SECRET FILE, USA

Full Name:	Bill Morgan
Nationality:	American
Organization:	Military Intelligence
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Unknown
Time Span:	1955 - 1955

ABOUT THE SERIES

       Major William Morgan is an agent with the American Military Intelligence.
       The rank shown is accurate and current; he routinely dresses in his uniform when at headquarters. In the field, understandably, he wears whatever civilian clothes are appropriate. It is obvious that Morgan is a career man, being roughly 40 years old when we first meet him and clearly comfortable in his position. The confidence that he routinely shows on his assignments as well as the respectful ways others treat him tells all there needs to be to shown; Morgan likes what he does.
       The exact timeframe of the activities we are allowed to follow is not known. Certainly if the missions took place near the time we are allowed to watch them, 1955, this type of clandestine work would be done by the CIA, not Military Intelligence. However, these assignments could have easily taken place in the first few years after the end of World War II. From a few of the nearly two dozen adventures we have of him, several show the sort of work that Morgan was doing during the War. So we know that these could have happened anytime.
       Morgan's demonstrated experience and contacts throughout Europe, indicate that to him this is business as usual. That is also shown in the opening spiel given before each of the televised adventures we have of him:
       "Secret File U.S.A - A warning to all enemies of America at home and abroad who are planning acts of aggression. This is the story of the gallant men and women who penetrated and are still penetrating enemy lines to get secret information necessary for the defense of the United States. This is the story of one our nations mightiest weapons. Past, present and future, if necessary - The American Intelligence Service."
       While that statement talks of the "men and women" at work for the country's well-being, the one individual we see on each episode is Morgan.
       We learn very little about Morgan's life outside of work. Considering how busy he is, he might not have much of a personal life.

TELEVISION


Number of Episodes:	22
First Appearance:	1955
Last Appearance:	1955
Network:	Syndicated

REGULAR CAST
Robert Alda	William Morgan [ 1 ]
Frank Gallup	Narrator [ 1 ]

Arthur Dreifuss working out of Cinetone Studios in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, put together this spy series packaged for syndication. There are 22 episodes known to have been produced. The number might have been 26 but that it not known for sure.

Information for this came from the terrific The Classic TV Archinve.

1	Mission Assassin Episode 1-01, first aired 01/01/1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: Albert Derr Intelligence has uncovered a plot to assassinate the American delegate to the International Peace Conference, but the delegate won't change his plans and insists on attending the conference and making his speech.

2	Mission Chopin Episode 1-02, first aired 01/08/1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writers: Mort Lewis, Donald Robinson, Arthur Dreifuss Needing to get a copy of a Hungarian communist spy ring's latest code, Major Morgan needs the help of a famous pianist to set a trap for the head of the spy organization, Paul Simoneff.

3	Mission Firebird Episode 1-03, first aired 01/22/1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writers: Sam Locke, Roger Lewis, Lionel Durand The most heavily guarded US atomic secrets have been leaked to terrorists. Maj. Morgan must locate them and stop them from building a nuclear-powered aircraft, the "Firebird", before they can use it against the US.

4	Mission 'M' Episode 1-04, first aired 01/29/1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writers: Albert Dear, Rex Carlton Maj. Morgan is sent to Amsterdam to interrogate an international gangster who was caught at the airport using a forged American passport.

5	Mission Antwerp Episode 1-05, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - Major Morgan has the difficult job of guarding a shipment of atomic missiles, taking an undercover role of a seaman on a Dutch merchant ship.

6	Mission AWOL Episode 1-06, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - In order to infiltrate and break up a spy ring, Major Morgan goes undercover as a GI who has gone AWOL.

7	Mission Berlin Episode 1-07, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - An Allied agent has been arrested in East Germany. So far the authorities do not know he is an operative. Major Morgan must head behind the Iron Curtain to get him free before the truth comes out.

8	Mission Can Can Episode 1-08, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - Apparently a flashback story of Major Morgan posing an an Irishman very much anti-Britain in 1943 Paris, all to get hold of the plans for the invasion of England that a German officer guards.

9	Mission Copenhagen Episode 1-09, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - Major Morgan is invited by West German police to help in a case where counterfeit money is being smuggled into Germany from Denmark.

10	Mission Danube Episode 1-10, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - [plot unknown]

11	Mission Deadline Episode 1-11, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - Major Morgan goes undercover as a Swiss watch salesman to get classified intelligence.

12	Mission Hansel Episode 1-12, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - To find and recover a young boy named Hansel who wandered into East Germany, Major Morgan goes undercover as a man on a hunting trip.

13	Mission Istaahan Episode 1-13, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - [plot unknown]

14	Mission Navik Episode 1-14, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - On bodyguard duty escorting a General Navik and his wife heading to Washington, DC, Major Morgan has to find a way of getting them back after kidnappers snap them.

15	Mission Passport Episode 1-15, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - Trying to break up a passport-forging operation, Major Morgan has to head to Rome.

16	Mission Reaper Episode 1-16, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - In another probable flashback story, Major Morgan heads to the island of Sumatra to take out a Japanese signal tower.

17	Mission Rhino Episode 1-17, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - Another probable flashback, Major Morgan must go undercover as a Germany Army officer as he works his way through enemy territory to destroy a bacteriological plant.

18	Mission Scandanavia Episode 1-18, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - A woman seeks Major Morgan's help in stopping her husband from defecting to the East.

19	Mission Traitor Episode 1-19, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - To find a traitor in the Czech underground, Major Morgan goes undercover as a German salesman on a trip to Prague.

20	Mission Wagon-Lits Episode 1-20, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - This mission has Major Morgan undercover again, this time as an elderly professor going behind the Iron Curtain to find a scientist who is a friend of his.

21	Mission Windmill Episode 1-21, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - In another probable flashback, Major Morgan helps the Dutch underground get their hands on important Nazi files.

22	Mission Vienna Episode 1-22, first aired 1955 Director: Arthur Dreifuss Writer: - After hearing of a plot to stage a coup in Vienna, Major Morgan heads to Austria to help prevent it.

MY COMMENTS

There was something impressively solid and reassuring about Bill Morgan. This was a man who we would naturally feel comfortable with, reassured that such a strong and sturdy man was putting his life on the line weekly on our behalf. That is my thought, anyways. It apparently was not that of the American viewer, though, because the series did not survive long enough to produce just under two dozen episodes.
I never saw it when I was a kid. I never saw it when I was an adult, at least not until I started researching this entry. Too bad. I might have liked it.

GRADE

My Grade: B

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