About the Series:

Dan Holiday (Alan Ladd), a reporter-turned-novelist has an usual idea for finding plots. He places an ad in his former paper, “Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything — write Box 13, Star-Times.”

Like opening Forest Gump’s box of chocolates, Ladd never knows what he’ll find in Box 13: desperate people who really need the police, criminals planning to exploit Brown’s plot-seeking methods in order to gain cover for a crime, or people who were just plain crazy.  (Photo Courtesy: Digital Deli.)

Whatever the case, Holiday found some fascinating plots and you will too, as you enjoy Box 13.

Original Run: January, 1948-December, 1948

Total Episodes: 52 (No Lost Episodes)

Newtork: Syndicated

Characters:

Dan Holiday: Holiday isn’t in his adventures for the money-at least not directly. His bread and butter is writing. He occassionally bemoans his decision to leave the cushy world of journalism to pursue his dreams of becoming a novelist.  Holiday has basic values he lives by and a more positive view of police than other detectives of the time and suggests bringing the police in when he feels a case is a police matter.  And with his generally pleasant manner, Dan Holiday is probably a guy you’d be comfortable having over for dinner.

Suzie (Sylvia Picker): An office worker at the Star-Times for the first three episodes and Dan’s secretary for the rest of the series, Suzie serves as the series’ comic relief.

Lt. Kling (Edmund Macdonald): The primary policeman in Dan Holiday’s world. Kling is neither an antagonist nor Holiday’s buddy.  His driving motivator is doing his job and keeping civilians (Holidays included) out of police business.

About the Star:

Born in 1913 in Hot Springs, Arkansas, Ladd came to prominence in 1942 as a hitman in This Gun for Hire. However, his most famous role was as the title character in Shane, which was listed #69 on AFI’s 100 years, 100 Movies list, and Ladd’s character was ranked #16 on AFI’s “100 years, 100 heroes and villains list.”

Outside of Box 13, Ladd’s radio career was limited to guest appearances on Lux Radio Theater, and similar programs that re-enacted Hollywood hits, as well as four guest appearances on Suspsense. Ladd reprised his on-screen roles in Lux and other productions and also in 1944 Episode played the lead in Lux’s Production of Casablanca.

Despite his success, Ladd struggled with depression and alcoholism and passed away in 1964 at the age of 50.

Fun Fact

Alan Ladd played the hero in Appointment with Danger which featured Jack Webb of Dragnet, Pat Novak, and Jeff Regan fame as a villain. Also, in the cast was Stacy Harris, the first actor to play Batman on the Radio, and Webb’s future 1960s Dragnet partner, Harry Morgan.

Box 13 Episodes:

• The First Letter (Original Air Date: January 7, 1948)
• Insurance Fraud Scheme (Original Air Date: January 14, 1948)
• Suzi Quits Paper to Work for (Original Air Date: January 21, 1948)
• Actor’s Alibi (Original Air Date: January 28, 1948)
• Extra, Extra (Original Air Date: February 4, 1948)
• Shanghied (Original Air Date: February 11, 1948)
• Short Assignment (Original Air Date: February 18, 1948)
• Double Mothers (Original Air Date: February 25, 1948)
• Book of Poems (Original Air Date: March 3, 1948)
• The Great Torino (Original Air Date: March 10, 1948)
• Foreign Correspondent (Original Air Date: March 17, 1948)
• Triple Cross (Original Air Date: March 24, 1948)
• Damsel in Distress (Original Air Date: March 31, 1948)
• Diamond in the Sky (Original Air Date: April 7, 1948)
• Double Right Cross (Original Air Date: April 14, 1948)
• Look Pleasant Please (Original Air Date: April 21, 1948)
• The Haunted Artist (Original Air Date: April 28, 1948)
• The Sad Night (Original Air Date: May 5, 1948)
• Hot Box (Original Air Date: May 12, 1948)
• The Better Man (Original Air Date: May 19, 1948)
• The Professor and the Puzzle (Original Air Date: May 19, 1948)
• The Dowager and Dan Holiday (Original Air Date: May 26, 1948)
• Three to Die (Original Air Date: June 2, 1948)
• The Philanthropist (Original Air Date: June 9, 1948)
• Last Will and Nursery Rhyme (Original Air Date: June 16, 1948)
• Delinquent Dilemma (Original Air Date: June 23, 1948)
• The Flash of Light (Original Air Date: June 30, 1948)
• Hare and Hounds (Original Air Date: July 7, 1948)
• Hunt and Peck (Original Air Date: July 14, 1948)
• Death’s a Doll (Original Air Date: July 21, 1948)
• One One Three Point Five (113.5) (Original Air Date: July 28, 1948)
• Dan and The Wonderful Lamp (Original Air Date: August 4, 1948)
• Tempest in a Casserole (Original Air Date: August 11, 1948)
• Mexican Maze (Original Air Date: August 18, 1948)
• Sealed Instructions (Original Air Date: August 25, 1948)
• Find Me, Find Death (Original Air Date: September 1, 1948)
• Much Too Lucky (Original Air Date: September 8, 1948)
• One of these Four (Original Air Date: September 15, 1948)
• Daytime Nightmare (Original Air Date: September 22, 1948)
• Death is No Joke (Original Air Date: September 29, 1948)
• The Treasure of Hang Li (Original Air Date: October 6, 1948)
• Design for Danger (Original Air Date: October 13, 1948)
• The Dead Man Walks (Original Air Date: October 20, 1948)
• Killer at Large (Original Air Date: October 27, 1948)
• Speed to Burn (Original Air Date: November 3, 1948)
• House of Darkness (Original Air Date: November 10, 1948)
• Double Trouble (Original Air Date: November 17, 1948)
• The Biter Bitten (Original Air Date: November 24, 1948)
• The Perfect Crime (Original Air Date: December 1, 1948)
• Archimedes and the Roman (Original Air Date: December 8, 1948)
• Clay Pigeon (Original Air Date: December 15, 1948)
• Round Robin (Original Air Date: December 22, 1948)

End of Log