Box 13 - "Daytime Nightmare" (Old Time Radio, 2012)

Box 13 presents “Daytime Nightmare,” originally broadcast May 15, 1949. In episode 39, Alan Ladd stars as adventure-seeking writer Dan Holiday.

A mysterious lunch invitation sends Dan to the Golden Arrow, only for him to wake in a sanitarium where everyone insists he is a man named Edward Stokes. Written by Russell Hughes and directed by Richard Sanville, this tense mistaken-identity drama also features Sylvia Picker as Suzy.

Box 13 presents the original broadcast with a newly produced contextual introduction, a short closing announcement, and gently cleaned/mastered audio for a more consistent listening experience.

Chapters:
00:00 Victor Sterling Introduction
00:47 Original Broadcast
27:20 Closing

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Speaker 1: A lunch invitation brings Dan Holliday to the Golden Arrow,

and before long he wakes in a sanitarium where no

one will acknowledge him as Dan Holiday. Alan Ladd stars

as the adventure seeking writer in Box thirteen, episode thirty nine,

Daytime Nightmare, originally broadcast May fifteenth, nineteen forty nine. Russell

Hughes wrote this story with Richard Sandville directing. Sylvia Picker

appears as Susie alongside Paul Freese and Herb Vigren. Dan

faces a case of mistaken identity that leaves his freedom

in doubt, and the way out will have to come

from Dan himself. And now our story begins.

Speaker 2: Box thirteen with the star of Paramount Pictures, Alan Ladd

as Dan Holliday.

Speaker 3: Box thirteen, Care of the Start Times. I should like

very much to see you and offer a proposition which

could be of mutual profit to us. Of course, there

is some danger involved, but then your advertisement asks for adventure.

So if you are interested, perhaps we could have lunch

tomorrow afternoon at one o'clock.

Speaker 4: Actual, we could have lunch tomorrow afternoon, say at one

o'clock the Golden Row. Ask for mister Waring's table. There's

some danger involved, he said, Yes, that's what the man said.

And brother, that's exactly what he meant.

Speaker 2: And now back to box thirteen and Dan Holliday is

New Adventure, Daytime Nightmare.

Speaker 5: Well, at least this letter it brought you to lunch,

mister Holliday.

Speaker 4: Uh huh lunch? And then what danger its said? That

don't exciting? It always does, you know, Susie, someday I'm

going to walk into one of these things and not

walk on.

Speaker 5: Then follow up one of these other letters. There's one

that asks for a babysitter. The woman dead, her children

are a danture.

Speaker 4: Oh no thanks, I'll take mister Waring's letter and his proposition.

Speaker 5: You better hurry. It's almost twelve to thirty now.

Speaker 4: Oh, don't push, Susie, don't push. What time will you

be back? Probably this evening, but don't wait for me.

Just lock up the office and take off. It's along, Susie.

The Only Narrow was one of those also dining in

lunch in spots where you can get a swell dollar

lunch for five. I asked mister Wearing's table, and the

waiter showed me to a nice of fervid corner. A

small orchestra was playing, a couple were dancing, and mister

Waring was just sitting there. I took a good look

at him before I sat down. He was big and handsome,

maybe about fifty, and the diamond he flashed on a

little finger of his right hand was spelled with fifteen

hundred capital dollars. He looked up, saw me standing there.

How do you do You're a Box thirteen? Yes, that's right,

you are, mister Wearing, and you're right. Please sit down.

I've ordered lunch. I hope you approved. Oh thanks, I'm

sure I would. You're younger than I expected. Oh disappointed?

Speaker 3: No? No, please tell me. Is Box thirteen the way

you make you living?

Speaker 4: Ah? Not quiet?

Speaker 3: Yeah? I read your advertisement several times. Adventure wanted go

any place? Do anything? Write Box thirteen? Is that said

with disapproval? No, not at all, mister got holiday. Huh No,

not disapproval, And just regret, regret that I hadn't the

nerve to do such a thing when I was your age.

Speaker 4: Sometimes the regrets of mine huh oh oh, I see

you mean, once in a while you get something that's

hard to handle, that's it. But you've always come out

on top. Well, I've had a lot of luck.

Speaker 3: Is there any of it left?

Speaker 4: Do I need some?

Speaker 3: If you do what I ask, you will all right?

Speaker 4: What's on your mind as to work?

Speaker 3: First, we'll have lunch, then we'll talk. Will that be

all right with you? If you say so, yes, good Charles.

You may bring our lunch.

Speaker 4: Now.

Speaker 3: Now let's enjoy ourselves. There's lots of time to get

serious after lunch. Well, Wearing was a very good conversationist.

Speaker 4: I learned he was an attorney, an attorney for one

of the biggest estates in the country. He kept leading

the conversation around to that every time we got on

something else. Then when lunch was off, enjoy it then,

very much. I do. Thank you.

Speaker 3: Now if you'll come with me, come with you.

Speaker 4: But I thought we were going to talk.

Speaker 3: The more privacy you'll understand why when I tell you

what I have in mind, it's that important. Would you

say ten million dollars was important? Commands attention, Yes, and

please come with me. We left the Golden Arrow. The

dorman saluted Wearing and signaled a big glamousine and sneaked

up along the curb and paured.

Speaker 4: To a stop. Please get in there, oh pardoner, where

are we going?

Speaker 3: Over? Ride through the bark?

Speaker 4: Wait a minute, I want to know what this is

all up about before going.

Speaker 3: To You're not very trusting, are you? It's not very

something wrong? Then I get in the car. Dan, little

air will make you feel better. But go on, get

in all right, Bert, you know where to go.

Speaker 4: I'd been drugged before, so I knew what it felt like.

I felt exactly like this. I came crawling out of

the long dark tunnel with a buzzing in my ears,

my mouth dry as cotton. I was lying down and

I we stubbed my arms. I was on a cotton,

a nice fipe cot in a nice white hoom. I

sat on the edge of the bed, looked around. There

was a window, but there were bars over it. I

went to the door. Hey, I open up, open the door,

Open this door. Somebody come out o the door. Get

away from the door, get away from it. Open it up.

Whoever you are, moved back away from it, and I

will go on. I moved back in the way. There

was a pause, and then, well, mister Stokes, you've awakened

at last. Stokes, what are you talking about. Come on,

get me out of this gag. I'll break my way, Samuel,

you'll go huh ah, mister Stokes. You don't want Samuel

and Hugo to take care of you, do you? What

is this? Sit down? Mister Stokes? Please sit down. I

won't sit down where I was wearing he'll be here

in a moment. You want to see mister Werring. I'm

sure that can be arranged. Well, that's better. Call off

those mastives and white coats. Wait outside, Samuel, you go

and close the door. Go ahead, I'll be all right.

Stay where you are, mister Stokes. Okay, this is a gag.

Let's run it off the boards and put a tag

to it. Okay, why, mister Stokes, you sound almost rational? Rational?

What are you talking about? Just that? I have no

doubt that in a year, perhaps a little more, we

can discharge you. You mean you mean this is no gag. No,

it's not a gag. You're Edward Stokes. Remember that, your

Edward Stokes. I was wearing he will be here to

see you with your one my wife, of course, I

wonder if you remember her. I don't know what you're

trying to get away with. But if I have to

play rough, I can play Samuel. You go. I think

mister Stokes needs to be quiet. Take care of it, Samuel,

get them away from me. And you've decided to be

more calm, mister Stokes, we can have a talk in

my office. Until then, I shall take precautions against your

homicidal tendencies. Well, if it's no gag, Samuel and Hugo

are too big for games, and they played rough. Samuel

left and Hugo sat beside the bed to watch me.

I knew now where I was a sanitarium. Why was

I called Edwin Stokes? I had to find out, so

I turned to Hugo. Oh, hugerly steps are hurting me now,

danys mister Stokes, I can't loosen them for him. Look,

get my clothes, take out my wallet, take the money

that send it, and just let me get to a telephone.

Speaker 6: I'm sorry, mister Stokes. You know that's against the rules.

Who is the man who spoke to me before? It's

mister Courton, mister not a doctor whoa yes and no?

This here's a kind of a rest home.

Speaker 4: Does everyone get as much rest as I do?

Speaker 7: You're all right, it's pretty funny. Yeah, I'm dying my

clothes and we'll get them for you later. Look, I'm

not Edward Stokes. I'm Dan Holliday.

Speaker 4: Get it. My name's Dan Holliday. I'm a writer. Swell.

I'll bring you a pencil and paper. Later. You go

go to a phone, call the number I'll give you

and ask for SUSI you got his sister from me. Now,

lesten you big lummox is a frame up. I am

not Edward Stokes. I don't know who he is. I

never even heard of him. I'm Dan Holiday, a writer.

Speaker 6: Okay, Okay, I believe you. I took care of a

man who was Shakespeare. I believed him. I also took

care of Michelangelo Danty Spinosa. Why I I want to

see Cordel.

Speaker 4: I want to talk to him. What a bar? Does

that make any difference? Yeah? Because if it's not important,

you'll get mad at me. All right, tell him? Tell him.

I remember now that I met with Stokes. It all

comes back to me. Now will you go to him? Yeah?

Speaker 6: Okay, but please don't try what you did before. I

hate to get rough, like I promise it's a good boy,

and keep on being a good boy, and you'll be allowed.

Speaker 4: Visitors this afternoon. I'll be very happy to see them,

very happy.

Speaker 6: All right, mister Stokes, I brought you to see mister

Cordell like, yes, now, promise you'll take it easy?

Speaker 4: Oh? Sure, thanks you it's nothing here is mister Curnell. Good?

Close the door and wait outside you go. Sure you'll

be all right, mister Curnell. I think mister Stokes has

learned his lesson. Sure, please be a good boy now. Yeah,

I will Hugo. So you've become reconciled, mister Stokes. I

know I can talk myself blue in the face to

Hugo or anyone else around here and not get anywhere.

But I want you to tell me what this is

all about. I'll be glad to you're Edward Stokes. You're

here for a rest. You were formerly at the mill

Haven Sanitarium, but your wife thought this would be a

better place. Don't you remember, Oh of course I do.

You've made it all so clear, good good. Oh. By

the way, you're looking so much better than when I

saw your last mister Stokes, would you like to see

how much better? What do you mean if there's a

mirror on the door of that closet to your right,

Open it and see how you've improved. I looked in

the mirror. I didn't see Dan Holliday. I saw a stranger.

God ELL's voice came to me from a million miles away.

There's some gray in your hair, of course, but that's

to be expected as a whole. It's still a nice, deep,

rich black. My husband died, has it. I'll bet you

think it was once blonde. I imagine you think your

name was once Dan Holliday. Take a good look at yourself,

mister Stokes. Get acquainted with your new personality. You'll be

with it for quite a while. Gordell smiled at me.

Then I knew for certainnes was no joke. I was

Edward Stokes, my hair dyed, clever, touches a makeup here

and there. Even Susie wouldn't have known me. Do you

know why you become Edward Stokes? Why, mister Cardell, Because

mister Edward Stokes is dead.

Speaker 2: And now back to daytime Nightmare another Box thirteen adventure

with Alan.

Speaker 4: Land as Dan Hollan. Well, there was a twist. I

was a dead man, yet I was alive and being

kept alive.

Speaker 3: But for what.

Speaker 4: Later in my room, I thought of making a break

for it, but there was always Samuel and Hugo. Then

later I was taken again to Cordell's office. This time

you go went in with me. Cordel wasn't alone with him.

We're wearing no woman. The woman looked at me as

I entered. Edward, would you mind just calling me Dan?

Speaker 3: Please?

Speaker 4: Edward? You remember me?

Speaker 3: Of course you remember your wife, don't you?

Speaker 4: Edward? Hello, Wearing, I must buy you lunch sometime, lunch. Oh,

of course, of course I told you wife and mister

Wearing that you were so much better mister Stokes. But

now you've disappointed me. Oh, I'm so sorry, mister Cordell.

Hugo please wait outside. I'll call you if I need

you here. Mister Cornell, he does look like Edward. Must

you say it so loud to Philip?

Speaker 3: Oh? Sorry?

Speaker 4: How long does this go on?

Speaker 3: Not much longer? Of course, it all depends on you. Yes,

how we'll leave that until later. Clarice's what You've got

to sign those transfer papers?

Speaker 4: Right? Of course?

Speaker 3: Oh, Edward, it might be interesting for you to watch

yourself being committed.

Speaker 4: I'm wanting all of you. I'm going to get out

of here, and when I do.

Speaker 8: It, when you do?

Speaker 3: What?

Speaker 4: Where's the real Edward Stokes? How does he know about it?

Speaker 3: Cordell? Did you open your mouth?

Speaker 4: What's the difference? He can babble his head off and

no one will pay any attention. I suppose something goes wrong?

How can it? It's all too perfect?

Speaker 3: Of course it is, sign the papers claries.

Speaker 4: Get it over with. Good Now, let's go. Nothing can

go wrong, not unless you drivel across me. You've got

your money and you're in as deeply as anyone. You

better see that everything goes all right. It will fine.

Speaker 3: Now, goodbye Edward and good luck gone along.

Speaker 4: Well, mister Stokes, you're now officially in my care. That

should make everything just ducky oh, it will if it's

not asking too much. What happens now, my dear mister Stokes,

If you knew, you wouldn't bank it. What's to prevent

me from reaching across this desk knocking your head off

just for the fun of it. This gun will prevent it.

You wouldn't tell you no, not directly. But suppose you

did try something. Suppose we struggled and the gun went

off accidentally supposed and killed you. Who would be your witness?

Not you? You'd be dead, not Hugo. Because he saw

you attack me this morning. Cordell lean back in his

chair and grinned. Then he played the gun on the desk.

It was so close to me, so close. He knew

what I was thinking, because he's grin widened. But I

had to take the chance. I jump. Stay right there, Cardell.

All right, now that you've got the gun, what will

you do? Hand me that phone? Certainly here you are,

get your hands on top of the desk with pleasure.

Whom are you going to call? Love police? All right,

go ahead, you go, you go. Be careful, Hugo. He's raving.

You've got to believe me. I'm not Edward Stokes. I'm dead. Holiday.

Give me two minutes to put through a phone call.

You don't want to do anything with that gun. Better

give it to me like a good boy. You go, please,

please stay back, careful, Hugo. He may shoot. Stay back,

mister Cardell. I hand him. You'll go. Listen to me.

Listen to me. Give me two minutes on that phone,

just one minute. Give me that gun. Oh and give

it to me. Why I don't want to shoot, but

I'll have to do it. If you're come in closer

or not, you'll go. I'm in a spot. The real

Edward Stokes is dead. You go. He's been killed by

his wife and his attorney. Listen to me. Stand still

and listen to me, easys, real Stokes has been killed.

He was taken from the first sanitarium and killed. I

was brought here, you go, brought here to impersonate Stokes.

Gordell wants me to shoot your Hugo so I can

be killed legally.

Speaker 8: Yo.

Speaker 4: I know all that, miss but if you do, you go,

you go. I'm afraid you killed him, Stokes. Cordell, you

shot the poor devil. Of course I did, mister. You

shot him with another gun you just took out of

that drawer. That's perfectly true, mister. Ballistics can prove which

gun killed Hugo. That's true to mister Stokes. But who

would think of ballistics in connection with a maniac? Cordell

stood there, smoking gun in his hand. Oh, it was

a beautiful frame. In the second the rest of the

people in the place would crowd into that office. What

chance would I have none? I talk myself into a

ladder Cordell put the gun back under his desk. Where

mister Stokes, What now I can prove I didn't shoot

this gun. I think you will get the chance. I'll

be back. Get out of the way.

Speaker 9: Be capful, all of you.

Speaker 4: Don't chase hot cop. He killed Google, stay by, let

it go, stay law. I ran up into the night,

up and the rest of my nightmare. I cleared the

grounds of the rest home and took to the woods.

There was only one thing in my favorite, the darkness.

I stayed in the woods, but I had to get

to a phone. I don't know how long I walked,

maybe an hour. They me too. Then I saw a house.

There were lights on it. I hesitated, but I had

to get to that phone. Did you worry? Yeah, yeah,

that's me. Don't don't screen. Please get back, Please please

don't look. I'm not going to hurt you. I I

want to get to a phone. Have you got one?

Speaker 9: No, there's no phone here. Where's a nurse one the

billing station down the road. Have you got any men's

clothes here in the closet? Would you mind getting them out?

Speaker 4: Go? Wait?

Speaker 9: Please, I won't tell anybody you've been here.

Speaker 4: But don't shoot me. Please, you know who I am?

The radio? They said, how long ago? Have now? Maybe

it does close for me? Please get them all right,

you won't feature they're too small. I don't care about that.

Throw them on the table there, just trousers and coat, right.

I pulled the trousers and coat on over the pajamas

I was wearing. The woman watched me, and she watched

the door. She was expecting someone wally, probably her husband.

Then please please go Now? How far is that filling station?

Two miles? There's no phone closer than there? No? All right,

you stay in here. You're not going to get her.

Just stay in here until you're sure I'm far enough

away you get there, Yeah, sir, I won't move. Good,

I'll return the clothes later. She screamed. I could hear

a screams stading into the night as I ran. I

had two miles to go, two miles of the brush

and woods. I couldn't risk it into the road. Then

I heard something. I ran. I ran until my legs

were torn by the brush. I ran until my breath

choked in my throat. Then I saw the station, but

I couldn't get to it. I crept close and laid

down in the mud filled ditch. I know then what

a fox must feel like, with the hands tearing at

his heels. I listened. I heard Cordel's voice begin with

he's dark haired, wearing pajamas man, But he may have

picked up some crows somewhere.

Speaker 8: I haven't seen anybody. Better be careful. I'm glad he's

got a gun. Already killed a man. Back to the home.

Speaker 4: Don't take no.

Speaker 8: Chances, shoot to kill our wheel shareff, Thanks for warning me. Okay, Clay,

oh got a gun? Sure, always keep one station good.

If your radio turned on too, We're running bulletins on

the air that way, you can tell if he's headed

this way.

Speaker 4: Sure, see you wear a sheriff. Remember he's dangerous, homicidal maniac.

Take no chances, okaymis to Cordell. Thanks hold on. Then

that was the attendant played. Go back into the building station.

I watched him take a gun from a drawer and

shove it into his pocket. I cut across the road,

my stomach head from pressing it close against the concrete.

Take came out of the station, looked up and down

the road. Then he turned off the lights and locked

the door. Don't take another step, don't look around, don't

reach for that gun in your pocket.

Speaker 8: What are you going to do?

Speaker 4: Nothing? You won't get hurt. I want to use the

phone in the station. It's out of order. You're lying.

Speaker 3: I'm not lying.

Speaker 4: Why don't you try it? Or are the keys to

the door in my pocket? Keep your hands out of

that pocket. You want the keys, don't you take it

back to it? I know that gun is in your

coat pocket. The keys there too, no in my trousers.

Reach in, get them out, but be careful. Noah, unlocked

the station door and going ahead of me. Never mind

the lights. Look, why don't you give me your gun.

You haven't got a chance, fellow. The roads are crawling

with prowl cars. They were here just a minute ago. Yes,

I know what I saw them. Reached that coat pocket.

Back to me, rach in and take out that gun,

all right? Hold if I two fingers and drop it

on the floor. Go on, Ah, stand over there while

I use the phone. It's a lot of order. I

told you stay away. You are hello Hello, I told

you there's another phone. The nearest one is about five

miles down the road. They're lying like I was about

this phone. Look, please, why don't you give up? Give

me that gun. We'll go into town. Please, they'll shoot

you down on side if you leave here alone. I've

got to take that chance. No, you don't. I want

to give you a break, fella. I want to give

you a break because because once I saw a dog

shot the dog they all said was mad. Wasn't mad?

All I wanted was water, But they shot it without

giving it a chance. Please give me your gun. Look,

if I tell you a story, you won't believe it.

I know you won't. Maybe I will go ahead. I'm

I'm not Edward Stokes. I'm not the man they're hunting for.

He's dead, killed by his wife and his attorney. What

I think because they wanted a state I'm killed as Stokes,

they'll identify me as him. Please give me the gun. Dude,

you don't believe me, do you. I believe only that

if you leave here and get out on that road,

you'll be shot down. Hi, you're hurt, it's never mind.

Got me to a phone. I can't all right here,

take the gun. Take it. What's a way for. Now

you've got the gun, I want you to do one thing.

Get me to a phone. Let me call the police,

let me identify myself with Come on, I've got a car.

They got me to a phone. I called Lieutenant Clinging,

told him the story, and less than an hour later,

the sheriff, his men, clate and I walked into Cordell's office.

Oh you got him, good work, Sheriff.

Speaker 3: Yeah, we got him.

Speaker 4: I'm surprised here took him alive. Yeah, so are we mine?

Stepping over here a minute, mister Cordell, what what for?

Speaker 3: Get over?

Speaker 4: What is this? You'll find the gun that killed Hugo

in that drawer?

Speaker 3: Shot this man's mad, Sir, I heard different from the city.

Speaker 4: Look, that's the gun that killed Hugo, not the one

I gave Clay. You were right, mister Cardell. No one

would have thought of ballistics to see which gun had

killed Hugo. No. I think I need a bath and

a nice long rest.

Speaker 5: Wearing and mister Stokes were arrested on suspicion of murder.

Please are searching for the body of Edward Stokes. Gee,

mister Holiday.

Speaker 4: And it wasn't nice, Susie, But let's forget it.

Speaker 5: Sure I know what you mean. Oh stay, I have

to remind of what You've got a luncheon appointment today

at luncheon.

Speaker 4: Oh No, Susie.

Speaker 2: Next week, same time, through the courtesy of Paramod Pictures.

Alan ladds stars as Dan Holliday and Box thirteen. Box

thirteen is directed by Richard Samdbell, with this week's original

story by Russell Hughes. Original music is composed and conducted

by Roddy Schraker. Part of Susie is played by Sylvia Picker,

and production is supervised by burn Carstensen. Box thirteen is

a Mafair production from Hollywood. Watch for Alan Ladd and

his latest Paramount picture.

Speaker 1: This has Been Box thirteen Episode thirty nine Daytime Nightmare.

Follow Box thirteen for more classic mystery broadcasts.