I was a Communist for the FBI was a 1952 radio drama based on the activities of FBI informant Matt Cvetic. Cvetic became a member of the Communist party in Pittsburgh, reporting their movements to the FBI. These stories were detailed in the Saturday Evening Post, and inspired this radio drama, a TV show called I Walk Alone, and even an academy award nominated film.
The Radio drama ran for 78 episodes and starred Dana Andrews, who starred in a legion of very good movies through the 40's and the 50's. Like the film, the radio incarnation of Matt Cvetic was a strong figure of great patriotism and sterling moral character, a characterisation which conflicts pretty starkly against the reality of the man. It certainly made for great radio! The radio version is very tightly written and very well produced, which can probably be explained by the high budget allotted for it...$12,000 per week in 1952!
I've always enjoyed the intense drama of this show. When I was younger, it seemed quite a bit more sophisticated than most of the other shows, which could be explained by the excellent budget and choice of subject matter, as well as being produced in the twilight of the radio years, when the technology was superior and the writers were seasoned veterans of the 1940's. To this day, when I listen to it, I sit a bit nearer the edge of my seat; Dana Andrews is exceptionally tough as Cvetic, and the scenarios can be quite dire. The villains are basically a mix between Nazis and mobsters, and like the film version, it comes across as a very good example of a private detective show. The big selling point is that he's always on the edge of being found out; the evil Communist agents trust no one, especially not Matt Cvetic. He's always forced to think on his feet, and sometimes...he slips.
It's great stuff.
Download the episode I Walk Alone - HERE
The Radio drama ran for 78 episodes and starred Dana Andrews, who starred in a legion of very good movies through the 40's and the 50's. Like the film, the radio incarnation of Matt Cvetic was a strong figure of great patriotism and sterling moral character, a characterisation which conflicts pretty starkly against the reality of the man. It certainly made for great radio! The radio version is very tightly written and very well produced, which can probably be explained by the high budget allotted for it...$12,000 per week in 1952!
I've always enjoyed the intense drama of this show. When I was younger, it seemed quite a bit more sophisticated than most of the other shows, which could be explained by the excellent budget and choice of subject matter, as well as being produced in the twilight of the radio years, when the technology was superior and the writers were seasoned veterans of the 1940's. To this day, when I listen to it, I sit a bit nearer the edge of my seat; Dana Andrews is exceptionally tough as Cvetic, and the scenarios can be quite dire. The villains are basically a mix between Nazis and mobsters, and like the film version, it comes across as a very good example of a private detective show. The big selling point is that he's always on the edge of being found out; the evil Communist agents trust no one, especially not Matt Cvetic. He's always forced to think on his feet, and sometimes...he slips.
It's great stuff.
Download the episode I Walk Alone - HERE
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