Dangerous Assignment

"The Commissioner" sent US special agent Steve Mitchell to exotic locales all over the world, where he would encounter adventure and international intrigue in pursuit of some secret. Each show would always open with a brief teaser scene from the episode to follow. After the intro, Steve Mitchell would be summoned to the office of 'The Commissioner', the regional head of an unnamed US State Department agency created to address international unrest as it affected U.S. interests. "The Commissioner" would give background information, explain the current situation and tell Steve his assignment. Steve's cover identity, in almost all his adventures, was that of a suave debonair foreign correspondent for an unnamed print publication — his assignments invariably involved deceit, trickery, and violence, all tied together into a successful resolution by the end of the episode. == Radio series ==

Dangerous Assignment started out as a replacement radio series broadcast in the US on the NBC radio network in the summer of 1949; it became a syndicated series (produced in Australia) in early 1954. Reportedly, star Brian Donlevy himself was the one who brought the show to NBC. The only other regular actor on the radio shows was Herb Butterfield, who played "The Commissioner." Many stage and screen actors appeared as guest-stars including, among many others, William Conrad, Raymond Burr, Paul Frees, Jim Davis, Dan O'Herlihy, Richard Boone, and Eddie Cantor. The Australian series was begun as a result of the popularity of the American series—scripts from shows already broadcast in the US were re-done with Australian actors in 1954. The Australian producers re-created and broadcast thirty-nine episodes from 1954 on. Summer 1949 series The radio show started out as a seven-week summer replacement series broadcast on NBC Saturdays 8:30–9 PM EST. It premiered July 9, 1949; the last episode was on August 20, 1949. A character portraying the Commissioner's secretary, 'Ruthie', was played by Betty Moran — it is hinted that there was some romantic history between Ruthie and Steve Mitchell. Episodes The seven episodes == Television series ==

A syndicated television series named Dangerous Assignment was broadcast in the US in syndication (but mostly on the NBC television network). It ran during the 1951–52 television season. Donlevy formed a production company to convert the radio show to a television show — but no TV network would invest in the series; instead, Donlevy produced thirty-nine episodes with his own cash and sold them to individual stations nationwide in First-Run Syndication (though NBC did aid in the distribution) — price per episode ranged from $75 to $2000, depending on the population and demographics in the buyer's region. Production Production credits: • Assistant Director: William McGarry • Production Supervisor: Frank Parmenter • Assistant Director: William McGarry • Production Designer: George Van Marter • Set Decoration: George Milo • Film Editor: Edward Schroeder, A.C.E. • Wardrobe: Charles Keehne • Sound: Earl Snyder • Makeup: David Newell • Casting: Harvey Clermont • Production Assistant: Edward Denault • Special Effects: Harry Redmond Jr. Episodes All episodes starred Brian Donlevy as Steve Mitchell and Herb Butterfield as "The Commissioner." Robert Ryf wrote most of the scripts. Among the more famous guest stars were Hugh Beaumont, Paul Frees, Elena Verdugo, Harry Guardino, Lyle Talbot, John Dehner, Michael Ansara, Jim Davis, and Strother Martin, many of them appearing as different characters in different episodes. == Critical reception ==

The American radio show, perhaps due to the fact that it immediately preceded the blockbuster radio series The Man Called X, was extremely popular: "The program was clearly well received, was building a loyal audience for the full-hour block of foreign adventure drama it presented", although some radio fans found the American radio series "never quite overcoming the absolute predictability of the stories." American television critics were not that much more enthusiastic: "...a television version of a pedestrian radio spy series." == References ==