Relic Radio Thrillers – "The Blue Lion Passport Racket"

Show: Dangerous Assignment (NBC, 1953)
Date Featured: October 17, 2025
Main Voices: Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell; Herb Butterfield as The Commissioner

Episode Overview

This episode follows government operative Steve Mitchell as he is dispatched to London to break up a forged passport ring believed to be operating out of the Blue Lion pub. Armed with only a seven-year-old newspaper and a set of forged passports discovered in a damaged home, Mitchell must unravel a tangled web of past and present crimes, track down elusive witnesses, and unmask the dangerous criminal mastermind behind the "Blue Lion passport racket."

Key Discussion Points & Plot Breakdown

1. The Assignment and the Cold Trail

(01:27–03:25)

• Steve Mitchell is called into the Commissioner's office and given an assignment involving a string of illegal passport forgeries traced back to the Blue Lion pub in London.
• A lead surfaces—a small package with several forged passports, found hidden behind some bricks in a London basement, wrapped in a newspaper from April 29, 1945.
• The Commissioner warns it's mostly a cold trail:
  • "Brace yourself, Steve. April 29, 1945." – Commissioner (02:45)
• Mitchell is tasked to follow this slender lead and coordinate with Inspector Jellicoe of Scotland Yard.

2. Investigation at Scotland Yard and the First Clues

(04:32–07:24)

• Inspector Jellicoe explains the house where the package was found had been used as an air raid shelter, suggesting the stash could have been made under police pursuit.
• Newspaper wrapping holds part of the "Rooms to Let" section; six listings are marked—possible leads on the suspect’s past lodgings.
• Mitchell and Jellicoe divide efforts: addresses for Mitchell to check, while Jellicoe hunts for Clara Fitzsimmons, a maid from the Mews house.

3. Pounding the Pavement: The Rooming House Trail

(07:24–10:20)

• After several dead ends, Mitchell gets a break at 61 New Romney Road, where landlady Mrs. Farland recalls a 1945 tenant:
  • "Never forget it, dearie. Never. It was a gent named Pinto. Jaegers Pinto... Mr. Pinto was my first mistake." – Mrs. Farland (09:52)
• Pinto’s past comes to light: arrested as a burglar shortly after moving in; this could explain the stashed passports.

4. Linking the Threads: Pinto, Clara, and the Blue Lion

(10:31–11:06)

• Inspector Jellicoe reveals Clara Fitzsimmons, the missing maid, is now Mrs. Jaeger Pinto—recently separated from Pinto and working as a barmaid at the notorious Blue Lion pub.
• The web draws tighter: both suspect and connection are tied back to the pub at the center of the investigation.

5. The First Murder and New Suspects

(11:00–17:15)

• Mitchell and Jellicoe go to confront Pinto at his current address. They arrive only to find Pinto has been murdered.
• Boarding house interviews ensue. The first witness, Sam Cathcart, reports hearing Pinto meet an unidentified visitor before the fatal shot.
• Another resident, "insurance solicitor" Walter Michaels, claims to be visiting a friend but is contradicted by Johns, another boarder.
• Tensions run high as Michaels' alibi grows sketchy and Johns bristles under questioning.
• Notable exchange as suspicions swirl:
  • "I've never seen the man before in my life." – Johns, about Michaels (15:53)

6. Tracing Motives—Mrs. Pinto’s Account

(17:15–18:45)

• Mitchell brings news of her husband’s death to Mrs. Pinto. She shares details:
  • Pinto hid in the basement at St. Margaret's Mews, where she let him hide; after his arrest, he later came to find her at the Blue Lion and they eventually married.
  • She left him due to his ongoing criminal activities, but he would still visit the pub, presumably to pass phony passports to clients.
  • She mentions a mysterious associate:
    • "Tracer was his name, I think. Tracer, the old Tracer will fix me up, he always used to say." – Mrs. Pinto (18:14)

7. Attempted Shooting and Crucial Slip-up

(18:45–20:02)

• As Mitchell prepares to call Inspector Jellicoe, a shot is fired at him from across the street. Mrs. Pinto is shaken but unharmed.
• Mitchell notices Mrs. Pinto’s coat sleeve is damp despite her earlier claim to have not left her flat—a crack in her alibi.
• She admits she started to warn Pinto about the police but turned back without seeing him.

8. Revelation: The Mastermind Unmasked

(20:02–22:30)

• As Mitchell returns to his car, he is ambushed—held at gunpoint by Johns, the boarding house tenant. The true mastermind behind the passport racket is revealed.
• Mitchell has deduced his identity from a vital detail:
  • "When you put on the act about storming back… I remembered the sleeve to your suit was damp, but you were carrying your topcoat over your arm. That meant you got caught in the rain without your topcoat… You also picked up your topcoat. That took me until now to put the pieces together." – Steve Mitchell (21:07)
• Johns intends to kill both Mitchell and Mrs. Pinto to eliminate witnesses. But Mitchell has left the patrol car’s radio switch on, unwittingly broadcasting everything to nearby police.

9. Climax and Epilogue

(22:11–22:30)

• Police arrive in the nick of time, and Johns is subdued.
• Mitchell closes out the case with a wry remark:
  • "That's how come you got the business. Matter of fact, you might call it a singing commercial." – Steve Mitchell (22:12)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Sometimes the guy who tries to take somebody for a ride ends up getting taken." – Steve Mitchell (01:37)
• "It was a gent named Pinto. Jaegers Pinto... my first mistake." – Mrs. Farland (09:52)
• "Tracer, the old Tracer will fix me up..." – Mrs. Pinto (18:21)
• "Keep looking straight ahead… So you're the big cheese of the passport racket." – Steve Mitchell, to Johns (20:25)
• "When I reached down to start the car, I also flipped the radio switch. We've been on the air all this time." – Steve Mitchell (22:03)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Assignment Given: 01:27–02:55
• Inspector Jellicoe Debrief: 04:49–07:24
• Rooming House Leads: 07:24–10:20
• Mrs. Farland’s Recollection: 08:43–10:20
• Murder Discovery: 11:41–12:15
• Boarding House Witnesses: 13:30–16:11
• Mrs. Pinto’s Revelations: 17:15–18:45
• Attempted Shooting: 18:45–19:13
• Reveal of the Mastermind: 20:02–22:12
• Resolution & Arrest: 22:11–22:30

Tone and Style

The episode is brisk, witty, and suspenseful, staying true to the "hard-boiled agent" genre with Steve Mitchell’s blend of dry humor and sharp deduction. The banter between characters, particularly with colorful witnesses like Mrs. Farland, adds period charm and comic relief amid the unfolding tension.

For Listeners

This episode masterfully weaves together crime scene investigation, personal history, and quick-thinking deductions, offering a classic old-time radio blend of intrigue, humor, and suspense. Both fans of noir mysteries and newcomers will find themselves absorbed by the clever twists and period-authentic flavor of Steve Mitchell's latest "dangerous assignment."