Spy Catcher


(4.6 stars; 25 reviews)

Old Time Radio Program Spy Catcher Enjoy!

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

Reviews

A Hidden Masterpiece


(5 stars)

The reason this programme is well liked is because it is NOT fiction. Col. Pinto was a real WW II, high-level, border counter-intel security agent working with PET, MI6, MI5 and local, ad hoc civilian resistance organisations. A single slip of the tiniest detail could result in the execution of multiple resistance groups and Allied field agents. The capture of a single, minor resistance worker could compromise Col. Pinto's job so thoroughly that the danger of enemy spies safely landing in England might instantly multiply and result in espionage, torture, and the deaths of many Allied soldiers and foiled secret Allied plans. The stakes were always desperate. The vast majority of the people attempting to enter Britain were innocent civilians trying to go about their business as described. Even most people who were trying to conceal something were of no military importance. Yet, Col. Pinto had to treat EVERY person trying to enter Britain as an enemy spy. There were likely less than a thousand Allied intel officers capable of performing such counter-intel work. These programmes seem simple upon first listen. Listen again. The sound quality is only fair. Lift your treble high. Col. Pinto's specialty was seeing through axis spies via geography, detail and mistakes in legends. (A "Legend" is a false ID created and classified by a State's intel agency. Pinto's brain was like a super-computer containing and logically correlating relevant data. Pinto had intimate knowledge of every hotel, hotel lobby, hotel maid, chef, waiter, resistance worker, train station, escape route, bed and breakfast, Gestapo Officer and pub in Western Europe. Pinto's trade-craft was deadly accurate. HIs memory was scary. Listen and re-listen to these programmes and enjoy. It is not so much the outcome of the specific cases, but the unspoken tradecraft necessary. War renders civil rights practically nonexistent. If Col. Pinto determined that a person was a German Spy, ENGLISH law required the person to be tried by a "special" Court. Somewhat like am American military court? Anyway, a "Spy" is defined as an enemy citizen trying to land on their enemy's soil without wearing a military uniform, having no soldier's pay book, no dog-tags, and no perceivable rank. The Geneva Conventions allows a spy to be shot or hung, —no trial necessary. Most nazi spies were frightened people that the Gestapo or SD had purposely compromised (their wife, kids, etc). These people generally were caught and executed. The Gestapo spent almost no money sending these poor frightened people to try to break British security. Larding the English ports with amateur spies was done mostly to make it far more difficult to catch the PROFESSIONAL nazi spies. Even if an amateur got through, he'd probably be caught when he tried to communicate. Note the episodes where Pinto catches a professional spy. The main way to catch spy is to reveal his communication. Nothing has changed on this point. This programme makes Joe Friday look like a cartoon character. Joe Friday violates a suspect's Constitutional Rights at least 8 times during each episode. For me, this makes Dragnet worth multiple listens. —Have a pull of beer each time Joe Friday violates the Constitution. It's a great drinking game. You'll be rather tight by the end of a single episode. E.g., Friday and Smith are OUTSIDE a suspect's apartment door, without a Warrant or Probable Cause. Suspect: " I haven't done anything wrong." Joe Friday", "Then you have absolutely nothing to worry about, and you won't mind us having a look around, —right?". "Of course I have nothing to worry about,..." Woosh! Before you can say 'Bob's your Uncle', Friday and Smith are through the door, and illegally searching and collecting evidence that, today, would be thrown out of Court faster than whale dung slides off of a glacier. NOTE: In an early 1950 Dragnet episode, Friday's Captain carefully explains California's new Exclusionary Act! That California passed this Act did not offer California any more protection against being held liable for violating the Constitution. The Act was passed to put police officers on notice. —They needed to find an alternative way to violate The Constitution. And they did this! See the above scenerio. By this time, most States were passing similar Acts to try to show that they had practised "Due Diligence" in protecting the Constitutional rights of it's citizens. Of course, this held no count with The Court. But those Justices were trained professionals who had respect for The Constitution. The present Court will probably negate the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education Decision that legally ended Jim Crow laws. Remember: YOUR Constitutional Rights exist independent of any State or Court's actions or non actions. Well, um, at least, this was true prior to the newest three Supreme Court Justices joining The Court... Prior to the famous Exclusionary Act, Dragnet programme, Friday and Smith didn't bother with no stinkin' Constitutional Rights. Before this famous episode, Friday and Smith would simply kick-in a suspects door without saying "Boo". [Notice that ALL of the suspects on 1950s Dragnet are WHITE.] The fact was, that the LAPD, under Chief Parker, was as corrupt as a three dollar bill. Oops, I digressed. Some people assume that pre-computer spying was simpler, easier and more obvious. Listen and decide...

Intelligent intelligence procedural


(5 stars)

Intelligent, generally low-drama stories. No guns, no suave agents, no quirky plots or characters. Just clever, and not so clever, people trying to convince Lt. Col. Pinto that they are who they say they are. He must distinguish subterfuge and human weakness from heroism and banality. So far my favorite episode is Friend or Foe. If you're a Carleton Hobbs fan, I think he makes an appearance in The Infernal Triangle. If you like Spy Catcher's realism you might like the espionage drama The Sandbaggers.

First Class


(5 stars)

I was so glad to have found this series and I can't recommend it highly enough. Because it is based on real characters and events made it all the more absorbing and it didn't seem dated at all. Catching traitors and spies and how they went about discovering their true identities was a real eye opener. Many thanks for making it available.

Exciting Espionage Stories


(4 stars)

A BBC radio series, true stories from the memoirs of Oreste Pinto, Dutch counterintelligence officer. Set during and after WWII, most episodes centre around the interrogation by Pinto of one or more refugees who have escaped to England. Sound quality is good. Recommended!

Old time radio


(4 stars)

I used to love radio dramas. Have really enjoyed hearing them again on this set. Tried to give 5 stars, but the fifth one wouldn’t load. This was great. Thanks