Happy 75th Birthday, Shadow
Jul. 31st, 2005 09:23 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sdelmonteRadio buff Anthony Tollin wrote the following (which was posted to Tony Isabella's message board):
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This Sunday will be the 75th anniversary of The Shadow's debut as host of STREET & SMITH'S DETECTIVE STORY HOUR on Thursday, July 31, 1930. Though the character achieved his greatest fame as an invisible crimebuster in the 1937-54 Mutual series, The Shadow originated on CBS as a mysterious host, paving the way for INNER SANCTUM's Raymond, The Whistler, SUSPENSE's Man in Black, The Mysterious Traveler and perhaps even THE TWILIGHT ZONE's Rod Serling. The famous character was portrayed on CBS-Radio briefly by James LaCurto and for a half-decade by Frank Readick, in a syndicated serial by Carl Kroenke and in the long-running MBS series by the 22-year-old Orson Welles, Bill Johnstone, John Archer, Steve Courtleigh and finally Bret Morrison. (Since the program was then airing at 5pm on Sunday, that made Bret Morrison the "5 o'clock Shadow.")
The success of The Shadow on CBS' DETECTIVE STORY HOUR led to the launching of the long-running mystery magazine the following year, with Walter B. Gibson (writing as "Maxwell Grant") creating the characters of Lamont Cranston, Commissioner Weston, Inspector Cardona and Shrevvy that would later be featured in the Mutual network revival. The SHADOW series was "must-hear radio" for nearly a quarter century, and the MBS series was radio's top-rated daytime series through most of its 18-season run.
Since we probably wouldn't have Batman without The Shadow, you (and the readers of your blog) might want to commemorate the day by reading one of Walter Gibson's 283 SHADOW novels or listening to an episode of the classic
radio series ... especially one featuring Frank Readick's shadowy rendition. (Readick's sibilant tones and mocking laughter were the ones always described by Walter in his novels.) The 1938 Orson Welles shows all begin and end with Frank Readick's original CBS signatures ("Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?," "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit" or "As you sow evil, so shall you reap evil!), because Orson was never able to perfect the character's trademark laugh. I also recommend "The Shadow Challenged" (1/19/41) which features Frank Readick as an invisible Shadow doppelganger out to murder Lamont Cranston (Bill Johnstone) and use The Shadow's hypnotic secrets for evil.
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I first met The Shadow in DC Comics' short lived comics about him in the late 80s. I am not a huge fan, but have a certain affinity for this prototypical mystery man. As Tollin notes, without The Shadow, we might have Batman. Certainly we wouldn't have Darkwing Duck. As some of you know, I even played The Shadow in two sessions of cadhla's LOEG 1936 RPG two years ago. He is a wonderufl, harsh and imposing figure, still distinctive among the costumed and semi-costumed heroes of the past and of today.
His star may have faded - the Alec Badwin film, which I sort of like, didn't help him much - but his place in pulp, radio and super-hero histiry is still as firm as it ever was. Happy birthday, Shadow!
P.S. Before anyone from the Milliways crowd asks, I have toyed with the idea of apping him, yes, but he would be very hard to play on a regular basis. Too harsh, and too much canon I don't know well.
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This Sunday will be the 75th anniversary of The Shadow's debut as host of STREET & SMITH'S DETECTIVE STORY HOUR on Thursday, July 31, 1930. Though the character achieved his greatest fame as an invisible crimebuster in the 1937-54 Mutual series, The Shadow originated on CBS as a mysterious host, paving the way for INNER SANCTUM's Raymond, The Whistler, SUSPENSE's Man in Black, The Mysterious Traveler and perhaps even THE TWILIGHT ZONE's Rod Serling. The famous character was portrayed on CBS-Radio briefly by James LaCurto and for a half-decade by Frank Readick, in a syndicated serial by Carl Kroenke and in the long-running MBS series by the 22-year-old Orson Welles, Bill Johnstone, John Archer, Steve Courtleigh and finally Bret Morrison. (Since the program was then airing at 5pm on Sunday, that made Bret Morrison the "5 o'clock Shadow.")
The success of The Shadow on CBS' DETECTIVE STORY HOUR led to the launching of the long-running mystery magazine the following year, with Walter B. Gibson (writing as "Maxwell Grant") creating the characters of Lamont Cranston, Commissioner Weston, Inspector Cardona and Shrevvy that would later be featured in the Mutual network revival. The SHADOW series was "must-hear radio" for nearly a quarter century, and the MBS series was radio's top-rated daytime series through most of its 18-season run.
Since we probably wouldn't have Batman without The Shadow, you (and the readers of your blog) might want to commemorate the day by reading one of Walter Gibson's 283 SHADOW novels or listening to an episode of the classic
radio series ... especially one featuring Frank Readick's shadowy rendition. (Readick's sibilant tones and mocking laughter were the ones always described by Walter in his novels.) The 1938 Orson Welles shows all begin and end with Frank Readick's original CBS signatures ("Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?," "The weed of crime bears bitter fruit" or "As you sow evil, so shall you reap evil!), because Orson was never able to perfect the character's trademark laugh. I also recommend "The Shadow Challenged" (1/19/41) which features Frank Readick as an invisible Shadow doppelganger out to murder Lamont Cranston (Bill Johnstone) and use The Shadow's hypnotic secrets for evil.
---
I first met The Shadow in DC Comics' short lived comics about him in the late 80s. I am not a huge fan, but have a certain affinity for this prototypical mystery man. As Tollin notes, without The Shadow, we might have Batman. Certainly we wouldn't have Darkwing Duck. As some of you know, I even played The Shadow in two sessions of cadhla's LOEG 1936 RPG two years ago. He is a wonderufl, harsh and imposing figure, still distinctive among the costumed and semi-costumed heroes of the past and of today.
His star may have faded - the Alec Badwin film, which I sort of like, didn't help him much - but his place in pulp, radio and super-hero histiry is still as firm as it ever was. Happy birthday, Shadow!
P.S. Before anyone from the Milliways crowd asks, I have toyed with the idea of apping him, yes, but he would be very hard to play on a regular basis. Too harsh, and too much canon I don't know well.
(no subject)
Date: Aug. 1st, 2005 12:39 am (UTC)Plug: Set your browser to WVXU-FM between the hours of 11am and noon on weekdays, and hear all sorts of old-time radio! 7pm to 8pm is the mystery hour, when they're currently playing episodes of the Whistler and Suspense!.