Episode no. Season 3
Episode 11 Teleplay by Russell S. Hughes Running time 30 mins | Directed by Frank Tuttle Cinematography by John F. Seitz | |
Box 13 was a syndicated radio series about the escapades of newspaperman-turned-mystery novelist Dan Holliday, played by film star Alan Ladd. Created by Ladd's company, Mayfair Productions, Box 13 premiered on December 31, 1947, over Mutual's New York flagship, WOR.
Contents
Synopsis
To seek out new ideas for his fiction, Holliday ran a classified ad in the Star-Times newspaper where he formerly worked: "Adventure wanted, will go anywhere, do anything -- write Box 13, Star-Times". The stories followed Holliday's adventures when he responded to the letters sent to him by such people as a psycho killer and various victims.
Cast
Sylvia Picker appeared as Holliday's scatterbrained secretary, Suzy, while Edmund MacDonald played police Lt. Kling. Supporting cast members included Betty Lou Gerson, Frank Lovejoy, Lurene Tuttle, Alan Reed, Luis Van Rooten, and John Beal. Vern Carstensen, who directed Box 13 for producer Richard Sanville, was also the show's announcer.
Among the 52 episodes in the series were such mystery adventures as "The Sad Night", "Hot Box", "Last Will And Nursery Rhyme", "Hare And Hounds", "Hunt And Peck", "Death Is A Doll", "Tempest In a Casserole", and "Mexican Maze". The dramas featured music by Rudy Schrager. Russell Hughes, who had previously hired Ladd as a radio actor in 1935 at a $19 weekly salary, wrote most of the scripts, sometimes in collaboration with Ladd. The partners in Mayfair Productions were Ladd and Bernie Joslin, who had previously run the chain of Mayfair Restaurants.
Raymond Burr appeared in some episodes.
TV adaptation
At least one attempt to convert the series for television was tried when Ladd appeared in an adaptation of "Daytime Nightmare" (retitled "Committed") on CBS' General Electric Theater (December 5, 1954). Russell Hughes, who was then working at Columbia, reworked the script for the small screen. "We hope it comes off well," said Ladd. "If so, the other 51 scenarios are on the shelf, waiting."
The show was produced by Jaguar, Ladd's own company.
Plot
Dan Halliday is drugged and winds up in an asylum. The staff try to convince him he's someone he isn't. It is part of a scam to claim an inheritance.
Attempted Adaptations
The TV show did not result in a series. In 1956 Ladd announced that Jaguar would still attempt to make a series, only Ladd would not star as Halliday. Ladd's daughter Carol was reported as being involved in casting.
In 1958 Jaguar hired Charles Bennett to adapt the series in a TV series.
In 1959 it was reported Ladd was working on scripts for a TV series with Aaron Spelling. Bill Leslie was to play the lead opposite Ann McRae.
Shortly before his death Ladd announced plans to make a feature film version of the show. He said he would play the lead and the movie would feature 13 cameos from stars that Ladd had worked with in the past. Possible names included William Bendix, Veronica Lake, Brian Donlevy, and MacDonald Caret.
Box 13 was also re-imagined (rather than a straight adaptation or continuation) as a comic book series in 2010 by David Gallaher and Steve Ellis and published by Comixology. It is published digitally by comiXology and published in print by Red 5 Comics: http://www.red5comics.com/?p=668