched the play for a while, and decided to give it up. When I came back through the main room of the casino, I saw a familiar face. Dan Carpenter. And he wasn't happy. How should these chips take them off my tab? I'll give you a check. Having a losing streak, Carpenter? Oh, it's you. Gambling's an expensive pastime. So is giving out advice you haven't been asked for. I'd like to talk to you. Not now. I'm catching a plane for Finns. What for? To sell some Italian holdings, if it's any of your business. Mr. Reiss. Mr. Reiss. Henri, what is it? Miss Fargo just called. It is about Mr. Richter. He just killed himself over the villa. He jumped from the balcony. He's down there, Reiss, by the rocks. There are men coming along the beach with torches to recover the body. How did it happen? Well, Maeda was too upset to sleep. We came out on the balcony. Rudolph came in and he started to scream something about being trapped. Then he jumped. Where's Maeda? In here. Look, take it easy with her. She's in bad shape. Look, dear, let me call a doctor for you. No. No, I don't need a doctor. Well, are you satisfied, Mr. Reiss? Should I be? You can leave my husband alone now. You can't do anything to a dead man. Maeda. You might as well know. Ludwig changed his name to Rudolf Richter. When Reiss came, I tried to help, but I couldn't. I was frightened and now he's dead. Can I do anything to help, Miss Fargo? No, thank you, Henri. I don't suppose you'd want anything around to remind you of me, Mrs. Strauss. May I have that brooch back? Yes. Just take it and get out. Leave me alone. Would you get me the brooch, please, Henri? Yes, sir. I think I put it right over here by the carpet there. Thanks. You can stop performing now, Maeda. What do you mean, Reiss? I mean that Rudolf Richter, that was his real name, didn't jump off that balcony. He was pushed. Because he didn't believe Maeda's story anymore and he was getting too close to Ludwig Strauss. All right, Reiss. Go on. I don't have to go any further. I'm already there. Henri. Yes, monsieur. Why didn't you put that brooch in the safe? I forgot. You didn't forget. You knew it was paste. And you are a native of Monte Carlo, are you? Because it's against the law for local citizens to go into the casino. You are being ridiculous, monsieur. Well, we can make sure. Let's send a copy of your fingerprints to AMG in Nuremberg. That won't be necessary, Reiss. Very neat, those pearl-handled revolts. I've enjoyed this meal ticket for too long to have you mess it up. Very nice front. Rich American girls, very common over here. So you pose as one and give Ludwig a perfect cover up as houseboy and chauffeur. And he enjoys the luxury of the villa, except for serving at tea parties, of course. Are you ready to make the jump now, Reiss? I must you also be pushed. I'll jump. Let go of me, you! Stop that, Ludwig! I'm sorry it had to be this way, Milly. Yes, Reiss, so am I. But now there's nothing in our ways there. And I care for you. Oh, you misunderstand me, baby. I meant that I'd rather have seen Ludwig stretching rope at Nuremberg. I was talking about us, Reiss, you and me. Oh, I wouldn't plan on us, Milly. I've been a stage door Johnny at times, but a jail door Johnny... I'm afraid you'll be too old and unattractive by the time you get out. Why? No such language. Now, you just sit there quietly while I invite some guests to the party. Operator, get me the Monte Carlo police. The Adventures of Frank Reiss starring Tom Collins with Tony Barrett as Mark Donovan comes to you from Hollywood. Others heard in tonight's cast were Lillian Bajoff, Michael Ann Barrett, Wilms Herbert, Jack Crouchon, and Harry Lang. This series is written and directed by Buckley Angel and Joel Murcott. The music is composed and played by Ivan Dittmars. Be sure to be with us again this same time next week for another dramatic chapter in The Adventures of Frank Reiss. Art Gilmore speaking. This is a Bruce Ells production. .
