09 Book Of Poems

Russell Hughes

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, the show premiered in New York City on December 31, 1947, on Mutual's New York flagship, WOR.

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 various characters, including a psycho killer.

The series featured a talented cast, including Sylvia Picker as Holliday's scatterbrained secretary, Suzy, and Edmund MacDonald as police Lt. Kling. Among the 52 episodes were such mystery adventures as "The Sad Night," "Hot Box," and "Mexican Maze." The dramas featured music by Rudy Schrager, and most scripts were written by Russell Hughes, sometimes in collaboration with Ladd.

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.