In Box 13 Dan Holiday, newspaper reporter turned fiction writer,
puts an advert in his old paper The Star Times, in search of ideas
for his story. The ad reads 'Adventure wanted, will go anyplace,
do anything. Write to Box 13.' The replies therefore arrived at the
Newspapers Box 13, and with them always brought troubles and adventures for
Mr Holiday. The part of Dan Holiday was played by Alan Ladd,
with Slyvia Picker playing his scatterbrain secretary Suzy. There
were also a host of other guest stars (Lurene Tuttle, Marsha Hunt
to name but a couple) rotating throughout the programme, and whilst
there were also many writers who co – wrote the programme's, Ladd
was the main writer.
This radio programme was a syndicated series, heard on Sunday
evenings on the Mutual Network. It was the product of Alan Ladd
and Richard Sandville, two owners of the famous Mayfare restaurants
in Los Angeles during the second world war. Ladd's ambition to get
on the radio in his own series was thwarted in part because he was
under contract to Paramount, who did not allow him to appear on
radio, except on occasions when he appeared as a guest on programme's
such as Lucky Jordan. At the end of the war Ladd and Sandville sold
the Mayfare restaurant and formed Mayfare productions, of which
two mainstay shows were Box 13 and The Unexpected.
Sandville and Ladd eventually parted company but shows such as
Box 13 remain as the legacy of Mayfare. Below is the shows log and
you can listen to all 52 episodes....
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