The Shadow Serial (1940)

[James Trimm]

In 1940 Columbia Pictures made their attempt at bringing the Shadow
to the silver screen.

This time the adaptation would not take the form of a full-length
movie, but that of a 15 episode movie serial.

Compared to the first two screen adaptations of the Shadow by Grand
National, the Columbia serial had some redeeming qualities.

First off Victor Jory was a PERFECT choice for the Shadow. He looked
as if he had been ripped from the pulps and he acted the part well.

The adaptation itself was not bad. The Shadow was authentically
cloaked with a slouch hat and a scarf.

Lamont Cranston became the owner of an independent criminology lab
which did consultation work for Weston and the police. Margo became
his lab assistant. Several scenes take place at the Cobalt Club
which is presented as a private Gentleman's club (in the classic
sense, not a strip-joint). His enemy had the power of invisibility
and was known as "The Black Tiger".

However the demands of a movie serial required a different kind of
story. A serial must cycle to a climax and cliffhanger every few
minutes and have lots of action in every episode. This type of story
was not well suited to the Shadow. Moreover the writing for the
serial itself left something to be desired. For example eight of the
14 cliffhanger endings end with the Shadow caught in a collapsing
building. In each case the resolution the next week was
unimaginative, simply having the Shadow get back up, dust himself
off and go right back into action.

Several story elements are just silly. For example in the first
episode a night court judge grills a suspect threatening him
that if he does not talk that the D.A. can put him away. WOW what an
impartial Judge?!?!?!? Get this man a lawyer AND an appeal!

While the story was poor the Shadow himself was a good choice and the
general adaptation (apart from the story itself) was not bad. This
was a shining gem compared to Grand National's very BAD attempts.

Click here to hear this Shadow laugh: vic.wav

[Melvin Creston Williams]

Yes, this is the best adaptation to date. I understand Walter Gibson liked this one best. It certainly came closer to his character. Hopefully, Michael Uslan and Sam Raimi can finally bring The Shadow to the screen much more as Walter Gibson invisioned him.

[jeremy gunter]

While not perfect as a Shadow adaptation, I'm a big serial fan and I really enjoy this especially. Even though the building collapse does get a bit over used.

[Shavager]

It was the best of the Shadow movie editions, I thought Victor Jory made an absolute perfect Lamont Cranston/Shadow character. Enjoyed the Alec Baldwin movie presentation, it was great but Jory made the better candidate for the Shadow.

[Shavager]

Previous comment correction, Jory's movie was the best UNTIL the Baldwin movie. The '94 Shadow movie was by far the best presentation of the Shadow, I was dissappointed with the story line about Khan. I didn't think it was the best Shadow adventure to use and Prof. Lane's scientific genuis was overshadowed (pun intended) by his bumbling ineptness. While it was the best movie, Baldwin was excellent but Victor Jory certainly was the Shadow.

[Larry Feldman]

I'm just starting to watch this now. I recently rewatched the Alec Baldwin Shadow movie after years, and found that I liked some things about it and hated others. Now, I've watched the first two episodes of the Victor Jory serial. I intend to watch one to two episodes a day until its conclusion,. I think its probably the closest thing to the pulp Shadow i've ever seen, though there are some obvious differences. It WAS odd that they showed the whole building collapsing on The Shadow at the end of the first episode, and he just dusts himself off at the beginning of the second episode. I DID think that maybe they were showing that he flipped the bench over at the last minute, and that's what saved him, but it wasn't clear. Still, I liked the inclusion of a well-cast Harry Vincent, the Cobalt Club and Commissioner Weston being like the pulp versions, the Shadow's Chinese identity, etc. Margo's role seems to be to scream on cue so far, and the bit about Lamont Cranston being a criminologist with a forensic lab IS different from the pulps, but DOES seem to emphasize The Shadow's deductive ability. Of course, The Shadow seems like he is REALLY Lamont Cranston, a likable guy, like he does in the radio version, which, of course, would seem wrong in the pulps.I would also like to see The Shadow use his ninja-like skills to hide in the gloom or darkness, but the part where he listens in at the skylight seemed VERY pulp Shadow.

[Melvin Creston Williams]

Larry, this, it must be remembered, a serial chapter-play like so many others. Faithfulness to source material was not considered that important. Serials were churned out. They weren't considered by studios to be like "real" movies.
Still, some were actually good. Walter B. Gibson liked this Shadow production better than the "others" because it was fairly faithful to his novel, "The Lone Tiger".

[Melvin Creston Williams]

Larry, I have a good copy of the 1940 serial chapterplay "The Shadow" w/ Victor Jory. It is quite good(as far as serials go). I collect serials as well as other things. I like The Shadow chapterplay. My favorite chapter is 11 ,"Chinatown Nights". I won't spoil it for you, but I think you will like the mistake that Williams makes. No wonder The Shadow laughed.

[Larry Feldman]

" Faithfulness to source material was not considered that important." And yet, I find the story very evocative of the pulp stories. I watched two more chapters today. Very Gibson-like is the villain and his little club of henchmen, the trick with the light that makes him seem invisible, the electric Tiger Head, The Shadow's Ying Ko identity, and The Shadow spending as much time running from the police as anything else, the trick in chapter 4 when he escapes by putting his costume on a stooge, etc. Campy no doubt, but it makes me smile. .

[Larry Feldman]

"Larry, I have a good copy of the 1940 serial chapterplay "The Shadow" w/ Victor Jory."

This is exactly what I am watching.

[Larry Feldman]

I have now watched through Chapter 7. I was delighted when, I think it was chapter 4, when The Black Ship actually made an appearance. It was called "The Black Ship Cafe" in the movie, but it still made me laugh.

Also- The Taxi and the Sedan that Vincent drives The Shadow around in, looks more like the toy sedan and taxi (that I bought) manufactured as a tie-in to the 94 movie than anything actually IN the 94 movie. That made me smile as well.

The ray gun thing is silly, but the electric charge used by the Black Tiger to torture and kill people reminds me of similar affects in the pulp novels as well.

What Jeremy says below about the building collapsing on The Shadow about every other episode, and The Shadow just getting up in the next chapter and dusting himself off, is dead on. Very lame.