Podcast Episode Summary

Podcast: Choice Classic Radio Detectives | Old Time Radio

Episode: Dangerous Assignment: Who Killed Captain Rocq (02/13/1950)
Release Date: December 10, 2025
Main Theme:
Steve Mitchell, an undercover government agent, is sent to Tangier to impersonate the murdered Captain Rock and uncover the masterminds behind an international assassination plot, navigating a web of intrigue, betrayal, and double-crosses.

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. The Assignment: Impersonate a Dead Man

• Steve Mitchell is summoned by the Commissioner and receives an urgent mission: fly to Tangier and impersonate Captain Rock, a recently murdered mercenary.
• Purpose: Draw out Rock’s killers and expose the plot behind a critical political assassination.

Commissioner: "Very dangerous game, Steve. But I’m asking you to play it for us. Putting it bluntly, you’re going to pose as Captain Rock in Tangier. You’ll be a decoy." (01:52)

• Revelation: Captain Rock’s death is being kept secret; his killers are to believe he survived.
• Steve’s resemblance to Rock makes him the perfect candidate.

2. The Conspirators Behind the Murder

• In Tangier, Joshua Effendi and his nervous associate Ali discuss orchestrating Rock’s murder.
• Ali reports killing Rock ("I stabbed him. Captain Rock is dead, Joshua Effendi." (04:41)), but is startled to see Steve (posing as Rock) at the airport.
• Joshua realizes the job must not be finished, berates Ali, and decides to handle matters himself.

3. The Stakes: International Intrigue

• Inspector Laborde briefs Steve in Tangier on the broader stakes.
  • The murder of a diplomat derailed a peace treaty between two European countries—Rock was implicated as the getaway driver.
  • Authorities believe Rock knew the assassin’s identity.
  • Rock’s escape from a Turkish jail was engineered by those interested in silencing him for good.

Inspector Laborde: "We believe that interests hostile to that treaty deliberately assassinated that diplomat to block the treaty. Your commissioner also believes that if they can be exposed for what they are and linked to the killing, then the treaty has a chance of going through after all." (09:02)

• Steve’s mission: Lure out the true villain and survive being hunted by both the police and criminals.

4. Undercover in Tangier: The Web Tightens

• Steve’s cover as Rock is tested immediately:
  • He meets with Hasim, the friendly cafe owner, and is re-introduced to Yadida, the beautiful dancer believed to be Rock’s sweetheart.
• A man approaches with the undercover password ("Hassim stocks fine wines…") but is actually Joshua Effendi, not the real police contact.
  • Steve rebuffs Joshua’s invitation to leave together, suspecting something is off.

5. Yadida’s Warning and Murder

• Yadida attempts to warn Steve: "Joshua's here. I saw him." (14:26)
  • She quickly realizes Steve is not the real Captain Rock and rushes away.
  • Steve finds her dying in her dressing room; her final words are "Shop of a Thousand Bells." (15:34)
  • Steve becomes the main suspect in her murder as Hasim and others accuse him.

Hasim: "She loved you, and you killed her." (17:47)

6. On the Run: The Shop of a Thousand Bells

• Steve narrowly escapes the police and heads to the bazaar, seeking the mysterious shop mentioned by Yadida.
• At the shop, proprietor Turhan plays coy, only offering bells, not information.
• Persistent "guides" and townsfolk comment on Yadida’s murder ("Yadida was a beautiful dancing girl… But tonight she was murdered by a man called Capitan Rock." (22:50))

7. Into the Trap: Joshua Effendi’s Lair

• Mustafa, an insistent guide, offers to show Steve the secret places of Tangier, leading him into a dark cellar.

• Inside, Steve is confronted by Joshua Effendi, gun in hand—"Well, if he isn’t the wine connoisseur from Hasim’s." (25:21)

  • Joshua reveals:
    • He orchestrated both Rock’s death and the earlier assassination.
    • He staged Rock’s escape to kill him and keep him quiet.
    • He intercepted Inspector Laborde’s real contact with Steve.

Joshua Effendi: "Your brilliant deductions come a little late in the game." (26:35)

8. The Showdown and Resolution

• As Joshua prepares to kill Steve, Mustafa inadvertently helps disrupt the attack when police, led by Inspector Laborde, burst in.
• Joshua is subdued; his identity as the assassin and political saboteur is exposed.
• Inspector Laborde promises to make the truth public, hoping peace talks can now resume.

Inspector Laborde: "We will give it the widest publicity. When those two countries involved learn who killed that diplomat, perhaps their treaty will go through after all." (28:29)

• Steve, still considered a criminal by Tangier’s citizens, requests (and receives) a police escort out of town.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Commissioner: "Very dangerous game, Steve. But I’m asking you to play it for us… you’re going to pose as Captain Rock in Tangier." (01:52)
• Ali: "We drove to a deserted road outside the city. And then I stabbed him. Captain Rock is dead, Joshua Effendi." (04:41)
• Inspector Laborde: "You cannot return here until this job is finished… To the rest of the police, you will be Captain Rock, to be pursued and captured, if possible." (10:41)
• Yadida: "Shop of a Thousand Bells." (15:34)
• Steve Mitchell: "Never send an O for whom the bell tolls, Mustafa. It tolls for thee." (27:55)
• Steve Mitchell (final line): "You know, the next time the commissioner wants me to impersonate somebody, I hope it’s a Sunday school teacher in Cedar Rapids, Sam." (29:11)

Important Segment Timestamps

• Briefing and Assignment: 01:10 – 02:56
• Villain’s Side (Joshua Effendi & Ali plan): 03:44 – 06:36
• Inspector Laborde’s Exposition and Newsreel: 06:52 – 10:41
• Hasim’s Cafe & Secret Password: 12:29 – 14:13
• Yadida’s Warning and Death: 14:23 – 15:55
• Bazaar & Shop of a Thousand Bells: 20:30 – 22:44
• Showdown with Joshua Effendi: 25:01 – 27:37
• Resolution with Inspector Laborde: 28:01 – 29:11

Overall Tone & Style

The episode delivers classic old-time radio detective suspense, mixing hard-boiled dialogue, exotic intrigue, and dramatic peril. Steve Mitchell’s wisecracking, skeptical narration is balanced with the tense atmosphere of secret agents, deadly double-crosses, and the bustling, dangerous streets of Tangier.

Conclusion

This episode showcases “Dangerous Assignment” at its best: a government agent thrust into deadly peril, forced to trust no one, unraveling a plot with international consequences. With snappy dialogue, memorable characters, and a classic twist ending, it’s a captivating piece of vintage detective radio drama.