Podcast Summary: Dangerous Assignment—"White Jade Cafe" (Aired 02/27/1950)

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio
Episode: Dangerous Assignment: "White Jade Cafe"
Original Air Date: February 27, 1950
Summary Date: December 24, 2025
Host: Choice Classic Radio

Episode Overview

This episode of "Dangerous Assignment," starring Brian Donlevy as intrepid government agent Steve Mitchell, takes listeners to the tense, shadowy streets of Macau. Mitchell is tasked with locating and extracting a fellow undercover agent, Kurt Allison, who is trapped while negotiating a sensitive deal that could alter the political alignment of a region in the Orient. Mitchell must navigate double-crosses, murder, and shadowy adversaries—all culminating in a daring rescue and a clever escape plan out of the country.

Key Discussion Points and Plot Breakdown

1. The Mission Briefing and Macau Arrival

• Mitchell receives his assignment from the Commissioner, learning that Kurt Allison is in imminent danger after being discovered during a secret diplomatic mission.
  • Notable exchange:
    • Mitchell: “Sounds like quite an order. Any line on the representatives of the opposition?” (03:13)
    • Commissioner: “We only know that one of them walks with a limp…Go to the White Jade Cafe. You'll be contacted there.” (03:17)
• Destination: Macau, Hotel ‘Splendid’ (ironically named), and the White Jade Café.

2. First Contacts and Escalating Danger

• At the hotel, Mitchell makes a cover as a newspaper correspondent and asks about the White Jade Cafe. He is observed and shadowed immediately, showing the level of surveillance upon his arrival. (05:02–05:30)
• Mitchell is quickly in contact with Allison, who is trapped and watched by agent Marco in the room next door.
  • Allison: “They blocked every exit…they’ve got me bottled up.” (06:31)
• A tense confrontation and gunfire ensue. Allison escapes out the window, Marco is killed, and the police begin a manhunt, believing Allison is now a murder suspect. (07:02–08:19)

3. The Opposition’s Plot and Internal Betrayals

• Meanwhile, antagonists Bartik, Sigris, and Melanie plan to let Mitchell track Allison for them. Melanie is assigned to pose as his contact. (08:54–09:45)
  • Sigris: “When we are sure he is the one, Bartik will kill him.” (09:28)

4. White Jade Café—Layers of Deception

• At the vibrant White Jade Café, Mitchell is contacted by Melanie (the supposed contact), and then another mysterious man, Chaska, both claiming to help him find Allison.
  • Melanie: “You are Steve Mitchell? Were you not told you would be contacted here at the White Jade?” (10:39)
  • Chaska: “I was instructed to contact you here at the White Jade.” (12:12)
• Both claim to know about Allison and Helen, the American woman connected to the case. Mitchell remains suspicious and methodically tests their claims.

5. The Clue at Helen’s Apartment and the Carnival

• Mitchell and Melanie follow a clue to Helen’s apartment amid a bustling street carnival. They find Helen dead, and a cryptic message from Allison leads Mitchell to deduce Allison's likely hiding place: somewhere near crowds—perhaps at the carnival itself. (14:12–15:09)
  • Steve Mitchell: “First and second rules of concealment…choose a place near a crowd…hide in the vicinity of a friendly contact.” (16:46–17:13)

6. The Rescue on the Ferris Wheel

• At the carnival, with the Ferris wheel “out of order,” Mitchell demands it be checked. Inside one of the baskets, Allison is discovered wounded but alive. (19:03–20:09)
  • Mitchell: “I'd like to take a look in some of those baskets on the wheel.” (19:31)
  • Allison: “I collected a bullet in my leg. Did you kill Marco? No.” (20:03)

7. The Smuggling Plot and Police Interference

• Mitchell orchestrates a plan to smuggle Allison out via crates of curios on a tramp steamer. The police interrupt but find only curios after searching all the crates. (22:46–26:13)
  • Lieutenant Neves: “We have definite information Mr. Allison is in one of these crates…You are trying to smuggle him out…” (25:09)

8. Final Confrontations and Twist

• Upon returning, Mitchell confronts Melanie, accusing her of betrayal. The villains corner Mitchell, threatening torture for Allison’s location. (27:04–28:12)
  • Bartik (the man with the limp): “Unless you agree to take us to Kurt Allison at the count of three, Bartik will bury his knife in you.” (28:00)
• Mitchell leads them into a trap: police wait, and the real Allison is already at sea. The opposing plot is exposed.
  • Mitchell: “That deal with the crates was more than just a trick to expose you, Melanie…I had you pegged quite a while.” (29:48–30:02)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• The Assignment:
  • Commissioner: "You're going to Macau on the China coast. One of our agents is in trouble… Get him out of the country by Thursday…" (02:28–03:13)
• Mitchell’s Attitude:
  • Steve Mitchell: “Sounds like a nice keg of nails you’ve opened for me.” (03:28)
• The Carnival Hideout Reveal:
  • Steve Mitchell: “Choose a place near a crowd… if you have to run, you can lose yourself in the crowd.” (16:46)
• The Twist:
  • Steve Mitchell: “You flunked it, Melanie… It was a little test.” (27:17)
• The Clever Escape:
  • Steve Mitchell: “That deal with the crates was more than just a trick to expose you… After they found nothing in the crates the first time, I knew they wouldn't bother looking again when Allison was actually inside.” (29:50–30:02)

Important Timestamps

• Mission Briefing (Commissioner): 02:13–03:38
• Initial Contact with Allison: 06:26–06:49
• Murder and Escape: 07:02–08:19
• White Jade Cafe First Meeting: 09:45–10:48
• Helen’s Apartment Scene: 14:12–15:09
• Ferris Wheel Rescue: 19:00–20:09
• Smuggling Plot Foiled by Police: 24:11–26:13
• Villains’ Confrontation and Final Twist: 27:04–30:18

Tone & Language

The episode delivers classic hardboiled detective banter, with Mitchell’s sardonic wit, smoky intrigue of continental bars and cafes, and tense confrontations. The other characters range from oily villains to world-wise allies, creating a dense web of suspicion, deception, and narrow escapes that typifies Golden Age spy radio dramas.

Conclusion

“White Jade Cafe” delivers suspense, intrigue, and a classic case of spy-vs-spy, with hero Steve Mitchell using both cunning and nerve to outwit his opponents and save his colleague. Through twists, betrayals, and a dash of sardonic humor, the episode exemplifies the thrills of 1950s radio detective storytelling.