 Box 13 with the star of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd, as Dan Holliday. Care of the star times. Dear Box 13, please come as quick as you can because I think there is something wrong. Nobody will listen to me because they think I don't know what I'm talking about. But I know there is something wrong and I think it's bad. My name is Marty Kennedy and I live at 203 Webster Street in Collingwood. Come to the address and walk past Whistling Yankee Doodle so I will know you. Sure it was only a letter from a kid, but that kid knew what he was talking about. And now back to Box 13 and Dan Holliday's newest adventure, our comedies and the Roman. There are lots of other letters. Are you going to pay any attention to this one? From Marty Kennedy? Yeah, I think so, Susie. But it'll be a wild goose chase. You'll go all the way to Collingwood, then find out there's nothing wrong. Which might be a welcome change for me. Yes, I think I'll go, Susie. After all, there might be something in this. But Mr. Holliday, look at the handwriting. It belongs to a kid. So? So, it'll be a wild goose chase. OK, charge it off as a little vacation. Besides, sometimes kids have problems, Susie. Big ones. So maybe I ought to give Marty Kennedy a hand. So long, Susie. Collingwood was an easy 250-mile drive. It was a little town that sat at the foot of the mountain range. It was early afternoon when I got there and found 203 Webster Street. I left my car at the corner and walked past the address. Box 13? Yeah. Look, keep going down the street and I'll meet you around the corner. Don't let on like we know each other, huh? Got you, Marty. See you around the corner. The tow-added kid made it look like good ol' cloak and dagger stuff. He trailed me to the corner of the street once we were out of sight of his home. This is OK. Nobody can see us now. OK, Marty. What's on your mind? You got some. I... I got something that'll show me who you are. I think I can arrange that. Here. Here's your letter to me. OK. You a private eye? No, I'm not a private detective. You a policeman then? No, I'm afraid not. I'm a writer. Oh. Doesn't that sound romantic enough to you? Romantic? I mean, isn't it mysterious enough? Yeah, I guess so. But we got to go someplace where we can talk. We don't want to be overheard. Oh, certainly not. What do you suggest we go? I guess the rest of the kids ain't in the clubhouse. We can go there. Clubhouse? What kind? Just a shack we built. Can you climb a tree? Do I have to? Well, the shack's in a tree, but nobody'll hear us there. OK, Marty. Lead the way and I'll go climb a tree. Hey, you did pretty good. It ain't easy to climb this tree. Just don't ask me to hang by a tail, that's all. Now that we're sitting on top of the world, what do we talk about? You don't think I'm serious, do you? Oh, definitely. Incidentally, my name's Dan Holiday. OK, Mr. Holiday. You make a dent. As long as we're up a tree together, we've got to be friends. Yeah. Well, I want to know what's happened to Ted. Hmm? Who's Ted? Well, here, look out this here window. See where I'm pointing? Yeah, it's toward the mountains. We'll see that shiny dome on the top of the biggest peak. Yeah. What about it? That's the Williams Observatory. They look at stars up there. They're astronomers. Oh, yes, yes, I've heard about it. Well, what of it? Ted's the assistant up there. He helps Professor Irving. All right, and then what? Every week, Ted comes down for groceries and things. And when he does, he gives me a lesson. Lesson in what? Astronomy. I like it. Oh, that's a good deal. But your friend Ted didn't show up this week. Is that what worries you? No. Oh, I put two into it together. Oh. Well, when he can't make it, he signals me. And how does he do that? See that tower sticking up on the peak? Mm-hmm, I see it. He flashes me by mirror, but so far this week, he didn't. Well, maybe he's been busy. That's what Mom and Pop said, but I didn't think you'd say it. Oh, I'm sorry, Marty. Okay, let's go at it from a different angle. Suppose he isn't busy. In that case, what would keep him from coming down, or at least flashing you the signal? I wanted to go up, but Mom and Pop wouldn't let me. And then I saw your ad in the paper, so I wrote to you. In other words, you want me to take a run up the observatory and find out what's wrong. Is that it? That's it. You, uh, you couldn't have asked someone else. I mean, a forest ranger. Someone who goes up there. Gee, no. No, that wouldn't have been mysterious enough, would it? You making fun of me? Oh, no, no, not at all, Marty. Now, what's your friend's full name? Ted what? Ted Wetman. And are he and Professor Irving the only men up there? Uh-huh. All right, Marty, I'll tell you what. I'll take a run up there and see what's what. Be sure and let me know, will you? Absolutely. And, uh, you won't say a word to anybody? This is just between us, huh? Just the two of us. Promise? On my honor. Well, because if Mom and Pop knew I'd bothered anybody, I'd get the decades. Oh, in that case, Mom's the word. The wind comes up. I left Marty Kennedy and drove toward the hills. I, on the tallest peak, the silver dome of the observatory turned to crimson in the sunset. Hmm. I laughed at myself for what I was doing, but I kept going until I reached the summit. An iron gate blocked the way to the narrow connecting road that led to the observatory itself. I got out to open it when... Sorry, mister, no visitors allowed. Oh, hello there. Don't open the gate, leave it closed. I didn't know anyone was around. Did you lose your way? No, as a matter of fact, I intended to come here. Oh, hi. I'm looking for someone. Yeah, who? Ted Whitman. What do you want with him? I wanted to see him. All right, I'm Ted Whitman. Oh, okay, then I guess we can talk here. What about? A friend of yours. A kid named Marty Kennedy. Oh, I'm okay. There's nothing wrong. Thanks anyway. He wondered why you didn't signal him when you didn't get down this week. Signal? Oh, I... I didn't have time. I see. Is that all you came up to tell me? Yeah, yeah, that's all. Okay, it's pretty dark on the road at night. You don't know the turns you can get into trouble. So if you leave now, you can make it back down in time. Oh, thanks. Hello, Marty. Tell him I'll see him next week. All right. Well, is there anything else, mister? No, I guess that's all. Sorry to bother you. That's okay. Careful turning your car around. It's pretty steep right there. Yeah, I noticed. Well, so long. So long. Who is that? Nobody. I thought I heard steps. You didn't. Now look, mister, it's getting dark. Who's that? Who is it? It's somebody to see me, professor. You'd better get back to the cottage. Please, please, we've got to... What's the matter up here? Nothing. I told you to turn your car around. Get back down the mountain. No, please, don't go. Hey, what's the idea hitting that old man? Okay, you asked for it, mister. Now come on in with your hands in the air. What's the idea? You had your chance to get out of this, now it's too late. Do all astronomers carry guns? Shut up. All right, you, whoever you are, help the old guy up. Until you walk in front of me. Come on. You heard badly, professor. No, no. But he is. He who? Shut up. Hey, wait a minute. You, what's your name? Holiday. Okay, get back to your car and lift the hood. Go on. Take out the distributor, cap. Hurry it up. Go over here on the ground. Now come back in. Now run your way. That way. This one? Yeah, that way. Don't think of anything to do with it except what I tell you. I know what I'd like to do with it. Yeah, but you won't try because I'll get both of you. Now smash that distributor. Why not just take my car keys? Because lots of people carry extra sets. Smash that distributor. That suit you? Yeah. Now, like I said, both of you walk in front of me to the cottage. And one band move and I'll put a bullet in the back of your head. You walk to the cottage. Professor Irving hung on my army, tried to tell me something. But each time he started to, Whitman shut him up. Then we got to the cottage and stepped inside. Billy. Billy. Yeah, who's that? Company. Who is he? What's he want up here? I thought you said nobody coming. Well, you couldn't happen. The holidays sit on you too, Professor. Take it easy, Professor. That's it. Just let me phone for the doctor, please. Sure, when I'm ready. Look, this ain't good. Why'd this guy come up here? He's looking for Whitman. Then if he's looking for him, somebody else is liable to do the same thing. Take it easy. Holiday, why did you come looking for Whitman? So you're not turned to Whitman. That's right. Now answer my question. I told your friend of his was worried about him. Ask me to see if he was all right. You see, Frank, I told you. I told you. Will you stop, Labyrinth? We got to get out of here, Frank. We just got out. I'm scared. Now talk, Holiday. How many other people besides you know about this? Look, I don't know what you're talking about. What do you mean by this? Anybody else looking for Whitman? I wouldn't know. Maybe you'll talk better after a little persuasion. I wouldn't try anything, Frank. Talk, talk. I said... Tell him, Mr. Holiday. Tell him or he'll kill you. He will. He's letting Ted die. Ted needs a doctor. He's shot. Be quiet. Okay, Holiday. Talk. I had to talk. I told Frank about the letter from Marty Kennedy. He knew I was telling the truth and he seemed satisfied. But I still didn't know what the game was or who Frank was or what he was doing there. Then, later that evening... Really? What? Turn on the radio. It's just time for the news. Boy, you know what it's gonna say. Turn it on. I don't like it up here. For the last time, will you please get a doctor for Ted? Ted, he'll die. I did the best I could, but he needs a doctor. Too bad, isn't it? Let me see. Maybe I can do something for him. You can't let a man die in cold blood. Quiet. A daring single-handed jewelry store robbery holds the spotlight. The clerk who resisted the robber died this morning. The car in which the killer escaped was found abandoned about five miles north of Collingwood and... And now you know, don't you, Holiday? Yeah. Now I know. It's funny, huh? Yeah, it is. How do you think you're going to get away from here? In Billy's car. She met me up at the job I pulled. My car is abandoned. I stay up here where no one will think I'm looking for me. And after the roads are cleared? After the police think you've left the state, what then? What I said, I get away. Clean. And what about us? What do you think? Want me to tell you? Well, go ahead. You'll have to kill us, too, won't you? You've already got one murder on your slate. You're going to get a little bit of a difference. Not as long as you can save your own dirty hide. You talk big and brave, but it doesn't worry me. Now I'll tell you something, Holiday. Yeah, what else? You hit the nail right on the head. I got to kill you and the professor because I don't want anybody left to tip the cops when I leave here. And Holiday, just as soon as the radio tells us the roads are clear, that's when you get it. And now back to Archimedes and the Roman. Another Box 13 adventure with Alan Land as Damn Holiday. Frank met what he said. He'd kill us when he felt it was safe for him to leave. He watched Professor Irving and me every minute. Finally, I talked him into letting me take a look at Ted Whitman. Professor Irving was with me. Is he going today? He's in bad shape. The woman needs cleaning and redressing. More than anything else, he needs a hospital and a doctor's care. Is there anything we can do? Marty Kennedy. You know him? He told me Ted signaled him from the observatory here. How is it done? With a mirror, Mars code. Marty will be watching for a signal. But you can't get up there to signal. That beast won't let you. Yes, I know, someone even tried to do it. But it's the only way. No one ever comes up here. No visitors? No, this is just an observation station. Our work is routine, photographic spectral analysis. Does anyone in town think of anything when you don't get in? No, no. We often lose contact for several weeks at a time. How about supplies? We got them last week. They'll think nothing of it if we don't show up for another five or six days. That's great. But you said you weren't going to make an attempt to signal. That's right. If Marty doesn't hear from me, maybe he'll talk. Maybe some will be interested enough to come up here. I see. That might work. It might work, Professor. I asked you a question. Let him alone, he's an old man. What are you two whispering about? Nothing, we were talking about Ted. You're a liar. What did he mean when he said it might work? Nothing. You want me to let him alone, don't you, holiday? What are you going to do? Work on him a little bit. Now holiday, will you tell me or do I get it out of the old man? Let him alone. I'll tell you. Once again, I had to tell the truth. Frank would have recognized the lie. He was a trapped rat and his instinct made him sharp. The next morning, he made me go to the Sun Tower and signal. And what I was to say, he'd written down. And he had a book of Morse code handy. I didn't have a chance to trick you. L-I-D-A-Y-H-E-R-E. Have been busy, holiday here. Good. Now we'll see if the kid answers. Look, why don't you give the professor a break? Time up, do my thing, but don't kill him. I take no chances with anybody. Well, take me with you, but give the old man a break. You both get it. I take no chances. I'm looking the electrical chair right in his face and I don't like it. Hey, hey, look, the kid's flashing back. Take it down when I give it to you. Dot, dot, dot, dot. Dot, dot, dot. Dot, dot, dot. Dot, dot, dot. Dot, dot, dash, dot, dot. Dot, dash, dot, dot. Dash, dash, dash. Dash. Dash, dot, dash, dash. That's a Y and that's the last letter. Okay, let's see what we got. Hello, Ted and Mr. Holiday. This is Marty. Glad to know you were all right. I'll be here again tomorrow waiting to talk to you, Marty. Hey, this is perfect! Frank, what good is it? I'm using brains, Billy. As long as the kid thinks everything is all right up here, he won't worry. He'll talk. You'll say he heard from Whitman, see? Very clever, Frank. Congratulations. Thank you. Now, more than ever, no one's going to look up here. You're going to signal every day until I get ready to leave. See, Holiday, all it takes is brains. Yes, that's all. You know, Frank, you remind me of someone. Yeah, who? A Roman soldier. No, no, no. I want to hear what he's going to say. Go on, Holiday. Maybe you don't know the story, but I'm sure Professor Irving does. About Archimedes and the Roman. Yes, I know what. Okay, Holiday, tell us the story. All right. Archimedes was a Greek, a great scientist and a mathematician. He lived in Syracuse. On the island of Sicily. In the year 212 B.C., the Romans besieged the city and sacked it. What kind of a story is this? Very much like the one we're going through now. Go ahead, finish it, Holiday. Okay. Well, the invading Romans looted the city and one of them looking for spoils entered a garden. There he saw an old man sitting alone, drawing circles in the sand with a stick. The Romans spoke to the old man. Archimedes. But the old man thought of nothing but his circles and his science. The Roman ran him through with his sword. So, what of it? Well, no one remembers the soldier's name, but Archimedes has never been forgotten. What are you trying to do? Give me the willies. No, he's trying to scare me, but he doesn't. You're still going through it, huh? You're going to kill a man who lives for nothing but science. I take no chances. He hasn't harmed you or anyone else. I won't beg him for my life, Mr. Holiday. It wouldn't do you any good. Now, get in your own boat of you. Maybe tomorrow will be the day we put a tag on the story. But it wasn't. Radio reports by short way said the police were still looking in that area. I was forced to signal Marty that everything was all right. Then, two days later... This is the day, Holiday. It's too bad the old guy's name isn't Archimedes. You still don't want to give him a break, huh? Stop yapping about it. Intense words. We've got to do something. You won't have to worry about it anymore, Archimedes. Oh, I see. I'm sorry, Professor Irving. Maybe if I hadn't come up here, you wouldn't... You would have been the same, Holiday. Billy? Billy! Yeah? What's the matter? Get the things packed. We're pulling out tonight. Honest? Yeah, honest. Is it all right? I mean, the cops, they're off the trail? Yeah, yeah. I picked their calls up on the short wave. Everything is just ducky, baby. Brother, I'll be glad to get out of this place. Maybe it's doing these guys a favor. What'd they have up here anyway? A whole life. A whole life. A whole life deep in the immensity of space. Dan, I'm sorry you have to be in on this. Me? I'm an old man, sir. It's all right, Professor. Here we are. Four little people in the limitless well of the universe. Four tiny lives. It does seem odd, doesn't it? All the billions upon billions of miles out there, and... and we're just a speck. Oh, for crying out loud, that talk is me the creeps. Frank, make him shut up. Yeah, shut up. Oh, scared a little, Frank. Tonight, when you leave here, look up into the sky. Just remember how tiny you really are. Swallowed up in the immense stretches that are so huge that a billion miles is only... only a speck. The Roman soldier, huh? Yeah, that's right. What about Ted Whitman? He'll die anyway. You shouldn't have gotten my way when I first came up here. Just push anybody out of the way, kill him if you have to. I take no chances. I use my head. Stop arguing with him, Frank. I'm getting nervous. We ought to get out of here right now. Well, get out tonight when it's dark. Okay, holiday, let's go to the tower and signal that kid. Why should I? You're going to kill us anyway. Why should I give you a break? If I don't signal, Marty will get suspicious. Your signal? Can you make that? Yeah, I can. Go ahead, beat me, then I'll be in great shape to signal. Either you do it or all Archimedes here takes it for you. Do it, Dan. But if we're going to die, why give this rat a break? For Marty's sake. For Marty's sake? Yes. I don't want the boy to miss what's going to happen tonight. What are you talking about? Be careful, Frank. Don't let him trick you. I'll use my brains. Now, what are you talking about? You, Archimedes. What do you mean, Professor? Ted. Ted taught Marty astronomy. The boy has a wonderful natural inclination for it. There are too few of us like Marty. I want him to see the comet tonight. He won't look for it if I don't tell him if you don't signal him about it. Well, how do you like that? Something you wouldn't understand, Frank. Okay, so I don't understand it. Who wants to? All right. Write down what you want me to signal, Professor. I'll do it. Thank you. It'll be sure. How do you like that? He's gonna get killed and he wants to tell a kid about a comet. You know, I'd die much happier if I had just one good crack at you. Yeah, sure you wouldn't. I'll stick my chin out and let you take a punch at it. Here's the message. Thanks. Let me see that. Come on. Hand it over. Sure. Read it. Anything wrong with it? Just tells the kid to look for a comet. Don't send it, Frank. There's something wrong. I run this show. You think these two can pull a fast one on me? There's no code in this. I look. No. There's no code. Frank, sometimes a first letter of each word spells another word. I know. I know. I looked. Can you make anything out of L, F, H, C, T? No, I guess not. Okay. Come on, holiday. Let's go. I signal Marty. He answered. I prayed that the kid would understand. Then we went back to the cottage the afternoon passed and it was early evening and in the cottage. It's about time we went, ain't it, Frank? No, not quite. The sun's not all the way down yet. But the longer we stay, the worse it's gonna be. Will you stop yapping? We've been here all day. Nothing's happened. That's right. Nothing's happened. I wonder if Marty's looking for the comet. I guess he is. I bet there ain't no comet. But you're wrong. There are over 900 comets recorded and five or ten more discovered every year. Save it, Archimedes. You're not teaching a class now. And you, Billy, take it easy. It's been over seven hours since we flashed the message. All the same. We better go. Yeah, yeah. The sun's down. That'll be dark enough. Okay, holiday, Archimedes, on your feet. The last time, take me along with you. I'll tie the professor up, but don't kill him. I take no chances on your feet. Both of you. Don't you try that again or you'll go out the hard way little by little. Now move. Get in the next room and face the wall. Right in the back, huh? Sure, unless you want to see what you're getting. Okay. Hey, what's that? Sounded like a car. Douse the lights first. Something unforeseen, Frank? Frank, who is it? Don't worry. Can't be anybody that knows anything, even if it is. Frank, I can see by moonlight. They're rangers. They've got guns. There's a kid with them. Marty Kennedy. That kid. Okay, he asked for it. I take no chances. Don't shoot that kid. Shut up. All right, drop it. Drop the gun. Well, Frank, this time our comedies wins. You dirty... I've been waiting to do that for two days. Gee, gee, Mr. Halliday, professor, where's Ted? He'll be all right, Marty, soon as we can get him to a doctor. But you, you're a smart boy. I thought you'd guess it, Marty. Gee, I knew something was wrong, but it took me a long time to make anybody else believe it. Shucks, I knew Ted or anybody else up here wouldn't send me such a silly message. And is Ted Whitman going to be all right, Mr. Halliday? Sure, he'll be all right. But what was the message that made Marty think something was wrong? To watch for a comment that night? Well, if there are over 900 comments and 5 or 10 new ones discovered every year, what was silly about it? This was a particular comment, Susie, a very particular one. Well, gee, tell me, what was it? Remember the first letters of each word, L, F, H, C, T? Yeah. Look for Halley's comment tonight. Well... Halley's comment is a big orbit. It takes 75 years for it to get around. And it isn't due until 1985. Goodnight, Susie. Listen in again next week when, through the courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd stars as Dan Halliday in Box 13. Box 13 is directed by Richard Sandville, with this week's original story by Russell Hughes. Original music is composed and conducted by Rudy Schrager. And the part of Susie is played by Sylvia Picker. Byrne Carstensen is in charge of production. This is a Mayfair production from Hollywood. Watch for Alan Ladd in his latest Paramount Picture.