Season 3, Episode 3 - THE SHADOW (Film Serial) & THE LONE TIGER

 

The Shadowcast · The Shadowcast 21 - The Shadow 1940 Serial

 

 

 

"Me? The Shadow? 
Why, Vincent... The Shadow doesn't exist."

—Lamont Cranston

(The Shadow Serial, 1940)

Veda Ann Borg (Margot Lane), Jack Ingram (Flint) and Victor Jory (The Shadow)

Reputed to be the most faithful film adaptation of the pulp incarnation of The Shadow, today's episode reviews the entire series in FULL! In the early '40s, Columbia were still cutting their teeth on episodic Serials, overspending on properties like Shadow imitator, THE SPIDER, and losing money as a result.

 

By 1939, the new head of Columbia Serials had a fresh idea:
Spend less money on the serial itself... and more money on a popular license!

And so, to kick off the 1940 Serial season, THE SHADOW (1940) hit American theaters. 

A massive success, and one that features perhaps more direct elements of Gibson's original Shadow stories

than any other adaptation to date!

 

But it didn't come from a vacuum... 

 

The Agents of The Shadow pose for the cover of 'The Lone Tiger' (1939)
 

 Like 'The Shadow Strikes' before it, 'The Shadow' (1940) drew explicit inspiration from The Walter B. Gibson pulp novels: Namely, the trio of 'The Lone Tiger', 'The Silver Skull', and 'The Green Hoods'!

But The Shadowcast has noted similarities between this serial and at least one other story in The Shadow's late-'30s pantheon! Find out which one it is in our full review of this action-packed pulp classic!

 

Artwork by Edd Cartier
 

...REPORT!

Season 3, Episode 2 - THE SHADOW RETURNS / THE SHADOW: 1941

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Beg Satan for forgiveness, for you'll not find it this side of hell!"

—The Shadow
(The Shadow 1941, 1988)

 

 

 Our journey through The Shadow on film continues with a full review of the underrated

1946 B-picture, "The Shadow Returns", starring magician/actor Kane Richmond and Barbara Reed!

Is it worth watching? Or yet another low-budget blunder? Listen and learn, fellow agents! 

 

 

And, at long last, we explore the 1988 graphic novel classic "The Shadow: 1941"!

Does this World War II Shadow classic hold up? 

 Come and see how Marvel's one and only Shadow offering has

withstood the test of the cynical internet age!

 

REPORT!

Season 3 PREMIERE - The Shadow (1994) Film!

 

 

"I saved your life, Roy Tam... it now belongs to me."

—The Shadow
(The Shadow [1994] - Universal Pictures)

 

The theme of season 3 of The Shadowcast is "The Shadow on Film",
to some outward appearances, perhaps not the richest vein of
source material, but as eagle-eyed agents of the Shadowcast are
well aware, The Shadow was fortunate enough to be the subject
of no fewer than six feature films—and one film serial—by the time
Universal at last produced the 1994 film, starring Alec Baldwin. 

 

Alec Baldwin as Lamont Cranston 

 

In today's episode, we review this cult film in detail, from the plot to
the cinematography to the costumes, and discuss the troubled circumstances
of its star-crossed birth. In retrospect, it's something of a miracle the film was
released at all. Yet for its multifarious flaws, The Shadow (1994) remains the

introductory media for many a longtime Shadow fan (your intrepid host included).

 

 

The Shadow (Movie Adaptation) artwork by Mike Kaluta 

 

Yet perhaps the most fascinating peculiarity of The Shadow (1994)'s release
are the many and varied versions of its script (as will tend to occur, when a movie
takes over a decade to produce!) none rendered more beautifully than Dark Horse
Comics' 1994 film adaptation, written and illustrated by longtime Shadow luminary,
Michael W.M. Kaluta!

How does it differ from the final product?
Is there a proper pulp film adaptation of The Shadow hiding in plain sight all these years?
Listen and learn, fellow agents!

Report!

Season 2 FINALE - HANDS IN THE DARK

The Shadowcast · The Shadowcast 18 - HANDS IN THE DARK

Season 2 of The Shadowcast comes to its long-awaited conclusion,

as we wrap up the inaugural 10 entries of the pulp series with its

final volume: The atmospheric crime mystery HANDS IN THE DARK!

This is a fascinating story of kidnapped wealthy heirs, criminal conspiracies,

and for the first time in The Shadow series: Corrupt police officers!

It has everything: A damsel in distress, The Shadow in various disguises,

moving unknown through the ranks of crimedom, and of course, 

ubiquitous Chinatown deathtraps! 

The Shadowcast has had what can only be described as a blast tearing through the

first 10 Shadow stories and—hopefully—introducing an entirely new audience to

some of them as well.

We shall return in Season 3: THE CINEMATIC AVENGER!

Report!

Season 2, Episode 9 - MOBSMEN ON THE SPOT

 

"Like yourself," came the low voice, "I am a man whose name has been

forgotten. We shall speak no more of years gone by.

You are now Clifford Marsland. I am"—the voice halted impressively—

"The Shadow!"

-'Mobsmen on the Spot' 

(Walter B. Gibson, 1932)

Artwork by Tom Lovell

Racketeers—ruthless, relentless—make a great metropolis

their blood-soaked battleground to suit evil purpose!

Artwork by George Rozen

The Shadow wages war with racketeers and corrupt unions

in another tale torn from the headlines, in 1932's timely

crimeland epic: "Mobsmen On The Spot!" To do so, he recruits

a new agent, Cliff Marsland! An ex-con who reveals fascinating

insights into the past of the man behind The Shadow! 

We're getting mighty close to the conclusion of this

season of The Shadowcast! As you know, 'The Pulp Avenger' is the

theme of season 2, and as such, we're covering the first 10 Shadow

stories in order. "Mobsmen On The Spot", as such, represents the

penultimate edition of season 2's trip down Pulp Junction. 

Be sure to tune in next time for the climactic conclusion!

REPORT!

Season 2, Episode 8 - THE BLACK MASTER and SÉANCE OF DEATH

 

"The secret of The Shadow," came the monotonous voice. 

"At last it is understood! The man of many faces—with no face of his own!"

-The Black Master (1932)

Agents of the Shadowcast, Report!

Cover art by George Rozen

The Shadow tests his mind and mettle against his first proper supervillain, 

in 1932's underrated and seminal pulp adventure, 'THE BLACK MASTER'!

"Not since Sherlock Holmes locked wits with Professor Moriarty have there been

such formidable opponents on the battlefield of crime!", raves the back cover

of the Pyramid reprint of this classic story. 

The Shadowcast enthusiastically agrees.

Cover art by Jim Steranko

Then, The Shadow and Margot Lane investigate the curious case of a crooked spiritualist

and a demented psychiatrist, plundering patients, and ultimately murdering them

in the recently-recovered 1947 Radio episode 'Séance of Death!'

Bret Morrison as The Shadow

REPORT!

Season 2, Episode 7 - THE SILENT SEVEN (With Author/Historian WILL MURRAY!)

 

"We are the Silent Seven," said the central figure, in a low-pitched voice. 
Every word was audible; some peculiar acoustic condition of the room gave the tone an awe-inspiring sound.

"The Silent Seven," repeated the others, in a whisper.

"We command the Faithful Fifty," was the whispering echo.

"Our identities are unknown," declared the speaker, "Each of us was appointed by the founder of our order—he who first was Number One. 
Should new members be needed, I shall appoint them. Their names will be known to me alone. That is my oath."

"You have declared the oath of Number One," was the response.

-'The Silent Seven' (1932)

Art by Tom Lovell

The Shadowcast is joined by venerated pulp historian WILL MURRAY, author of the recent Shadow bookumentary 'Master of Mystery: The Rise of The Shadow'.

Art by Joe DeVito

Then, we continue our reviews of classic pulps when The Shadow tackles a secret society of prominent criminal conspirators in THE SILENT SEVEN!

Art by Jerome Rozen

REPORT!

Buy 'Master of Mystery: The Rise of The Shadow' Pick up more of Will Murray's Shadow/Spider/Doc Savage books here!