“Only the Shadow knows.”
Originally a radio program, then turned into a pulp fiction era detective comic, and finally a film iteration with the 1994 blockbuster ‘The Shadow’, starring Alec Baldwin as the titular character.
‘The Shadow’ is an exercise in offbeat & campy overtones allowing for an especial, engagingly stylized product . A long trench coat, complete with cloak and stylish fedora, complimented by a stark red scarf and twin pearl-grip handguns (dual .45 LarGrizzly custom made); this is the trademark look that was crafted for the comics and it receives a grandiose exploration in the 1994 cinematic adaptation. The Shadow’s noire esque visual cues are an often overlooked inspiration for The Dark Knight – the former’s visual representation in print was adopted by more than a few artists post the popularity boom of the radio play and its successor, but Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s creation: Batman (Yes, thee Batman, AKA The World’s Greatest Detective, the one you all know and love), definitely owes more to the look, feel, and narrative backdrop of this piece of comic book history – than any other. Indeed, DC started as National Allied Comics but soon changed its name as a way to embrace it’s well-known Detective Comics publication; which offered captivating illustrations and harboured gritty hard-boiled detective stories. That original comic that later became a stand alone Batman property is still in publication to this day, a more than obvious namesake of the multi-billion dollar company. Bruce Wayne, his crime-fighting counterpart Batman, as well as some of the original rogues gallery are all clearly inspired by The Shadow and its source material. This was even alluded to in a conversation between the dark avenger duo in a crossover run featuring the heroes in a team-up for twelve consecutive issues (this occurred when DC purchased the rights to the character and began publishing The Shadow in 1973).
“It’s safe to say that without The Shadow there would be no Batman. Pairing the two dark avengers of the night is only logical, and we’re glad this series does such a great job of pitting the two together. Batman/The Shadow opens as the Dark Knight investigates the latest murder in Gotham City, only for the prime suspect to be Lamont Cranston, a man thought to have perished 50 years prior. That’s just the start of a whirlwind team-up.” [1]
The Top 10 Greatest Batman Crossovers of All Time (IGN.com)
But alas, I’m not here to discuss the pointy eared “protector of Gotham” am I? No, I’m here writing about Walter B. Gibson’s creation, a masked vigilante with esoteric knowledge learned in the Far East, extra sensory perception, and the uncanny ability to push thoughts into others’ minds; making him a master of illusory obfuscation – and divining the darkest reaches of the criminal intellect.
From the shadows a taunting laugh is heard, ridiculing all those who think they can escape the Shadow’s grasp.
“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men… the Shadow knows!”
The film begins in medias res (Latin for: in the midst of the action) during the period in which LaMont Cranston, an ex-playboy who’s destined to become the supernaturally gifted Shadow, is reveling in debauchery at the top of a criminal organization in Tibet. His ruthlessness and murderous disregard for human life are soon to be reversed in a strange twist of fate, and his will tested in the act of wielding an ancient Buddhist relic; the Phurba. A dagger possessed by the spirit of an ancient Deva that necessitates a clear and unclouded mind to avoid self-mutilation. The Tulku, a holy man and wielder of the Phurba, awaits LaMont Cranston in a temple only visible to those who know of it, calling to him relentlessly through his dreams – the Tulku’s psychic magnetism easily ensnaring the untrained consciousness of one who desires little more than unrepentant hedonism. LaMont Cranston’s bordello stronghold and profitable drug enterprise make him a de facto kingpin in Tibet, embodying villainy completely and fully through malicious acts of violence.
But soon, that could all change… for what a man desires on the inside is not always his outward motion.
Stay tuned for the next episode of The Shadow airing on Saturday at 1:00 PM Pacific Standard Time.
Make sure not to touch those dials! (MBS, the Mutual Broadcasting System)
Timeline of The Shadow’s inception:
1930: The Shadow debuted as the mysterious narrator of Detective Story Hour on CBS.
1937: The character returned to the airwaves as a crime-fighting protagonist on the Mutual Broadcasting System network in a dedicated weekly series.
1930-1954: The Shadow’s iconic presence on radio continued with different networks and a host of different voice actors.
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Sources:
[1]
https://www.ign.com/articles/the-top-10-greatest-batman-crossovers-of-all-time
