The Shadow - Listen Now To Free Episodes!

Who knows...what evil...lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows...

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Reviewer: LeGrande - - May 12, 2008
Subject: Suggested Episodes

I'd suggest the first episode as a good beginning. You might also listen to "Death Rides A Broomstick" and "Nursery Rhyme Murders." You'll hear three of the Shadows: Welles, Bill Johnstone, and Bret Morrison. I'm partial to the Bill Johnstone episodes and the Welles "Goodyear" episodes. "Death from the Deep" was the episode that got me hooked on the Shadow when I was in 6th grade, so perhaps that would be an episode you'd enjoy.

The Australian episodes are also interesting to listen to.

Reviewer: bhyder - - May 8, 2008
Subject: Oh, people who love this show so much

Well, lets just reminisce about our crappy lives...

Suggest episodes, please.

Reviewer: The Linux Action Show! - - May 7, 2008
Subject: The Shadow lives again

These have got to be some of my favorite radio. The Shadow series inspired me to start a new show that spotlights them, and other great Old Time Radio.

Love to hear your thoughts:
http://www.jupiterbroadcasting.com/?cat=6

-Chris

Reviewer: DennyColt - - February 10, 2008
Subject: Well, actually

Capital letters notwithstanding, James LaCurto was the first actor to portray The Shadow in his narrator days. Readick took over from him. Orson Welles carried the role better than any other performer, though in all fairness the scripts were best during his tenure. The later years became a long, slow, sad decline as the series drifted away from the excellent pulp series that defines the character.

Still, one of the all-time classic programs. Many of these are sadly overcompressed, but it's great to have them in one place!

Reviewer: Shadows_Girl - - January 10, 2008
Subject: The Shadow's Voice

Contrary to what has so often and so erroneously been posted both here and elsewhere Orson Welles was NOT the first person to voice the Shadow. That honor goes to Frank Readick---and it was HIS voice you heard saying "Who knows what Evli lurks in the hearts of Men" throughout Welles' time on the show. Readick first spoke the line in 1932 and Welles didn't take over the part until 1937. What SHOULD be said is that Orson was the first actor to voice Lamont Cranston.

But my Uncle Bret played the part LONGEST. Oh I have added some Australian episodes of The Shadow to the Archive,,,just search for The Shadow in Australia

Reviewer: Mark Sweitzer - - January 10, 2008
Subject: Old Time Radio Shows

Growing up in the 1960's, rural Pennsylvania mountains, Entertainment came only 4 ways.
(This was pre-cable/Satellite/vcr/dvd/etc)
Broadcast TV...no good...3 channels
The Bookmobile's Monthly visit. Cool, but not a winner.
Purchase of Records/LP's (not cost effective for a 10 yr old with a $.50 (cents) a week allowance.
Or listen to the radio. One Fall evening camping out we took along a "Transistor Radio" with a 1/2 dozen 9 volt (Little rectangular, with +/- snaps on one end) batteries. As the fire burned out, the food all eaten, the stories all told, we looked for something to amuse ourselves. We tuned in to the weather, and following the weather we were astonished to hear "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The shadow knows" We had no clue this was an old radio show. It became a weekly event to listen to the news and weather, and then The Shadow! It was a few years later e learned from our venerable Scout Leader that HE TOO grew up with The Shadow... We found other radio stories, like Richard Diamond, Private Detective, But NONE had the impact that The Shadow had on an impressive young imagination.

Reviewer: cclob - - January 4, 2008
Subject: The Shadow picture

I remember my mother talking about The Shadow.I just found a picture of him that she had.It's signed "Compliments of 'blue coal' America's Finest Anthracite The Shadow.I can't tell who is in the picture as has has a mask and hat on.I'm going to go listen to some of the shows and think of her.

Reviewer: throckmorton74 - - January 4, 2008
Subject: To the 16 year old,

I love these Shadow shows, too. My favorite old radio show has to be Pat Novak: For Hire. It's the best hard-boiled detective show I've ever had the pleasure to listen to. Do you have a list of your top 10 Shadow episodes? If so, please post!

Reviewer: 101tasm - - January 1, 2008
Subject: Old Time Radio Shows

I am 16 and I know almost all the Shadow episodes by heart, as well as all the Our Miss Brooks, Dragnet, Amos And Andy, Burns and Allen, Suspense, Yours Truly Johnny Dollar, Sam Spade, Boston Blackie, The Whistler, Jack Benny, Red Skelton, Bob Hope, My Friend Irma, My Favorite Husband,Gangbusters, Mystery In The Air, Dimension X, etc - shows completely (I can recite the lines). It sounds crazy b/c I'm so young, but I grew up soley listening to old radio recordings on cassettes, and no tv. This is not something I normally tell anyone, but if you're visiting this site, you must like the program . . . listen to the other old programs! I can answer any questions about them, or the people/comedians/speakers.

Reviewer: commando_cody - - December 28, 2007
Subject: murder underground

hey boston maine-iac. "murder underground" is the title of that episode. it is a great one. yea, blue coal is a great part the the shadow radio shows.

Reviewer: justaskmike - - December 24, 2007
Subject: Love the Blue Coal commercials

Part of the appeal of the Shadow radio shows was the Blue Coal commercials. Blue Coal sponsored the show for many years, until the late Forties when the bottom dropped out of the coal market. I loved the shows during the war where the announcer told audiences to order their coal early and to conserve fuel. Blue Coal had a booklet that told how to properly bank the coal so it would heat evenly. What a collector's item that would be. Also, the ink blotters advertising the show that the coal dealers would give to their customers.

Reviewer: boston maine-iac - - November 17, 2007
Subject: timmy phillips

i just want to say i really enjoy all these shows from westerns to suspence. i heard my fiest radio show from a teacher in 4th grade and have been hooked ever since, am now almost 40. I must admit I've been out of touch with them for a while till i found this site on the internet, I must say am very please to b back .the first show i ever heard was the shadow,for the life of me I can'tremember the episode, but would appreciate if anyone could help me remember........the episode was about a woman and her son and the ran a rooming house and had a stockpile of old slot machines under their basement. the old woman would drop people inside to get nickels out then leave them for the rats.Againif anyone would b so kind to let me know the name of episode.......thank you

Reviewer: npr producer - - October 15, 2007
Subject: Help Needed

Hello all -

I'm a producer for an NPR show in New York. For an upcoming show we're putting together on Orson Welles and The War of the Worlds, we're looking for a specific piece of tape from one of Welles' Shadow episodes. I'm wondering if anybody out there may be able to help.

Specifically, we're trying to find an episode where the villain takes his own life at the end of the show after being driven crazy by the voice of The Shadow, penetrating the walls of his jail cell.

Does this ring any bells? Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks...

-Tony Field
NPR's "Radio Lab"
tonefield@gmail.com

Reviewer: roscoe1972 - - September 22, 2007
Subject: Thanks for the downloads!

My father bought the Shadow programs on cassette tape and I grew-up listening to them at bedtime.

I was thrilled to find this site and download all of the episodes.

Again I enjoy listening to these at bedtime. The quality of the actors who portray the Shadow vary greatly. Wells is by far the best. I don't like the episodes where Lamont Cranston is happy-go-lucky, laughing and joking with Margo Lane. It ruins the tone for me.

Reviewer: xdr5 - - September 17, 2007
Subject: Fun

fun

Reviewer: Nick Carter - - September 5, 2007
Subject: The Shadow's Real Identity

Interestingly enough, the first person who voiced The Shadow was none other than Orson Welles, who was in his young twenties at the time.

Reviewer: Digital Earl - - September 4, 2007
Subject: Great series!

My addiction to The Shadow began with hearing "The Gibbering Things" (unfortunately unavailable here - for now). I thought it was such a riot I had to go back and listen to more. The trip was rewarding indeed. Thanks IA!

Reviewer: HowdyDave - - September 1, 2007
Subject: Very illustrative

At last I have an opportunity to give people an idea of what I'm talking about when I say "the pictures were better on the radio."

"The Shadow" is one of the concepts that really doesn't work in any other media.

Reviewer: jammypager - - June 17, 2007
Subject: The Shadow-The Silent Avenger

Considering what is happening to returning veterans now, The Silent Avenger's main 'villian' was the shell shocked sniper brother of the condemned. A man returned to civil society without regards to what he'd been trained to do and experience out on the battlefield.

It sounds sort of corny today, but it is an attempt to address a very serious subject at a time when one thought it was probably 'manly' to ignore one's psychological wounds.

It's a compliment to what radio did and still could do with some of societies maladies and, as with other Shadow episodes, used a fictional character to dramatise a real and pressing problem.

Reviewer: N Varnau - - June 3, 2007
Subject: A classic for any generation

"Who knows... what evil... llllllllllurks in the hearts of men? ...the Shadow knows! HA HA HA HA HA..."

I was born in 1985 and grew up with the modern-day surrogate father, the television. My heroes were the Transformers, Batman, Superman, the Super Mario Brothers, and, most importantly, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the live-action guys, not the sleeker, cooler CGI imposters who are too cool to have the full name on their advertisements).

About twelve years into my life (that would have made me roughly twelve years old), I became aware of a startling fact: before TV, kids would listen to shows on the radio for their entertainment.

Naturally, I got curious. I started buying radio shows at book stores and listening to them late at night. Soon I discovered the most amazing super hero I'd ever see... er, I mean hear.

"The Shadow." He was mesmerizing. Every episode was so dark and so creepy and so engaging. I would stay up all night listening to anthologies I'd find at my library, and feel chills go down my back every time I'd hear the Shadow's deep, ominous, intimidating voice.

I'm twenty-two now, and have recently discovered the glory of this site, and the wonderful, wonderful episodes archived here, most of which I've never even heard before, and the few that I have are my very favorites. The sound quality is perfect, which is to say that it's clear enough to hear, but still sounds like an old radio broadcast.

"The Shadow" is the show that, for me, personifies that famous quote by a young gentleman who said, after seeing television for the first time, "I think I prefer radio. The pictures are better."

And, if you enjoy this series, download and listen to another very well done show that's on this site, "Dimension X," a sci-fi anthology series with writings by the very best of the time, including Ray Bradbury, Isaac Asimov, and Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

Reviewer: Robert M. Blevins - - May 7, 2007
Subject: The Shadow and Camping Trips

Listening to 'The Shadow' while camping out on in the wilderness is a lot of fun...and will give you the creeps. I downloaded the whole series, and I highly recommend you do the same while you can.
RobertM
Adventure Books of Seattle
www.adventurebooksofseattle.com

Reviewer: fitzpjo - - November 25, 2006
Subject: When Radio was King

I remember when I was a kid, sitting in the kitchen on a hard wooden chair,listing to the radio. The Shadow was one of my favorites. I remember one of the sponsors was Blue Coal. I could sit there for hours just looking into space. Each one of us had a different picture in our mind. Unlike TV you had to use your imagination. This is a lost art. Orson Wells was he best of all the Shadows. This is a great site.

Reviewer: koligas - - August 30, 2006
Subject: Absolutely Amazing!

I had read most of The Shadow stories but listening to the old broadcasts puts a whole new layer of magic on what was already pretty cool!

Reviewer: tomwsmf - - August 6, 2006
Subject: The Orson Factor

You can really tell the difference in the shows quality when Orson Welles is on the mic. The man is head and shoulders above the other Shadow actors..he brings the whole show up a few pegs.

Reviewer: harrylyme - - August 4, 2006
Subject: YEAH!!!

These are a lot of fun especially when working the night shift in the old group home.

-cheers-

Reviewer: radio_earbug - - July 13, 2006
Subject: Shadow

Oh yes!....heehee....This show was played on AFN during the first gulf war. It helped pass the time and kept me entertained. Surprisingly enough someone unexpectedly was into this show.

Reviewer: the shadow - - April 19, 2006
Subject: the best !

well, what can I say ? It's just a "must have it all" section to me. I've known the Shadow character from a long time (through comics &, sadly, the terrible movie with Baldwin)and have started reading the pulps about a mounth ago - I'm currently reading the story #8, The Black Master, and I'm quite captured. If you like James Bond, The Phantom, old comics or srips like Prince Valiant, Flash Gordon & the likes (stories where you KNOW the character is going to be ok anyway), you must listen to these radio shows ! It's wonderfull, and really cute too, 'cause you won't find something so simple & naive today, in any media. Thoses were the good times, when the bad guys were easily spotted. Also, if your are complaining about commercials in your movies, you'll learn that, in the 30s, commercials were already there ! The sound is not always too good, but it was long ago.Just listen to it... Take your time... Make the long journey back in time... Who knows what terrible mysteries await you back there, in the gloom of the 30s ? The Shadow knows !