The Shadow (serial)

Lore & Background

The serial was produced by Columbia Pictures, which relied on fistfights, chases, and headlong action. The studio disliked the prospect of a 15-chapter adventure where the audience would not see much heroics, because the leading character was supposed to be invisible. By basing the serial more on the pulp fiction version and turning the mysterious Shadow into a flesh-and-blood figure, plainly visible wearing a black hat and black cloak, Columbia patterned the serial after its successful serial The Spider's Web (1938).

Columbia copied the triple-role format from The Spider's Web: Lamont Cranston baffles criminals as The Shadow wearing a similar disguise and moves among them as their Asian confederate Lin Chang. Victor Jory's Shadow is faithful to the radio character, especially the radio show's signature: the sinister chuckle of the invisible Shadow as he confronts the villain or his henchmen.

In 1997, Columbia TriStar Home Video released it on VHS, and in 2015, Mill Creek Entertainment released it on DVD under license from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

Reader's Guide

Critical reception of The Shadow serial is mixed. Harmon and Glut are critical, noting that filming the Shadow in brightly lit environments undermines the mystery and menace of the character. They also question the quality of the plotting for its lack of imagination and the fact that the hero appears to survive cliffhanger endings for no reason other than being the masked hero. On the other hand, Cline praises the serial, stating that the mystery of the pulp magazine was preserved by both the hero and villain being masked. This lent an ambiguity from the point of view of other characters that also pervaded the source material, so 'for the audience the result was perfectly compatible and a pure delight.' The serial remains notable as an early film adaptation of a major pulp and radio icon, though its approach—making the invisible Shadow visible—departed from the character's core concept.

Did You Know?

• Columbia Pictures patterned The Shadow after its successful serial The Spider's Web (1938), copying the triple-role format.
• The Shadow battles a villain called The Black Tiger, who is a master of disguise.
• Victor Jory's portrayal included the radio show's signature sinister chuckle.