Radio Recap: Box 13

Box 13 was a half-hour syndicated program from 1947 produced by Mayfair, starring Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday. In the series, Dan was a writer who sought inspiration for stories in an unusual manner - he placed an ad in the Star-Times: "Adventure wanted - will go anywhere, do anything - Box 13."

Initially Dan would check with the scatterbrained Star-Times receptionist Suzy (Sylvia Picker) to learn if there had been responses to his ad. After the first few episodes, Suzy became his personal secretary and remained in that role from then on; Suzy was there primarily for comic relief. Often episodes ended with Dan, exasperated, declaring: "Good night, Suzy!" It was a little too similar to how Effie was portrayed on the Adventures of Sam Spade - except Suzy was the dumbest of all Dumb Doras in radiodom.

Everything about Box 13 was very smooth and competant, with the supporting players all professional actors. However, despite the series' "do anything" premise (that it shared with Let George Do It), I personally find the series is mostly a beige haze with little to set one episode apart from another.

Yet some episodes stand out; in "Three to Die," Dan worked among sandhogs and was nearly murdered through the 'bends'; in "Death Is a Doll," Dan tackled a case involving voodoo! In "Find Me, Find Death," Dan was stalked by a psychopath who took Dan's advertisement as a personal challenge!

The Old Time Radio Researchers have a YouTube playlist containing every episode of Box 13!