Review: Lost Shadow TV Pilot (1954)

[James Trimm]

Many are unaware of this fact but upon the cancellation of the Shadow
Radio Show in 1954, as half hour pilot for a Shadow TV series was
filmed. The pilot however never sold and was never aired. In the
past I have rarely seen the pilot mentioned, and when I did it was
always referred to as a "lost" pilot. I actually did not believe
that it had survived... until... I obtained a video tape of
the "lost" pilot.

It is pretty good. Ow yea Cranston is played by Tom Helmore who
looks a bit like Rod La Roque (From the BAD Grand National Movies of
the late 30's).

But Helmore does a good job in spite of his
mustache. And the story is not bad. It follows the familiar Radio
Show formula:

Cranston and Margo set out as armature sleuths to help their friend
Weston solve a rash of crimes. They only succeed in finding some
tight-lipped persons who seem to be hiding something. In a
transition scene Cranston informs Margo that they will need the help
of an old friend on this one. Margo respond quietly "You mean the
Shadow Lamont"? Then the show has the invisible Shadow (he is never
shown at all; just a disembodied voice) draw the information from
the person that leads him to the real crooks and then the Shadow
confronts them as well.

The TV episode could have easily been a radio script reworked
slightly for TV. In short it is not bad.

Trimm