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February 7, 2024 • 29 mins
"The Shadow" is a classic radio drama series that originally aired in the United States from 1930 to 1954. Created by Walter B. Gibson, the show features the mysterious and crime-fighting character known as "The Shadow."The Shadow is actually the alter ego of Lamont Cranston, a wealthy man about town. Using his supernatural abilities to cloud men's minds and become invisible, The Shadow operates as a vigilante and detective, taking on various criminals and solving crimes that baffle the police. He is often accompanied by his loyal companion and confidante, Margo Lane.The show is known for its suspenseful and dramatic storytelling, with each episode featuring The Shadow's deep, mysterious voice, ominous laughter, and his signature catchphrase, "The Shadow knows." The series was hugely popular during its time and has since become a classic in the world of old-time radio. It has also inspired comic books, novels, and other adaptations over the years.
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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:10):
Who knows what evil lurks in thehearts of men. Shadow knows, Ladies

(00:58):
and gentlemen. Before we start trailingthe Shadow on his newest adventure, let
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(01:19):
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(01:46):
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save your life. The Shadow LamontCranston, a man of wealth, a

(02:09):
student of science and a master ofother people's minds. Devotes his life to
righting wrongs, protecting the innocent,and punishing to guilty. Cranston has known
to the underworld as the Shadow,never seen, only heard. His true
identity has known only to his constantfriend and aid Margol Lane. To Day's

(02:30):
story, he died at twelve,madic Commissioner Weston nervous and you stand aside
as a scareful or listen Cranston.I have been attending executions in the line

(02:53):
of duty for more years than I'dlike to remember. I tell you,
hangings still do things to my insideminute. Well the time. Not the
only one in this room who's nervous. About half the wise newspaper guys here
look as if they were ready topass out. He must to start at
the death match. What time isit? Two mes to twelve? There's

(03:14):
a headline for you. He diedat twelve. Ever a man deserved to
die at this Nick Baratti, Yeah, he sure got it coming to him.
There's like something out of a jungle, killing for the sake of killing.
Yes, my department's going to feelmighty relieved when that rope tightens around
his neck here they come. Huh, that's queer. Ready, he doesn't

(03:44):
seem very frightened. No, hedoesn't get up to now. He's always
shown a real fear of up here. Bretty, build this scaffold up high?
I what't? It's the law,Baretti? Law? Stand here?
Okay, all set, Mac,All set one, Baratti? Is there

(04:09):
anything you want to say before youare hanged by the neck until you are
dead? Now? Maybe? Ino, No, I got nothing to
say? All right, Mac.Put the hood over his head, yes,
Baratti, Yeah, don't worry,Barati. Everything's going to be all

(04:30):
right. Everything's going to be allwith the rope around his neck. Okay,
one, release the trap door,Commissioner, Western, that's what happened
before the trap door opens. Whatthe executioner whispered something into Barty's ear and

(04:53):
he's adjusting a hood over his head. What difference does that make? Ready's
dead? He's hang now? Yes, yes, that's the end of Nick
Barrati. I wonder why he wasn'tfrightened? What what? What is relevant

(05:17):
here? To climb the body?All right, all right, give it
to him. Here's the first one, boss. Okay, put him against
the world. No, no,what is this? What what are you
doing to me? What are youtaking me? Kidnapping? Well? I
haven't done any money. I'm justa working man. Take the blind fold

(05:40):
off his eyes, Joe. Okay, boys, who what what is this?
I haven't done anything. Now youlook straight ahead the mister well you
you oh no, no, don'tyou please don't don't. Here's the second
one, boy, okay, takethe blind full of okay, faly,

(06:02):
you can look now where am I? What have I done? You look
straight ahead? A rat? Praynow you were You're dead? You can't
be alive. No, no,don't shoot. I haven't done anything.
Okay, Joe, Now you're getme the rest of them? Hip by

(06:33):
pipe. I read all about it. If mysterious my eye, five days
another mad fun my dad? Allright now go shut the window. All
right? Then? Aren't you goingto do anything about them? But what
you heard the news? Boy?You gotta make a living, mon Crans,

(06:55):
and you know perfectly well what I'mtalking about. Five murders in five
days. Isn't there some way tostop them? You're just going to sit
behind my dear Margot. I'm notgoing to sit. I'm going to ride,
and you're riding with me. Whatare you talking about when we're riding
the place where the dead, eventhose who are hanged by the neck,
should be the cemetery. Yes,yes, sir, that's the grave.

(07:27):
Mister, that's the one over there. Come on, Margo, but please,
Lamark, please tell me why youbrought me out of this cemetery.
I understand why in a few minutes. You sure this is a grave care
taking? Oh? Yes, indeed, say yes, indeed. I haven't
in charge of the graves here forthirty years, no, every single one
of them. Yes, indeed,yes, indeed you see see the head
stand to the memory of Nicholas Brady. You see. I told you i'd

(07:49):
take you to the right wine verymuch, and then I will start here
a few moments. You don't mind, Oh no, not tall? Not
tall? Are you relatives to thisman? Oh? Not exactly him?
Some of your trouble? Eh?Oh? Oh, thank you, sir,
thank you very much. Indeed,wait a minute, yes, sir,
did you see them? Very indeed? I did, say, yes,

(08:09):
indeed I did. I And theyget my business to be present at
every one o the buriers. Quitelate in the day. It was when
they buried him. Yes, yes, remember, and a bad day too,
thunder rumbling in the sky. Wellyou saw them bury him? Oh,
yes, yes, indeed I did. Yet will that be all?
Sayes? That's all? Thank you? Well, well I see on your
way out. Why does the burialplace of this murderer concern you? I

(08:33):
wanted to make sure of something,that he was buried here. Yes,
you know that the shadow doesn't alwayswork on facts, Margo. Sometimes he's
able to accomplish a great deal moreby basing his actions on well, hollow
intuition, hunching, and you willI know that. But what has Nick
Baratti's grave got to do with ashadow? I'm very concerned with those five
murders which had taken place during thelast five days. Well, so by

(08:56):
it why we're here? What couldhave matter? Who's been dead for weeks
have to do with those kills?Just dead? And I wanted to make
sure he was dead and buried.To yourself, BARTI hat I know.
But somehow, during all those weekssince, I've never been able to forget
the confident look on the man's faceas he climbed the steps to the scaffold.
Well, now you're sure he's deadand bury oh, come on,

(09:18):
it's so dark. Let's get outof all right. I never did like
graveyards, particularly a twilight's strange's strange. I saw the man hang by the
neck until dead. And yet there'sa feeling in me that all isn't what
it seems to be. Wait,what is it? Now? The care
take his house? I want toask him another question. All right,
Lamta, please make it fast.The longer I stay here, the less
I care for this place. Ohwell, it's you, sir, even

(09:46):
so soon. Yes, and beforewe go, there's another question I'd like
to ask you. Will you justgo right ahead? Anything you want say?
The coffin opened before Barati's body wasfinally lowered into the grave. Oh
yes, yes, And did he, sir, I remember that, Yes,
I do. Opened it right up. The relatives did weeping, and
will in the ladder. And therewas a body in the coffin, a
body in the coffin, but ofcourse there was what else would they want

(10:09):
to be burying it? For you? It's very much well, not tall,
not tall. And there'll be plentymore burials too, if these killings
go on. What do you meanwhen I was just reading this here even
in Pepper. Another one was murderedback in town yeaes six and six days.
Yes, indeed, here are sureanother victim of mysterious murder where Charles

(10:31):
Harrison was found shot to death.Charles Harrison, did you know him?
Lamon, I was right right cornerof the car. Margo, come along,
Harrison, I knew my hunch wasright in the car. Quickly,
all right, But please tell mewhat this is all about. My hunch
it was right. The murder,Charles Harrison, definitely proves it. What

(10:54):
was your hunch? What is themurder of this, Charles Harrison? Six
men have been murdered in the lastsix days, No witnesses he the victims
shot through the head. Where eachand every one of those murdered men spent
a week together in the jury boxa juryman at the murder trial of Nick
barat You mean someone's been avenging thedeath of Barades exactly. But Nick Baratte
was a rat. All the membersof his own gang hated him. I
know that for a fact they wouldn'trevenge him. And who is committing the

(11:16):
murder? Lemon, You don't thinkthat Nick Barati is dead, dead and
buried? They tell me that deaddon't come back. But if they do,
the Shadow is going to find out. Ladies and gentlemen in the moment

(11:37):
will again pick up the trail ofthe Shadow. But meanwhile, let me
say this. You're reading a lotthese days in the newspapers about the hazard
zone of motoring. What is thishazard zone? The Shadow knows. It's
that slippery film of water on theroad that may make complete command of your
car almost impossible, causing your carto skid, spin, swerve. Remember,

(12:00):
motorists, the tire that will giveyou the quickest, safest non skid
stops in this hazard zone is thenew good Rich Silver Town with Life Saver
tread. Every inch of this wider, flatter tread is specially designed to dry
the road. In fact, thenever ending spiral bars of this life Saver
tread act like a whole battery ofwindshield wipers. They sweep the water right

(12:22):
and left, force it out throughthe deep drainage groove, make a dry
track for the rubber to grip.That's why you'll stop quicker, safer on
a wet pavement than you've ever stoppedbefore. And don't forget adding one safety
feature to another. Silver Towns alsogive you the famous golden ply protection against
high speed blowouts. Thus the livesof yourself and family are protected two important

(12:48):
waves against both skids and blowouts.And motorists, don't forget that you get
this double protection in Silver Towns atno extra cost. Don't cheat yourself out
of this new kind of tire safety. Stay on the summer side of motoring.
Make your next tires good rich safetysilber Town. Now, Judge,

(13:16):
Judge, there's no reason to getso excited. Mission of the Western I
have plenty of reason to get excited. You realize what the death of these
men will mean to the future administrationof justice in our courts. But we're
doing everything in our power to protectthis, to protect the survivors. But
what about the six of a murder? Judge, We had no idea there
was a plot to exterminate those jurymen. If we had, we'd have taken
measures immediately. And that's the point. You didn't know. The entire police

(13:37):
department didn't know, and you shouldhave known. You should have known it
once. How could we men havefound murdered on lonely roads. I tell
you there wasn't the slightest reason toconnect them with a Baretti murder trial.
It was a matter of deduction,and certainly the ability to reason things out
is one of the things we shouldbe able to expect from our police department.
Judge, be fair. There wasno reason to tie up the mergers
with a Baretti trial. How youever discovered that all six men were on

(13:58):
the jury is more than I canfigure. Why There's been hundreds of trials
since then. How did you doit? John, I didn't do it.
But you were the one who discoveredthat the victims had been jurymen.
I repeat, I didn't discover thatfact. It was revealed to me by
an anonymous letter I received in themail. Anonymous letter. Yes, here
it is. Look at the signaturethe shadow. Yes, rather peculiar signature,

(14:22):
isn't it peculiar? Judge, whyin Heaven's name didn't you tell me
this before? The shadow? Now, Commissioner, surely you don't believe the
nonsense I've been reading about this,this super being of criminal investigation. So
the shadow was the one who workedout the fact that the murdered men were
beretted jurymen. I might have guessedit. Missioner Weston stopped wasting my time
talking about someone who doesn't exist.Your duty is to trace down the murders

(14:45):
of those jurymen. If you don't, the entire law enforcement organization of the
city may be irreproably damaged. Whatsysmal want? Who act in the jury
if he thinks that the assassin's gunwaits for him as soon as he leaves
the court room. I tell youforget about this so called shadow. Get
those murderers a shadow on my side. I'm sure I will. Good night,
Judge, good night. Imagine CommissionerWestern believing in such rot as a

(15:09):
shadow. No, not nonsense,Judge who speaks the shadow? I am
the shadow, the shadow. Ihear the voice, and I see no
one. It is my will thatmen should never see me. It can't

(15:31):
be, And yet your senses tellyou that it is so. You hear
my every word, Yes, Ihear. I have come to ask you
a favor, favor of me.Yes. What what can I do for
you? Six men still live therest of the men who served on the
jury convicted Nick Barratti, Well youcan save the lives of those six.

(15:54):
I how can I save their life? I'm doing as I say. You
help me. What do you wantme to do? There are detectives guarding
this house. Well, I wantyou to send them away, send them
away. But if I do that, your life will be in danger.

(16:15):
Are you afraid? But I would. Sending the defectives away helps save the
lives of those six jurymen, theone who caused the murder, of the
six who died. We want tokill you above all men, because you
were the judge who pronounced the sentence. Well, when he is certain your
house is unguarded, he will comehere after you. And when he comes,

(16:37):
I'll be waiting for him. Areyou willing to risk your life to
save six men? Yes? Yes, it's it's getting late. Ida.

(17:00):
Are you still here in my room? Yes? Still here, judge.
Seems strange, just talking to emptyair. The murderous feet danced on empty
air. What did you say?I was thinking aloud? Oh, are
you sure someone will come here afterme? For days, while the Commissioner's

(17:22):
men have been guarding this place,there's been someone else watching, and I'm
positive that person will soon be here. We've been waiting so long to leave
me. It would be worth thewait. Yes, if you were sure,
But how can you be sure?That quiet? Don't speak? Don't
speak? Make up your pen andstart writing. There's someone at the French

(17:45):
windows trying to get in. Someonetrying to write in your hands to the
table, Judge, Piper, don'tmake no noise. I'll let you have
it. Oh well, don't makeno difference who I am? What do
you want? Money? Sure?I want money, but not from you,

(18:07):
Judge. Keep your hands on thetable. What do you want of
me me? I don't want tothink it's a friend. He wants to
see you. Friend who don't askquestions like that? Judge? Or doesn't
he come here? I tell you, don't ask questions like that. It
ain't smart, it ain't healthy.Now, come on, get to your
feet. I want to know.To your feet, I tell you now,

(18:30):
keep your hands up where I cansee him. Come on, you
and me were going places my hat. Where you're going you will need a
hat. Come on, we'll goout the same way I came in.
Get a move on, all right? Will an answer? And here I

(18:51):
thought maybe I'd have to slug you. It's too bad I never got a
chance to slug a judge before shadowI was still here. What you say,
who's talking to myself? Yeah?We'll keep your trap shot come on
through this window the way I camein. Shut up, shut up,
I said, come on, Igot a car parked around the side.

(19:12):
Now keep your trapped buttoned up ora figure full of slugs right now.
And and well, that's disappoint acertain party. It's a windy night,
ain't it? And Doc, getin the car, Judge where you're going

(19:33):
pretty soon? Believe me, it'sa lot darker. Okay, Judge,
get in, go on, getin there. Of course, he's real
anxious to meet you. The feelingis it's neutral. Yeah, okay,

(20:06):
Boss, here's the big shot.Bring him a closer. Okay, Judge,
you heard what he said. Okay, far enough, you go sit
down, Joe. Sure, boys, Hm, how are you? Judge?

(20:27):
Who are you? Ah? Now, don't telling me you're forgetting me?
My friend? I know you,don't you so darking? Here?
That mask over your face? Whoare you? Kind of worry and Judge,
stand back by the wall a littlebit. That's it. I take

(20:48):
off my mask now, I showyou that gun. What are you going
to look? Look at me?You don't want to forget what You're dead?
You're dead, You're gonna be dead, Judge. I count three and
you're gonna be dead the way youthink I am? What? Don't shoot

(21:12):
shadow? What are you shadow?Shadow? Why you call that the name
shadows? And oh? Shadow?It to me Nick Baratti? And I'm
oh, no, no, you'renot shadow? You are? Yes,
I am here. We will saythat Joe. You said that? No,
boss, I don't say nothing.Somebody's talking. I don't see him

(21:34):
said nobody here. It's a judge. You make a trick with a voice.
But I killed him. I killhim, I kill him. A
shoot me? You shoot me?I shoot Joe my hand. Something should

(21:56):
knock up in my hand while Ishoot? Who doing? Oh? I
did it? Oh? They callme the shadow? Are you afraid now,
Nick Barotti? No, no,I ain't afraid of nothing. No,
not to me. Hello, howcan he be alive? They hanged
him, bettered him? Yes,tell us, Sparotti. Why didn't you
die? Shure? Sure? Itell you you don't get out of here

(22:22):
anyway, shore Shoe. I tellyou, the guy would have put a
rope around my neck. I'd payhim off for plenty what you did?
Hang? Oh? Sure, buthe fixed the rope for shots, So
I don't drop five ten grandst Youhang yes, the sure of only a
few minutes. I used to bea wrestler in the old country. Neck

(22:44):
muscles are strong like iron, andthey come stiff when the trap door is
open. My neck's no break.And then they cut you down quickly.
Yeah, you bet your life quick. That's a cost of plenty too.
The earth they took you away inthere. That's a no hearse ambulance,
that's what it was. And thedock he got to work right away.
Injection into my heart, the pullmotor, fifty grand. Everything costs to

(23:07):
me, but I don't die.I live to take care of everybody who
think they can make a nick Baratihead. Then whose body was in the
coffin that was buried in the cemetery. She easy to get a body the
dock, make up the face tolook like mine. What's the matter with
your voice? A rope? She'sa strange something, something inside of my
throat. The doc he don't doa one hundred percent of job, But

(23:30):
I do a one hundred percent ofjob. On the dock. I kill
it, and you killed six mensince then, and I kill it two
more, you and not a shadow. And then I kill a sixth more
and the more and the more.All of them is a die, but
not a bit Darati. Your voiceis getting weaker. I told you,

(23:51):
doc, you don't do one hundredpercent of job. But I fixed that.
M m he sah, says fixingme up. That masks. What
oxygen tank oxygen so we can breathewithout choking? Ah, that's all right,

(24:17):
oxygen fixing me up? Good goodness. So I kill you too.
First, to you, judge,I'm gonna put a slugger right in the
middle of fat Ma. Don't yourush neck? Wait? Wait for what
another time? Seven bullet in yourgun? You five six and just one
left? You use that left oneon the judge. What will be left
for you? Left for me?Yes? For you? What will be

(24:37):
left for me? What is leftfor all criminals and murderers like you?
The scaffold with a noose hanging?I know I'm don't die by the rope
and what I mean? Oh yes, you Nick Baratti. It's time.
You won't be able to escape it. You won't be able to fix the
hangman. There'll be no doctor tofab you. Barratis will never die by
a rope. I'm gonna shoot thejob. You will never kill the I'll

(25:00):
knock your arm up again. Thebullet will go wild. Remember you cannot
see me, you cannot prevent medoing it. And then the noose will
get you the way it gets allmen who live by murder. I get
away the first step to that door, and I stop you. You can't
stop me here, look to seeI know I can here suddenly path your
way. I kill you now youcannot see me, and I kill the

(25:22):
judge anyway. If you wait thatone bullet, Remember what will be left
for you, the hangman's rope.No, no, I hang. The
police will come, the trial anda jury of twelve men will say guiltiest
charge, and another judge will say, to be hanged by the neck until
dead. No, no, Idon't. Another warden will take you by
the arm. Walk to the scapNo, no, stop, stop letting

(25:42):
me. I don't tell you.Walk up to the scaffold. This time
the rope a long. One stopstop saying that trap will spring. The
rope will tight. No, no, no, not me. I kill
my I kill myself. Nick yousee, have you no need to try?

(26:22):
Nick Baratti again? He cheated thelaw of the noose, just once
with bribery all the money in theworld cannot cheat justice of the reward.
It finally meets out to crime andcriminals. You can't bribe justice, no

(26:47):
death. You have been listening toa dramatized version of one of the many
copyrighted stories which have here in theShadow magazine. Now on say that your
local news stand The weed of crimebears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay.

(27:22):
The Shadow knows all the characters andall the places named are fictitious.
Any similarity to persons living or deadis purely coincidental.
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