 Box 13, with the Star of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd as Dan Holliday. Box 13, care of Star Times. I need your help desperately. Johnny Tide was released from the state penitentiary this morning with murder in his heart. I don't know any of the details, but I'm sure that he'll be back here in Watertown by nightfall at the latest. If you mean what you say in your ad in the Star Times, be at the Waterfront tonight. Remember if you fail, Johnny Tide will kill or be killed by morning. And that would be wrong because there's lots of good in him. I know. I love him. Janice Reed. Yeah, that's the way it started. Just a girl worrying about a boy. But before it was all over, a lot of people were worrying about that boy. They had to, if they wanted to live. And now, back to Box 13 and Dan Holliday's newest adventure, Design for Danger. An ex-convict on the prowl in the tussle section of the city. Uh-huh. That part of the city doesn't get the carriage trade, as the expression goes. Well, do we accept the challenge, Susie? We? Oh, hey, I'm only your secretary, Mr. Holliday. I was using the editorial, we, Susie. Oh. Well, in that case, Mr. Holliday, I don't know what to say. Frankly, I'm Trumped. Susie, the word is stumped. The word is stumped. But maybe you've got something. What? I don't know. I'll tell you what. Suppose I get out of Watertown and it was around the corner. Why? Oh, I don't know. Maybe to see what's doing. It was called Watertown, not because it was a separate city, but because it was a separate and different order from the rest of the town. But tonight, there was none of the usual rowdy noises. None at all. Watertown was quiet. Too quiet. I could feel a peculiar tension in the air as I walked, as though Watertown was waiting for something to blow up. The people I saw hurried along, vanished from the dark doorways and shuttered houses, afraid. A place like Watertown lives within itself, a news travels fast. Then I heard two men talking. I stopped. I stopped in the shadows and listened to the sound of water. I know what I'm talking about, Fatty. Tide was sprung this morning. He headed straight for here. Maybe he ain't in Watertown. Maybe he'd be afraid to come back. Oh, Johnny Tide, afraid of what? Of you, Fatty Ralston? You know, he ain't afraid, and he had forgot. Oh, shut up. You talk like I had to be afraid of Johnny. Don't you have to? You guys make me sick. That punk's headed for someplace else. He ain't coming back to Watertown. Well, just the same. If I was you, Fatty, I'd pull a blanket over me and haul up some costs. I'll go on. Be right back. You ain't afraid much. Oh, not much. I ain't afraid of Johnny Tide. I ain't. Why not, Fatty? Or why should you be? Who are you? What are you doing here? I just wanted to ask you a question, Fatty. You don't know me. I don't know you. That's right. Then run along and mind your own business, Mr. I've got business here. I just want to know who is Johnny Tide. You had your ears open, didn't you? Yeah, wide open. So you want to know who is Johnny Tide? Who is Johnny Tide? Johnny Tide. Yeah, wide open. So you want to know who Johnny Tide is, huh? That's right. Oh, okay. You want it? Here it is. I'll say this for Fatty. He was quick with his fist. By the time I got my breath back, I saw his 300 pounds disappearing around a corner. So if I wanted to know anything about Johnny Tide, Fatty was the boy to ask. I got up and followed. Saw him duck into a place that had a sign above it. Fatty's pool room. I stepped inside. Stepped into a dark corner and waited. All right, everybody. Clear out. I'm closing up for the night. Eat it. You heard me. Look, look, look. Nobody owes me nothing. Now that ought to make everything all right. Clear out. Come on. Turning in early, aren't you, Fatty? Well, you again. You don't like lessons, do you? I don't like the way you teach. Now you're going to tell me about Johnny Tide. Was I? What makes you think that? I had an idea you might. There's another idea with detail starting with this cue ball. It's your window, Fatty. I'll beat it. Stay away from me. I asked you a question outside. I didn't like the way you answered it. You a cop? No. Stay away from me. Stay away. My arm. Let go. Sure. But who is Johnny Tide? The punk kid. That's all. Anybody can tell you that. I like the way you tell it. Come on. He's up with you. That's my arm. I know it is. It was my stomach outside. Look, Tide's a punk kid. Just finished a five-year stretch for sticking up my place. This place? Yeah. Yeah, he robbed me of four grand. $4,000? Try it again, Fatty. I doubt if you ever had $4,000 in this place. That's what it was. And why are you afraid? He robbed you and served time. Why should you be afraid now? He said he'd get me. Well, let me go. I'm sorry, Fatty, but your story doesn't make sense. In the first place, like I said, you never had $4,000. Not in this place. You're smart, ain't you? Just medium. But I can smell a bad story. What's your stake in this anyway? Who are you? An hour ago, I was just a curious bystander. I wanted to know who and what is Johnny Tide. But I took a punch in the midsection, and now you're telling me a lie. So that makes me more than curious. It gives me a personal interest. Yeah. Let me go when I tell you. It all depends. Go on. All right. I've got to get out of here before Johnny gets here. Oh, so there is a reason for you to be afraid of him. Maybe. But Johnny was framed. Rick Martin. Rick Martin? The Rick Martin? Yeah, big shot. Also Watertown. He gave me $4,000, and he told Johnny I was a pushover for a stickup. Oh, and Rick Martin also told the police. Yeah, he did. Johnny was framed, like I said. Why should Rick Martin want to put that frame around Johnny Tide? Because Rick liked the girl. So did Johnny. So Rick took the easy way in love and war. Well, I told you everything. I've got to get out of here before Johnny comes. You were in on the frame? Maybe not exactly. But Johnny won't believe I wasn't. You know, Faddy, somehow I can't blame Johnny for that. How did Johnny find out he was framed? Somebody talked. Somebody that don't like Rick Martin. Uh-huh. Now, is the girl Janice Reed? Yeah, yeah, that's her. Johnny thinks she was in on the frame, too. Now, please, will you let me go? I've got to get out. Yeah. Yeah, sure, Faddy. You can go now. I've got to go far away because Johnny Tide will go for Rick Martin, and then me, and then Janice Reed. So that was it. Johnny Tide was coming back to subtle old scores. But where was he? How could I help? I was thinking about it. No! Stop! He did it. He broke my showcase window. Who did? That no-good Johnny Tide. I saw him. He broke my window and took a gun. So, now Johnny Tide had a gun, and he was close. Very close. But it was also out of my hands and into the hot little hands of Lieutenant Clinton. Now, look, Holiday, I know that Tide was released from prison this morning. I know that he's in Watertown tonight. I know he intends to kill Rick Martin before morning. But I also know that all of this, including that pawn shop he just knocked over, is none of your business. How do I make myself clear? Yes, you do. But before I go back to my typewriter, one question. What do you know about a girl named Janice Reed? Very little. Only that she's a singer up with a blue chip. Watertown's most exclusive nightclub. Now, anything else, Danny Boy? No, nothing else, Lieutenant. Good night. Maybe I made a mistake when I asked Kling about Janice Reed. Because up until then, I was convinced that the Lieutenant was right. I didn't belong in this mess. But now, well, I couldn't just step out and forget the whole thing. Not without talking to the girl anyway. I got a table at the blue chip without too much trouble, and ten minutes later, Janice joined me. She was younger, prettier, much more upset than I had expected. Mr. Holliday, what have you found out about Johnny? Well, rumor has it that he intends to commit a few murders tonight. Oh, and incidentally, you're on his list. I don't believe that. Look, Mr. Holliday, I know Johnny. I grew up with him right here in this neighborhood. But Johnny and I and Tyler Bennett were inseparable. Please, Mr. Holliday, you've got to believe me. Well, maybe I do, Janice. Let's start off slowly. First of all, who's Tyler Bennett? My boss. He owned this place. He and Johnny and I used to play together as kids. While we even had a secret clubhouse under the pier. All that kind of stuff. And how Johnny loved it. You know, that kid used to climb the old water tower over the clubhouse every day and pretend to sight pirate ships on the horizon. He'd get mad if we said they were just barges. Which adds up to what, Janice? That Johnny was never really a bad boy, Mr. Holliday. He just craved excitement, that's all. But what about Rick Martin? How do you explain that? Well, Rick meant action and fast money. And Johnny liked both. He was young and he made a mistake, but he's paid for it. He served his time. Don't you see, Mr. Holliday, he needs help. He needs it badly. You certainly got a lot of faith in him, Janice. But what about you and Rick Martin? Go out with him? Once in a while. I have to to keep my job. Don't forget, Rick Martin runs water tower. That might be hard to explain to Johnny time. No, it won't. Believe me, Mr. Holliday, if you can find him, you can talk sense into him. I know that. Well, I'm not so sure. But you'll try. Okay, I'll try. Oh, thank you. Thank you so much. Oh, pardon me, but you're on in a minute, Janice. All right, Tyler. Oh, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Holliday. How are you? Hello, how are you? Excuse me, I'll only be a few minutes. Janice was telling me how you two grew up with Johnny Tide and Mr. Bennett. Oh. Have any idea where he might be? Well, if I did, I'd go directly to the police with the information. Johnny was a good kid once, but that was a long time ago. He's dangerous now. He's very dangerous. Janice won't buy them. I know. She was in love with him five years ago. She can't believe he's changed. But mark my word, Johnny Tide will kill before this night is over. I only hope he doesn't get to Janice. When I left the blue chip, I knew that in spite of both Kling and Tyler Bennett, I was on Janice's side. Now, my only problem was to stop Johnny Tide, if I could find him. I walked around aimlessly for the better part of an hour before I got a break. I stopped to look up at the sky, and I found myself staring at the remains of a rotted water tower. For a moment, the jumble of old boards didn't mean a thing, but suddenly it struck home. Johnny Tide used to play pire down that water tower, and there was a secret clubhouse below. It could be just the spot for a hideout. I felt my way through the blackness when... You move one more step, fellow, and I blow your head off. Who are you? My name's Holiday, Dan Holiday. I'm not a policeman, and I don't work for Rick Martin. Your open is okay. I'll keep talking. All right. Here it is. You're Johnny Tide, aren't you? Maybe. Keep talking. Well, Johnny Tide, you're the world's biggest sucker. Yeah. You waste five precious years in prison, and on your first day out with a clean slate, you get into a jam to either mean the chair or a pine box. And what's that to you? Personally, nothing. But I'm around because a friend of mine believes in you. A girl named Janice Reed. Janice? You've seen her? That's why I'm here, leaning against that 45 in your hand. Tide, why don't you get smart? That girl's in love with you. What about Rick Martin? Oh, forget him. Sooner or later, the cops will catch up with Martin. They'll put him away for keeps. Sure. Sure. Meanwhile, watch to keep Martin and his boys from coming after me. I'll do what I can about that. But to play it safe, why don't you get out of town, away from here for a while? What's that? Holiday. Holiday, if this is a trap, you'll never leave here alive. Then we've got a deal. Because that was probably a stray cat. Now, listen to me, Johnny. Do what I say, will you? Forget Rick Martin. Get out of town for your own sake and for Janice. Yeah. Yeah, sure. Forget the whole thing. Forget I was framed and went up to five years. That's a long time, Holiday. An awful long time. I know it, Johnny, but it's done now. Yeah, done. Me with a record. You can't wipe that away. Suppose... Suppose we fix it so that everybody finds out about the frame. How? Well, first give me that gun. Then get out of town and let the police take care of Rick Martin. Patty Ralston can be made to talk. How? He talked to me because he was afraid of you. He'll talk, Johnny. And when he does, that record of yours will be wiped off. Come on, now, what do you say? Well... Eh... Here, I'm a sap. A gold-plated 14-carat sap, but... But here... No, that's a good boy. Now go someplace where you'll be out of the way. You leave this to the police. Sure. But so help me, Holiday. If I get another loop thrown around me, if anything slips, Johnny Tide will be back for you. When I left Johnny, I was sure everything was going to be all right. I put his gun in my pocket and started up the street for Rick Martin's place. I wanted to be sure that Martin would let Johnny get out of town under his own power. I took a shortcut through an alley. Brother, how foolish can you get? I hadn't gone 10 feet when I heard footsteps behind me. I tried to duck, but I wasn't quick enough. Uh-huh. It's the Dan Holiday in his usual position after sticking out his neck. Come on, see if he can get up. Oh, cleanly, I ought to do something about these buildings around here. They've fallen people. Yeah, under these slugs. You know I gathered them. That isn't all you gathered. What are you talking about? Three guesses, just take only one. That's all you'll need. I still don't know what you're talking about. But I know one thing. And that is? Don't worry about Johnny Tide anymore. I had a talk with him. So you talked Johnny Tide into being a good boy. You let that fast-talking little holiday while you were lying here asleep. Tide got to Rick Martin and killed him. And now back to Design for Danger, another Box 13 adventure with Alan Ladd as Dan Holiday. The moment Lieutenant Kling told me that Rick Martin was shot to death, I plunged my hand into my pocket for the .45 I'd taken from Johnny Tide. But it was gone. Looking for this, maybe? The gun. Yeah, we found it next to it, Martin's body. Holiday, you've been taken in by a fast-talking punk. The only way you look at it, your name spells sucker. Yeah, you're right. Johnny Tide sang a pretty lullaby and I went to sleep. Forget this, Kling. Before the sun comes up, I'm going to plant Rick Martin's murder right in your lap. Well, sunrise was only six hours away and that meant I had to move fast. I remembered Faddy's warning that he and Janice Reed would be next if Johnny Tide ever got to Rick. So I lost no time in getting to the girl's apartment. Mr. Holiday, what are you doing here? Rick Martin's just been murdered, Janice. Yes, I know. Tyler Bennett called me a few minutes after it happened. Look, Janice, that Johnny's off on a killing spree and you and Faddy are next in line. No, no, I don't believe that. Johnny isn't a killer. Rick Martin wouldn't say it that way, Janice. Now listen to me. I want you to lock this place up tight and stand to cover. But I can't. I've got to be back at the club for the late show. Call Tyler Bennett when it's time. You'll take care of it. But where are you going? To find 300 pounds named Faddy Ralston. It cost me a $50 bill and a lot of legwork, but I finally located Faddy out on an old oil barge anchored off the end of a deserted pier. So I took off my shoes, stripped of the waist, and quietly summed out to the barge. Once on deck, I could hear the voices of two men coming from the cabin. One of them was Faddy. I couldn't see the other man. I edged closer and then banged against the steel drum and the noise it made shattered the silence. The light in the cabin went out. Who's that? Come on, who is it? Just an old friend, Faddy. Huh? You again? Let's go in the cabin, Faddy. I'm a little wet. Sure. Why not? Come on. Light the lamp. Anything to oblige. See better now? Not yet. Who was with you? Nobody. Where's Johnny Tide? I said where's Johnny? He ain't here. Don't get me that. Where did you look around? Put on that gun first. You're mixed up, fella. I give the orders. I got the gun. That's right. Give me a cigarette, will you? I don't smoke. No? Not even Egyptian cigarettes? Huh? This cabin's thick with smoke. From Egyptian cigarettes. Maybe you better go. Now. Hand me that towel, Faddy. I'm a little chilly. Here. Thanks. Hey! Drop that gun, Faddy. Drop it! Hey! Hey! You're breaking it. Drop that gun. All right. Move back. Okay. Now I give the orders. I've got the gun. Listen. Don't do nothing. Don't. Please. No, I'm not. I'm going to stand perfectly still and listen to you talk. Okay. Okay. Get out. Yes! Whoever fired those shots couldn't have missed Faddy. And whoever it was got off the barge and into the boat that was tied on the opposite side. I ran over. I slipped once on the oil cover deck and the motor boat made for the shore. I had to stand and watch Johnny Tide get away. Get away after killing Faddy. And that made two down and one to go. And the one was Janice Reed. I swam back, slipped into my things, got to a phone, told the police about Faddy. Then I headed for Janice Reed's apartment. It was dark, deserted. I found an unlocked window and got inside. And I had this sickening feeling that I was just one step behind Johnny Tide in his gun. Then I knew it wasn't Janice. She'd use her key. I moved to the door quietly. What the... Get your hands off me, Halloween! I'm Mr. Bennett. I'm sorry I thought you were Johnny Tide. Obviously. I came to take Janice to the club. Where is she? I don't know. I was just going through the place when I heard you at the door. Here, I'll switch on the light. Come on, let's look in the bedroom. Well, there's nobody in here. I guess I'm too late again. Wait a minute. This memo pad. Here, near the phone. What about it? What does it say? It's written with an eyebrow pencil. Here, 42 at 130. Sure, that girl's just crazy enough to keep around if we were Johnny Tide. What time is it now? Uh, 10 after 1. Why? What are you going to do? Maybe 3 is a crowd, Mr. Bennett, but I'm going to be there when Johnny Tide and Janice get together. I'm going to... What is it, Holiday? What are you staring at? Look, they're on the rug. Those smudges. That's oil. Oil? I don't follow you. What does it mean? The tide's been here already. Those are his tracks. Yes, you see, he was out on the oil bar an hour ago, and the deck was slick with that stuff. I know, I slipped myself. Well then, couldn't those be your footprints? No, I left my shoes on the pier. I swam out. But why would Johnny make an appointment with Janice and still come up here? I don't know. Only Johnny can answer that. Just like he can tell me where he gets those smelly Egyptian cigarettes he smokes. I took a cab to within the block of Pier 42, then I got out, walked quietly to the rendezvous spot. Janice was already standing in the soft light of a street lamp waiting, so I ran back to the phone and called Lieutenant Cleen. But the girl set up like a clay pigeon I didn't want to take any chances. And I got back to Janice, it was 1.30 on the button, and a second later a man stepped from the side door of a warehouse. It was Johnny Tide. I moved closer as Johnny went up to Janice. Johnny, Johnny darling. Hello, Janice. Oh, Johnny, it's been such a long time. Yeah. I have five years. An awful long time, Janice. What's the matter, Johnny? Aren't you glad to see me? Sure. Sure, awful glad, Janice. Awful glad. But what's the matter? Johnny, why are you looking like that? I'm just trying to figure out something. Oh, never mind now, Johnny. Look, you've got to get away. Wait a minute. Listen. Cops. You did it again, didn't you? Johnny, no. I was going to give you a chance to explain. Hold her, Johnny. You. I'll get both of you later. I'll be back. Johnny, Johnny, don't run away anymore. Don't run away. Johnny, you there? Right here, Kling. Where is he? He ran into the warehouse. Okay, put a ring around that warehouse. Spotlights, here again. Don't let him alone, let him alone. Kling, be careful. Come on. It's no use, Johnny. The police are here. You're licked, kid. Come on, give up. Not me, honey. They just don't seem to get along. But, Johnny, it's your only chance. Will you give up? Answer me, Johnny. Look. You all right, Dan? Just in the shoulder moment. There he is. Up there on that raft. The Kennedy, you're right. Shand it up there. There he goes, Lieutenant. Get him. No, don't, Kling. Don't shoot. Are you crazy, Holliday? Not quite. Kennedy, shine your light up behind you. Yes, sir. Up there. Fire. There. There's your man, Kling. Who is that, Holliday? That Lieutenant is the man who killed Rick Martin and Fatty Ralston and tried to frame Johnny Tide for the whole thing. The name is Tyler Bennett. Well, Holliday, how are you this morning? Oh, pretty good, Kling. The doctors will be out in a couple of days. Good. Well, I'd like you to figure the whole thing was a scheme of Bennett's to kill Rick Martin and take over as number one man in Watertown. Yeah, and with Tide, frame for the murder. Tyler Bennett would also have had a clear field with Janice. And he was the one who knocked you out just before Rick Martin was shot, huh? Uh-huh. He must have followed me from the blue chip to Johnny's hideout where he heard me talk Johnny out of his gun. From there on out, he was in the driver's seat. But I still don't see why Bennett killed Fatty out on the barge. Well, Bennett's sidekick in this frame. I mean, it looked as though you might get the truth out of him Bennett was forced to shoot one of you. You were lucky. Fatty made a better target. But now I've got one for you, the jackpot question. When you were in the warehouse, how did you know that Johnny Tide was innocent? Well, I found that out the hard way. You see, I was facing Johnny when I was shot in the back. Gee, Mr. Holliday, you certainly had a long night in Watertown. But there's one thing I don't understand. And what's that, Susie? Why did Tyler Bennett follow you down to the pier? He had to because of the oily footprints in Janice's apartment. You see, once I got to Johnny Tide and found out that he didn't have oil on his shoes, I would have realized the footprints couldn't have come from anyone but Tyler himself. Besides, I would have also found out that Johnny didn't smoke Egyptian cigarettes. But what about Johnny? Now I mean... Always on probation for stealing the gun. Everyone knows he was spraying for the other deal. Gee, you know, Mr. Holliday, I wonder if I would have thought of that Egyptian cigarette thing. No, I guess I wouldn't. Why not? Because I don't know a single Egyptian. Oh, good night, Susie. Next week, same time, through the courtesy of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd stars as Dan Holliday in Box 13. Box 13 is directed by Richard Sanville with this week's original story by Gene Levitt and Bob Mitchell. Original music is composed and conducted by Rudy Schrager. The fire of Susie is played by Sylvia Picker, that of Lieutenant Kling by Edmund MacDonald. Production is supervised by Vern Carstensen. Box 13 is a Mayfair production from Hollywood. Watch for Alan Ladd in his latest Paramount Pictures.