 Box 13, with the style of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd as Dan Holliday. My dear Mr. Holliday, I do not address you as Box 13 because having seen your advertisement, I was intrigued and found out who you are. You write mystery stories. I am a professor of criminology at the University. I think I have something of enormous interest to both of us. The perfect crime. I am going to commit it. Won't you be my audience if it pleases you to come to my room? The University. Sincerely, Dr. John Dobbs. At first, I wasn't sure whether the letter was on the level or not. Then when I saw Dr. Dobbs, I was sure it was. And he did commit the perfect crime. Almost. And now, back to Box 13 and Dan Holliday's newest adventure, the perfect crime. Dr. John Dobbs. I never heard of him, Mr. Holliday. Read this. Who's who in American education? Our Dr. Dobbs is quite a personage. Dobbs. John H., professor of criminology and abnormal psychology. Author of over 15 volumes on crime and the criminal. That's enough, Susie. And now Dr. Dobbs says he's going to commit the perfect crime. Is there such a thing? Susie, any unsolved crime is perfect. Oh, maybe he's just kidding. He's a professor. He wouldn't do anything like that. That's exactly what I'm going to find out. At least I'll have an interesting evening. Dr. Dobbs is waiting for me when I got to his rooms. He was a harmless, pleasant-looking man of about old 65. He smiles shyly as he greeted me. Hi. I'm so glad you came, Mr. Holliday. How long can you stay? All evening. My time is yours. Wonderful. You think I'm a little crazy, don't you? Well, aren't we all? I suppose so. But let's discuss the perfect crime. Now, what is a perfect crime? One that isn't solved. Yes, yes, of course. But nine times out of ten, the crime isn't planned. I'm speaking about a planned murder, perfectly executed and perfectly hidden. Dr. Dobbs, you're a great man in your field. Therefore, you should know that no one ever gets away with it. Oh, why not? Because there's always some clue. Some minute trace that leads directly to the murder. Oh, true. But suppose there were no clues, none at all. Ah, but you're leaving out an important factor. And that is? The body. It's hard to get rid of a body. Dr. Crippen was trapped. Trapped because police found the body of his wife in the basement. Yes. But suppose a body could be destroyed altogether. Well, it's never been done. With today's scientific police laboratories, even the tiniest clue can be built up enough to convince a jury. Yes, that's very true. But suppose the body of the murdered person were never found. It always has been. Granted. But suppose it were not. There'd be absolutely no proof of murder. Ah, my point exactly. Now, just a minute. First you have to find a victim, one who isn't even remotely connected with you. Then you have to kill him. Yes, go on. Then having found your victim and killed him, you have to get rid of his body altogether. Those are the conditions, yes. So, after those conditions were fulfilled, you'd have to escape detection and final punishment. And your argument is that with those conditions, the perfect murder would have been committed. Yes. Suppose I told you I can do it. You're asking me to believe the impossible. First, you're a famous man. It's hardly likely you'd risk everything you've worked for just to satisfy an insane whim. Go on. Secondly, I... I don't believe you're serious. But I am. Mr. Holliday, I'm a very sick man. My doctor gives me three months to live. Oh, I'm very sorry. It's no matter. Perhaps he's wrong. No, I know he's right. Then what does it have to do with what we're talking about? Perhaps nothing, except that I'm very tired. I spent a lifetime with books and studying students. I'm a crusty old bachelor. I suppose now I want some excitement. Even my name is prosaic, John Dobbs. Dr. Dobbs, I still don't think you're serious. Maybe you're kidding me for some reason I haven't been able to see or even guess at. No, I... I think I refuse to believe you. What are you laughing at? At what you said. I don't understand. You refuse to believe me. That's right. Is that funny? Yes, because you see, Mr. Holliday, the fact that you refuse to believe me is part of my plan. It makes me even more certain that I can commit the perfect murder and win. Well, I stayed with Dr. Dobbs until after three in the morning. We talked, got a marvelous knowledge of crime, and I left him with a great admiration of his intellect. Then three days went by. I heard nothing from him until one day at the office. Hello? Mr. Holliday, please, Dr. Dobbs calling. Oh, oh, just a minute. Mr. Holliday, Dr. Dobbs calling. Oh, okay, thanks. Hello? Mr. Holliday, how are you? I'm fine and you? Oh, pretty well. You remember our conversation the other night. I certainly do. Why? Would you care to be in on the start of my plan? Now, look, I refuse to take you seriously. That's wonderful. But are you free this afternoon and evening? Oh, yes, why? I want you to fly to Chicago with me. What? Will you? I have the tickets on the plane. You're my guest. But why to Chicago? I'll tell you why when we're off the plane. Will you go with me? Yes. Yes, I think I will. Do you like to fly, Mr. Holliday? Oh, I love it, do you? Oh, yes. It gives me a great sense of exhilaration. I am untouchable up here. Why are we going to Chicago, Dr. Dobbs? Here, read this newspaper account of a murder. Police are at loss for clues in the Caroline's standish murder case. All leads have come to dead ends, and why do you want me to read this, Dr.? Because I'm going to Chicago to confess to the crime. Your what? I'm going to confess that I killed Caroline's standish. I don't believe that. We'll be in Chicago in exactly one hour and 20 minutes. Half an hour after we step off this plane, you and I will be at police headquarters, and then you will see. But you couldn't have killed this woman. Oh, yes, I could have. She was killed the day before yesterday. That was Sunday. Sunday's a holiday. It's not too long a plane trip from our city to Chicago, and Caroline's standish is a complete stranger to me. And being a complete stranger, she satisfies the first condition of the victim, that he should not even remotely be connected with her. Exactly. Now settle back, Mr. Holliday. We'll be in Chicago very soon. All right, now let me get this straight, Dr. Dobbs. You say you killed Caroline's standish. Yes, I killed her, Lieutenant. And you? You say your name is Holliday. That's right. Mm-hmm. Well, Dr. Dobbs, we've checked on you since you first came in here an hour ago. We've got quite a bit on you. Your books, for one thing. I've enjoyed those. Now, suppose you tell us how you killed Caroline's standish. It's very simple. I shot her. Oh, what kind of a gun? A .38 caliber. That was in the newspaper. I know. Mr. Holliday, what do you know about this? Oh, nothing except that Dr. Dobbs asked me to come here with him. I see. Well, you can both go home. Thank you, Lieutenant. It's not very often that a murderer's sent home scot-free. Why are you letting him go, Lieutenant? Look, Caroline's standish was killed with a .38. Yes. But two hours ago, we found the killer. He had the gun in his possession. Oh. Then I am free to go. As fast as you can get out the door. Thank you. Come along, Mr. Holliday. I'm afraid the Lieutenant has his killer. And it doesn't seem to be me. So we'll go back home. And then? I'll get in touch with you again. Hello. Mr. Holliday, this is Dr. Dobbs. Oh, you. Where are we going this time? Yes. Guess what? That I'm going to Philadelphia to confess to a murder there. You're going to do what? The same thing I did in Chicago. Will you come along? Oh, no. No, thank you. They're reading the newspaper. You may see some very startling developments with that. Mr. Holliday, I'm leaving for Boston this evening to confess another crime. Holliday, I don't suppose you care to go to Hartford with me. In San Francisco this time, Mr. Holliday, I would like your company. Well, it went that way for two solid months. Dr. Dobbs confessed to every murder that hit the newspapers, and every confession was laughed at. His name gradually became as well known to the police departments of the country as those of the public enemies number one through 20. Then he came to see me at my apartment. Well, Mr. Holliday, what do you think now? Look, Mr. Dobbs, I don't know what you're doing, but please, why don't you cut it out? Oh, are you feeling sorry for me? Look, every one of these newspapers has your name in it. You've made a laughing stock of yourself. Does that concern you? Yes, it does. I admire you. I've read your books and I've talked with you. Why are you so intent on breaking up a brilliant career? Because I intend to go through with what we discussed that first night in my rooms. I don't know whether you're trying to make a fool of me or not, Dr. Dobbs, but I'd rather you didn't count me in on your little escapades. It's no fun committing a perfect crime without an audience. What? I need you, Dan. You're very intelligent. You could appreciate what I'm going to do. Look, Dr., forget all this and go back to the university. Say you did it as an experiment. Oh, well, I've already been given a vacation from the university. What do you mean? The publicity was bad for the school. The president suggested that perhaps I'd been working too hard and needed a rest. Well, you brought it on yourself. Oh, yes, I know. Now, I want you to do me a favor. What do you want? There's a small city about 300 miles from here. Go there with me. So you can put in another phony confession? No, no, no. So I can point out my real victim to you. Say that again. I want to show you my victim, the man I am going to kill, the man whose body will never be found and the crime to which I am going to confess this time legitimately. I don't believe you. Please now go to the town with me. I'm now supposed to be a little cracked, humor me. And if I do? Well, we'll have a little mental chess game, you and I. I'll give you the opening gambit murder. From then on, it will be your job to checkmate me. Agreed? All right, Dr. Dobbs, I'll go with you. But this will be the last time. Understand? Yes, I understand. This will be the last time. Now back to the perfect crime. Another Box 13 adventure with Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday. Well, I went with Dr. Dobbs to the small city. And he took me to a restaurant. He seemed to be looking for someone when suddenly... Look, Dan, there he is. Who? The man I'm going to kill. The one who just came in? Yes, look at him. Describe him to me. I want you to be able to recognize him anyplace under any conditions. What for? Please, please, just do as I ask. Well, I see a man about your build. Yes. A little younger, perhaps. Non-descript. Uh-huh. His name is Alexander Ferris. And he's a buyer for one of the department stores here. How do you know all this? I looked all over for a victim. And then one day I saw him in our city. I followed him, found out he lives here. Hmm. Oh, he doesn't even know he's going to die. Dobbs, let's cut out this nonsense. But it's not. Ferris is a bachelor. He lives in a boarding house. Once a month he takes a trip to our city to buy for the store here. Go on, you're not finished. No, I'm not. I was going to add that Mr. Ferris is going to make one more trip to our city. And that one will be his last. Tell me one more thing. Why did you pick him? Because he seems the logical one. He does things by routine. He stays at the same hotel in our city. He takes the same train there and back home here. Oh, I hate monotony. Uh-huh. Now suppose I should walk over to Mr. Ferris and tell him that a mad man is going to kill him. Go on, try it. You know what he'd do. Yes, I think I do. Look at me as though I were the mad man. Then he'd call for the police and I'd be sucking a nice cell until the police decided I was... Exactly. All right, Dan, we're finished here. You've seen the victim, now we'll go back home and I'll let you know when the game begins. Mr. Holiday, please. Oh, just a second. Mr. Holiday, is that man again? Dobbs? Uh-huh. Okay, give me the phone. Hello. Look, Doctor, let's call off this race. I'm getting tired of it. Mr. Holiday, Alexander Ferris leaves his town this afternoon. He will arrive here at 7.30 this evening off the Lakeshore Limited. He will go to the Barrett Hotel. He will never leave there alive. Hello. Hello, Dobbs. Hello. What do you say this time? Same thing, still hopping on the perfect crime. Do you think he means it? I... He's got me over a barrel. I don't want to believe him. Sometimes I don't, but... But what? That there's something earnest about him when he talks about it. Well, I can't take a chance. I'm going to keep my eyes on Alexander Ferris. I decided to warn Ferris, so that evening I met the Lakeshore Limited. I tried to get to him, but before I could he hurried into a taxi. I grabbed the first empty cab I could find and went to the Barrett Hotel. Ferris had already registered and was disappearing into an elevator. I ran across the lobby, and the door closed and Ferris was gone. I got his room number, 708. Took an elevator. We were just passing the fifth floor when... Those were shots. And they came from the seventh floor. I missed my guess. I didn't miss it because on the seventh floor... All right. All right. Back to your rooms. Come on, everybody. Come on. You too. You're the house detective. Yeah, who are you? My name's Dan Holliday. Did those shots come from this room? Yes, they did. Dobbs. Hello, Dan. What's happened? Look, I'll take care of this. Of course, but the shots came from that room. I know because my room is next door. You? Your next door? Yes. Since I left the university, I've been living here. The house detective will verify that. Sure. Well, that's got nothing to do with this. Why don't you better get inside the room and see what's happened? This is my job. But since you stuck your nose in, stay right with me. Have you got a pass key? Yeah. Hmm. You can still smell the powder from the shots. Yeah. Where's the guy that came in here? Look in the back. Close that door. Now, you two stay right there. I'm going to give this place a look, see? Something fishy here. So your curiosity got the better of you, eh, Dan? Your next door, huh? Yes. Convenient, isn't it? Where's Ferris? He's dead. You shot him, I suppose. I killed him, yes. I saw him get on the elevator and come up here. All right. You saw that. What then? Where is he? I don't get this. There ain't a sign of the guy any place. But there's his hat, top coat, and police on the bed. Which proves he came in here? The bellboy will verify it if he came in here. All right. Let's ask the bellboy. I'm running this until the police get here. Well, by all means, call the police. Dr. Dobbs, would you mind if your room was searched? I was going to suggest it myself. There ain't no fire escape. Nobody fell out the window. And nobody's here. Oh, please, let's look in my room. Then you can question the other guests on this floor. Okay. Come on, you two, out of this room. Well, Dan, what do you think now? I don't know. Maybe I've stopped thinking. Well, the case was a sensational one. Two shots fired. Nobody and no Alexander Ferris. Two days later, Dr. Dobbs visited me in my apartment. Well, Dan, have you made any headway? I'm not trying. Oh, yes, you are. It intrigues you, Dan. It's a hoax. The whole thing is a hoax. Not the whole thing, Dan. I give you my word of honor that I killed Ferris. Will you tell the police that? I already have. I confessed. You what? But they laughed at me. You see, I'm known now as a crank. I confess to all murders. Where is Ferris' body holiday? How did I get it out of the room? You didn't. You couldn't have. The other guests rushed to the doors after the shots. They only stared at me. You couldn't have carried his body without being seen. And the bellboy verifies the fact that Ferris entered his room next to mine. And yours was empty. So, what have you got? Dobbs, I don't believe he killed Ferris. Why then where is he? I don't know. So, I fulfilled two of the conditions we talked about our first night. Remember what they were? Yes, the victim had to be a stranger to you and the body had to disappear. And the third condition, I escaped detection and punishment. Dan, why don't you tell the police about me what you know, what I've told you? They wouldn't believe me. No, they wouldn't. But Dan, I swear to you that I killed Ferris. If you figure out how I did it, I'll admit it and take my punishment. I am not the police. No, no, you're not. But you know more about this than they do. I swear to you again, Dan, you have the whole solution in your head. All you have to do is put together the pieces of the puzzle. It's really very simple. Well, goodbye, Dan. Holiday. Mr. Holiday. I'm sorry, Susie. I was daydreaming. About Dr. Dobbs? Dobbs. Gee, I think it's some kind of a joke. There just isn't anybody that they've been looking for almost a week now. That's what bothers me. Ferris is missing. He left his hometown, took the train, came here. I saw him. I saw him. I saw him. I saw him. Then... No Ferris. And the police won't believe Dr. Dobbs. Or me. Kling thinks I'm in the same class as Dobbs. I know. Oh, thanks. It's got to be an answer, though. No one, not even an admitted genius such as Dobbs could kill a man and do away with his body. But there isn't a trace. Look, Dobbs had about 15 seconds to kill Ferris and then hide the body. Yeah. What were you going to say? I'm not sure. Dobbs said I had the whole solution in my head. Susie, ever see a magic act? Magic act? Oh, you mean a magician? Slide of hand? That's right. Slide of hand. Illusions. Now you see it, now you don't. Watch the little lady disappear from under your very eyes. Keep your eye on the magician and miss how the trick is done. I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not sure. I do, but I've got an idea. Susie, we're going to send a telegram. Where to? To Alexander Ferris's hometown to the chief of police. But that's been done. You know that. Sure, sure I do. But the other telegrams were about and concerning Ferris. Well, what's yours going to be? About a perfect stranger. Well, I was shooting in the dark, but I hit. The answer I received to my telegram made me sure I had the solution to Dr. Dobbs' illusion. Smart police work in Ferris's home town proved it. So that night I went to see Dobbs. It's nice of you to come to see me, Dan. I was wondering if you'd forgotten me. Everyone else seems to have done so. No, you're not forgotten, Dr. Dobbs. Quite the contrary. Oh, how do you mean that? Just the way I said it. May I sit down? Certainly, please do. Thanks. May I offer you a drink? Oh, no, thank you. Mind if I have one? Please do. You come to see me for a very special reason, haven't you? Yes, I have. Read this telegram. It's from the police in Ferris's home town. Huh? Hmm. Did you guess or did they? I did. I'm glad. Glad you were my audience. It was fun playing to you. Yes, you were the magician. I was the kid in the audience with his mouth open and his mind closed. Magician? Not quite. Oh, yes. Like the trick where the magician shows the audience a nice big red ball. He gets them used to seeing it. He conditions them to its size, its shape. Then he covers the ball with a handkerchief. Makes a mystic pass and the ball is gone. Go on. What then? Ah, but the ball never disappears. It never goes under the handkerchief. All the audience sees is a similar shape, outlined under the silk. Yes, I'm very happy I chose you as my audience. I'm not. I don't like to be the one to catch you. Why not? I took the risk. Ferris never came to the city. You got off the lake shore limited that night. And what else, Dan? You called me and told me Ferris would come here. That day in his hometown you pointed him out. You made me take a good look at him about your height and build. I even mentioned that, I think. Yes, you did. Go on. Before he left, you came here. You intercepted him, killed him in his own hometown. You took his top coat, hat, and the lease. Then you dressed him in entirely different clothes. Took his body to the freight yards. That telegram from the police there verifies that an unidentified man was found dead. Yes, unidentified, because the police weren't anxious to identify that body. But they did this afternoon. Dental work proves the man to be Ferris. You see, Dobbs, there's always a clue. Always. There is no perfect crime. But just a moment. There were three conditions to the action of committing a perfect murder. Now, I fulfill two. Now, the third. I must escape detection and punishment. How is anyone going to prove what you've just said? By your admissions, Dobbs, the police are in the next room and outside in the hall. They've heard every word. There are still a few things to clean up, but there isn't time, is there? I still have to escape punishment. I'm sorry, but you can't. Okay, boys, come on in. Well, well, the police. But, Dan, I still say I've fulfilled the last condition to escape punishment. It's a good thing you didn't take the drink I offered you. I knew as soon as you came in that you had me. Dan, explain how I did it. It's no fun doing something clever if no one appreciates it. Dobbs, Dr. Dobbs. So long, Dan. Don't forget to explain the rest. It's been a wonderful chess game. Now, checkmate. What did he kill Mr. Ferris in the hotel? I told him. He didn't, Susie. He killed Ferris in the man's own hometown. You see, I thought I'd followed Ferris to the hotel from the station, but I had followed Dobbs. And then? Very simple. Dobbs had reserved a room next to Ferris's. Then disguised as Ferris, he went into the room Ferris had reserved. Dobbs took off the top coat, had put the police on the bed, fired two shots, blanks, then stepped quickly into his own room. Do you see? Oh, sure. Leaving the other room empty. Right. So everyone was looking in the wrong place for Ferris. Everyone assumed he'd really come to this city, like the old trick with the ball, Susie. You think you see it, but you don't. So you look in the wrong place. Gee. He was really smart, wasn't he? Susie just remembered this. No matter how smart you are, there's always somebody who'll trip you up. Everyone makes mistakes. But Dr. Dobbs didn't. Oh, yes, he did. He made the same mistake I did. He looked in the wrong place. What do you mean? You see, I had to trap him into a confession. He assumed that dental work would identify Ferris's body, but the man found in the freight yards had perfect teeth and no dental work. Good night, Susie. Listen in again next week when, through the courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd stars as Dan Holiday in Box 13. Box 13 is directed by Richard Sandville, and this week's original story was written 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. Box 13 is a Mayfair production from Hollywood. Watch for Alan Ladd in his latest Paramount Picture.