The Shadow
Where The Shadow came from
• The Shadow started as a creepy radio narrator used to sell Street & Smith’s Detective Story Magazine. He first spoke on July 31, 1930; James La Curto voiced the role at first, then Frank Readick took over and made the laugh/line famous. Listeners kept asking newsstands for “that Shadow magazine,” so Street & Smith launched a pulp built around him. The first issue, The Living Shadow, hit stands April 1, 1931. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Street & Smith’s business manager Henry Ralston leaned into the idea of a single‑character magazine; Walter B. Gibson (under the house name Maxwell Grant) turned the radio voice into a full pulp hero. (pulpfest.com)
Pulp hero vs. radio vigilante
• In the pulps (1931–1949, 325 issues), Gibson wrote the lion’s share—commonly cited as 282 novels; some sources say 283. Either way, it’s a staggering output. (en.wikipedia.org)
• The big identity twist is pulp‑only: in August 1937’s “The Shadow Unmasks,” he’s revealed as Kent Allard, a WWI ace who sometimes poses as millionaire Lamont Cranston. On radio, The Shadow simply is Lamont Cranston for clarity’s sake. (britannica.com)
• Margo Lane? She was created for radio in 1937 to give the cast a strong female voice, then crossed into the pulps in the June 15, 1941 issue (“The Thunder King”). (en.wikipedia.org)
The radio phenomenon (1937–1954)
• The “official” weekly drama kicked off on the Mutual network on September 26, 1937, with “Death House Rescue.” Orson Welles was 22 and played Lamont Cranston/The Shadow that first season; Agnes Moorehead was Margo Lane. After Welles, Bill Johnstone, then Bret Morrison (the longest‑tenured Shadow), John Archer, and Steve Courtleigh took turns in the role. The series ran, with breaks and cast changes, through December 26, 1954. (shadowsanctum.net)
• The famous opener—“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”—was Frank Readick’s line, often reused even during the Welles era, over Camille Saint‑Saëns’s Le Rouet d’Omphale theme. (en.wikipedia.org)
• The radio power set is different from the pulps: the show gives him the ability to “cloud men’s minds so they cannot see him.” In print, he isn’t literally invisible—he relies on stealth, guns, and a network of agents. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Sponsors matter in old‑time radio: Blue Coal was the best‑known national sponsor, and Mutual also sold “co‑op” or regional sponsorships so local advertisers could carry the show in markets Blue Coal didn’t cover. (mutualradiotributesite.org)
The lines everyone remembers
• Opener: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” (Readick, plus the sinister laugh and Saint‑Saëns cue.) Closer: “The weed of crime bears bitter fruit! Crime does not pay… The Shadow knows!” Both became part of the show’s brand and bled into American pop culture. (en.wikipedia.org)
Beyond radio and pulps
• Comic strip: a daily newspaper strip ran June 1940–June 20, 1942, written largely by Walter B. Gibson and drawn by Vernon Greene, adapting pulp plots to the comics page. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Comic books: Street & Smith’s Shadow Comics launched in January 1940 and ran to 1949 (101 issues). (comics.org)
• Movies and serials: early features starred Rod La Rocque in The Shadow Strikes (1937) and International Crime (1938); Columbia did a 15‑chapter serial The Shadow (1940) with Victor Jory; Monogram released a trio of B‑movies in 1946 starring Kane Richmond. The character returned to theaters in 1994 with Alec Baldwin in The Shadow. (en.wikipedia.org)
A few quick clarifications fans often ask about
• Did Welles invent the catchphrase? No—Frank Readick originated and often delivered it, even when Welles starred. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Was The Shadow literally invisible in the pulps? Nope. That “clouding minds” angle is a radio (and later film) addition; the magazines keep him mortal but masterful. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Who “really” wrote The Shadow? Dozens contributed over time, but Walter B. Gibson defined the character and wrote the vast majority—typically cited as 282 novels—under the pen name Maxwell Grant. (washingtonpost.com)
Episodes
The_Shadow_1937-09-26_(87)_The_Death_House_Rescue.mp3
The_Shadow_1937-10-24_(91)_The_Temple_Bells_of_Neban.mp3
The_Shadow_1937-10-31_(92)_The_Three_Ghosts.mp3
The_Shadow_1937-11-28_(96)_Circle_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1937-12-12_(98)_The_Death_Triangle.mp3
The_Shadow_1937-12-19_(99)_Cold_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-01-09_(102)_The_League_of_Terror.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-01-16_(103)_Sabotage.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-01-23_(104)_Society_of_the_Living_Dead.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-01-30_(105)_Poison_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-02-06_(106)_The_Phantom_Voice.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-02-20_(108)_Hounds_In_the_Hills.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-02-27_(109)_The_Plot_Murder.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-03-06_(110)_The_Bride_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-03-13_(111)_The_Silent_Avenger.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-03-20_(112)_The_White_Legion.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-03-27_(113)_The_Hypnotized_Audience.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-04-03_(114)_Death_from_the_Deep.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-04-10_(115)_The_Fire_Bug.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-04-17_(116)_The_Blind_Beggar_Dies.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-04-24_(117)_The_Power_of_the_Mind.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-05-01_(118)_The_White_God.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-05-08_(119)_Aboard_the_Steamship_Amazon.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-05-15_(120)_Murders_in_Wax.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-05-22_(121)_The_Message_from_the_Hills.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-05-29_(122)_The_Creeper.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-06-05_(123)_The_Tenor_with_the_Broken_Voice.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-06-12_(124)_Murder_on_Approval.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-06-19_(125)_The_Tomb_of_Terror.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-06-26_(126)_The_Old_People.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-07-03_(127)_The_Voice_of_the_Trumpet.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-07-10_(128)_He_Died_at_Twelve.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-07-17_(129)_The_Reincarnation_of_Michael.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-07-24_(130)_The_Mark_of_the_Bat.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-07-31_(131)_Revenge_on_the_Shadow.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-08-07_(132)_The_Mine_Hunters.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-08-14_(133)_The_Hospital_Murders.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-08-21_(134)_The_Caverns_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-08-28_(135)_Death_Under_the_Chapel.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-09-04_(136)_The_Black_Buddha.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-09-11_(137)_The_Witch_Drums_of_Salem.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-09-18_(138)_Professor_X.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-09-25_(139)_Traffic_in_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-10-02_(140)_The_Black_Abbot.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-10-09_(141)_Death_Stalks_the_Shadow.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-10-16_(142)_Night_Without_End.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-10-23_(143)_Gun_Island.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-10-30_(144)_The_Isle_of_Fear.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-11-06_(145)_Shyster_Payoff.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-11-13_(146)_Black_Rock.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-11-20_(147)_Death_is_Blind.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-11-27_(148)_Fountain_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-12-04_(149)_Murder_In_E_Flat.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-12-11_(150)_Murder_By_Rescue.mp3
The_Shadow_1938-12-18_(151)_Guest_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-01-01_(153)_The_Man_Who_Murdered_Time.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-01-08_(154)_Island_of_the_Devil.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-01-15_(155)_Ghosts_Can_Kill.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-01-22_(156)_Valley_of_the_Living_Dead.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-01-29_(157)_Prelude_to_Terror.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-02-05_(158)_The_Ghost_of_Captain_Bayloe.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-02-12_(159)_The_Hypnotic_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-02-19_(160)_Friend_of_Darkness.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-02-26_(161)_Horror_in_Wax.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-03-05_(162)_Sabotage_By_Air.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-03-12_(163)_Appointment_With_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-03-19_(164)_Can_the_Dead_Talk_(Blue_Coal).mp3
The_Shadow_1939-09-17_(165)_Conversation_With_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-09-24_(166)_Dead_Men_Talk.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-10-01_(167)_The_Night_Marauders.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-10-08_(168)_The_Diamond_Murders_(Murder_in_the_Ball_Park).mp3
The_Shadow_1939-10-15_(169)_Village_of_Doom.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-10-22_(170)_House_of_Fun.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-10-29_(171)_Phantom_Fingerprints.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-11-05_(172)_Mansion_of_Madness.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-11-12_(173)_The_Inventor_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-11-19_(174)_The_Shadow_Returns.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-11-26_(175)_Sandhog_Murders.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-12-03_(176)_Death_Shows_the_Way.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-12-10_(177)_Flight_of_the_Vulture.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-12-17_(178)_Murder_Incorporated.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-12-24_(179)_The_Stockings_Were_Hung.mp3
The_Shadow_1939-12-31_(180)_The_Cat_That_Killed.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-01-07_(181)_Murder_in_the_Death_House.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-01-21_(183)_The_Precipice_Called_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-02-04_(185)_The_Return_of_Carnation_Charlie.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-02-11_(186)_Death_is_an_Art.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-03-03_(189)_Death_on_the_Bridge.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-03-10_(190)_The_Laughing_Corpse.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-03-17_(191)_Murderer's_Vanity.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-03-24_(192)_The_Plot_That_Failed.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-09-29_(195)_Death_in_a_Minor_Key.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-10-06_(196)_Ghost_Town.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-10-13_(197)_The_Isle_of_the_Living_Dead.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-10-20_(198)_The_Oracle_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-10-27_(199)_The_Mark_of_the_Black_Widow.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-11-03_(200)_The_Creeper.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-11-10_(201)_Carnival_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-11-17_(202)_The_House_of_Horror.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-11-24_(203)_The_Green_Man.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-12-01_(204)_The_Curse_of_Shiva.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-12-08_(205)_The_Voice_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-12-15_(206)_The_Killers_Rendezvous.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-12-22_(207)_Joey's_Christmas_Story.mp3
The_Shadow_1940-12-29_(208)_The_Ghost_on_the_Stair.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-01-05_(209)_The_Leopard_Strikes.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-01-12_(210)_The_Ghost_Building.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-01-19_(211)_The_Shadow_Challenged.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-01-26_(212)_The_Ghost_of_Caleb_MacKenzie.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-02-02_(213)_Nightmare_at_Gaelsberry.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-02-09_(214)_The_Man_Who_Lived_Twice.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-02-16_(215)_The_Phantom_Voyage.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-02-23_(216)_Chess_Club_Murders.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-03-02_(217)_Death_Rides_a_Broomstick.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-03-09_(218)_The_Murder_Underground.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-03-16_(219)_The_Ghost_Walks_Again.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-03-23_(220)_Death_Prowls_at_Night.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-03-30_(221)_Voodoo.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-04-06_(222)_Murder_from_the_Grave.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-04-13_(223)_Death_on_the_Rails.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-10-12_(227)_Dragon's_Tongue_Murders.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-10-19_(228)_The_Hoodoo_Ship.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-10-26_(229)_The_Devil's_Hour.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-11-09_(231)_The_Organ_Played_at_Midnight.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-11-16_(232)_The_Case_of_the_Three_Frightened_Policemen.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-11-23_(233)_The_Ring_of_Light.mp3
The_Shadow_1941-12-21_(237)_Death_Imported.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-01-04_(239)_Death_Pulls_the_Strings.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-01-11_(240)_The_Drums_of_Doom.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-01-18_(241)_The_Thing_in_the_Swamp.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-01-25_(242)_Dead_Man's_Revenge.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-02-01_(243)_The_Return_of_Anatole_Chevanic.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-02-15_(245)_Death_Speaks_Twice.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-02-22_(246)_Death_Gives_an_Encore.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-03-01_(247)_Dead_Men_Tell.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-03-15_(249)_Altar_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-10-25_(255)_The_Mystery_of_Madman's_Deep.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-11-01_(256)_Death_Keeps_a_Deadline.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-11-08_(257)_The_Wailing_Corpse.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-11-22_(259)_The_Lady_In_Black.mp3
The_Shadow_1942-12-06_(261)_Death_Shoots_an_Arrow.mp3
The_Shadow_1943-02-28_(273)_The_Touch_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1943-09-26_(277)_The_Gibbering_Things.mp3
The_Shadow_1943-10-03_(278)_Crystal_Globe.mp3
The_Shadow_1943-12-05_(287)_Bubbling_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1943-12-19_(289)_The_Club_of_Doom.mp3
The_Shadow_1944-02-06_(296)_A_Pass_to_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1944-03-12_(301)_Death_to_the_Shadow.mp3
The_Shadow_1944-03-19_(302)_Drums_of_Doom.mp3
The_Shadow_1945-03-18_(332)_The_Flaming_Skull.mp3
The_Shadow_1945-03-25_(333)_The_Destroyer.mp3
The_Shadow_1945-04-08_(335)_The_Little_Man_Who_Wasn't_There.mp3
The_Shadow_1945-11-11_(345)_Spider_Boy.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-01-20_(355)_The_Curse_of_the_Cat.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-02-03_(357)_Murder_with_Music.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-02-10_(358)_The_Living_Head.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-03-03_(361)_The_Island_of_Ancient_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-03-10_(362)_The_Ghost_Without_a_Face.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-03-17_(363)_Etched_With_Acid.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-03-24_(364)_The_Walking_Corpse.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-03-31_(365)_Mind_Over_Murder.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-04-07_(366)_The_Ghost_Wore_a_Silver_Slipper.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-04-14_(367)_The_Unburied_Dead.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-04-21_(368)_The_Gorilla_Man.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-04-28_(369)_The_Dreams_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-05-05_(370)_The_White_Witchman_of_Lawaiki.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-05-12_(371)_The_Bride_Wore_Black.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-05-19_(372)_The_Touch_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-05-26_(373)_They_Kill_With_a_Silver_Hatchet.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-06-02_(374)_Death_In_a_Minor_Key.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-10-13_(379)_Valley_of_Living_Terror.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-10-20_(380)_Blood_Money.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-11-24_(385)_Gang_Doctor.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-12-01_(386)_Makeup_for_Murder.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-12-08_(387)_The_Devil_Takes_a_Wife.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-12-15_(388)_Murders_on_the_Main_Stem.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-12-22_(389)_The_Fine_Art_of_Murder.mp3
The_Shadow_1946-12-29_(390)_Shadow_of_Suspicion.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-01-05_(391)_The_Werewolf_of_Hamilton_Mansion.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-01-12_(392)_The_Cat_and_the_Killer.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-01-26_(394)_Death_by_Imagination_(Partial_1st_Half_Only).mp3
The_Shadow_1947-02-02_(395)_Scent_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-02-23_(398)_The_Witch_of_the_Crescent_Moon_(Partial_1st_Half_Only).mp3
The_Shadow_1947-04-27_(407)_Death_Takes_a_Handout_(Partial_2nd_Half_Only).mp3
The_Shadow_1947-05-04_(408)_Suicide_League_(Partial_2nd_Half_Only).mp3
The_Shadow_1947-05-11_(409)_The_Shadows_Revenge.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-05-18_(410)_Death_Rides_High.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-05-25_(411)_Seance_with_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-06-01_(412)_Spider_Boy.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-09-07_(413)_The_Phantom_of_the_Lighthouse.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-09-14_(414)_When_the_Grave_is_Open.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-09-21_(415)_The_Face.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-09-28_(416)_Death_Takes_the_Wheel.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-10-05_(417)_The_Curse_of_the_Gypsies.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-10-19_(418)_The_Ruby_of_Karvahl.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-10-26_(419)_Death_Hunt.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-11-02_(420)_Death_Has_Eight_Arms.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-11-09_(421)_Dream_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-11-16_(422)_Doom_and_the_Limping_Man.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-11-23_(423)_The_Comic_Strip_Killer.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-11-30_(424)_Murder_and_the_Medium.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-12-21_(427)_A_Gift_of_Murder.mp3
The_Shadow_1947-12-28_(428)_Terrible_Legend_of_Crownshield_Castle.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-01-04_(429)_The_Chill_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-01-11_(430)_The_Bones_of_the_Dragon.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-01-18_(431)_Death_and_the_Black_Fedora.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-01-25_(432)_The_House_That_Death_Built.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-02-01_(433)_One_Dead_and_Two_to_Go.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-02-08_(434)_The_Thing_in_the_Cage.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-02-15_(435)_Terror_at_Wolf's_Head_Knoll.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-02-22_(436)_The_Nursery_Rhyme_Murders.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-02-29_(437)_The_Man_Who_Was_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-03-07_(438)_The_Beast_of_Darrow_House.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-03-14_(439)_Stake_Out.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-03-21_(440)_Death_Coils_to_Strike.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-03-28_(441)_Death_and_the_Easter_Bonnet.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-04-04_(442)_The_Ghost_That_Gleams.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-05-02_(446)_The_Legend_of_the_Living_Swamp.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-05-09_(447)_Reflection_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-05-16_(448)_The_Giant_of_Madras.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-09-12_(451)_Murder_at_Dead_Man's_Inn.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-09-19_(452)_Revenge_is_Murder.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-09-26_(453)_Death_is_a_Colored_Dream.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-10-03_(454)_The_Phantom_Racketeer.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-10-10_(455)_A_Mask_for_Murder.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-10-17_(456)_Dead_Man's_Ride.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-10-24_(457)_The_Drum_of_Obi.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-10-31_(458)_Murder_by_a_Corpse.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-11-07_(459)_Evil_In_The_House.mp3
The_Shadow_1948-11-28_(462)_The_Wig_Makers_of_Doom_Street.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-01-02_(467)_Death_and_the_Crown_of_Odalph.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-02-20_(474)_The_Trail_of_the_Knifer.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-02-27_(475)_Collectors_of_Death.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-03-06_(476)_Unto_Death_Do_Us_Part.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-03-13_(477)_The_Ring_of_Mahlalayee.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-04-17_(482)_Death_and_the_Easter_Bonnet.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-05-29_(488)_Monkey_Woman.mp3
The_Shadow_1949-06-05_(489)_Preview_of_Terror.mp3
The_Shadow_1954-06-27_(737)_The_Vengeance_of_Angela_Nolan.mp3
