Thursday, September 25, 2008

The Shadow


"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" From 1930-1954, the wealthy Lamont Cranston was one of the best-known characters on radio, using his mystical powers to fight crime. The only person who knew The Shadow's true identity was his "friend and companion, the lovely Margot Lane" ...

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay! The Shadow knows!"



I'd never heard of The Shadow until last night when I came across a radio play called "The Chess Club Murders" while browsing i-tunes for anything connected with our favourite game. I couldn't resist the dialogue from the preview clip ...


Margot Lane: Why the hurry to get to the club Lamont?

Lamont Cranston: I'm due there right now for a directors meeting.

ML: (laughing) Oh Lamont, that's the dullest thing I've ever heard of. A directors meeting in a chess club.

LC: There's nothing dull about it. You see there's quite a feud going on down there. It may split the club wide open.

ML: Ooh it sounds momentous. What's the trouble is somebody trying to change the colour of the squares?

LC: Alright, alright. Have your fun.

ML: Well what else could a chess club feud be about?


... and immediately splurged all of £0.95 to download the entire episode.

I was feeling very pleased with my bargain until I discovered this website and found that you can listen to the whole thing for free.

It's 29 minutes long. Go on. You know you want to.







7 comments:

Jonathan B said...

Still not given it a try? Let me give you a sneak preview of the ending ...


ML:
Lamont, to think that all those things could happen at a chess club.

LC:
(chuckling) I always told you didn't I that it was a very exciting game?

ML:
Exciting? It's a killer.

LC & ML:
(Laughter)


THE END


Anyhoo, I've got to go. I feel strangely compelled to go out and buy some blue coal.

ejh said...

you can listen to the whole thing for free

Well, you can if you know how. Do I push a button or something? Pull a lever?

David said...

LC: Oh, I think I understand. One tap is 'no', and two taps are 'yes'. Is that right?

Murderer: (Two taps)

LC proceeds on this assumption.

Seems that The Shadow hasn't read his Smullyan! (What he ought to have asked is something like: "Is two plus two equal to four?")

I fear I have given this more of my attention than it really deserved...

Jonathan B said...

EJH:
You should be able to just click on the link and it will start. It takes a while to get going - about a minute usually for me - but then it seems to get going automatically.

Perhaps you haven't got quick time plug-in or some alternative mp3 player? You could try right clicking and saving the file to disk and playing it thereafter. It's worth the trouble - absolutely hysterical stuff.

DAVID:
I particularly liked the whole story recap just before the denouement just to ensure the hard of thinking are up to speed. God alone knows what the listeners of the Shadow would have made of The Wire.

Jonathan B said...

Talking of more attention than it deserved ...

I was thinking about the sledgehammer subtlety of the 'crime doesn't pay' message this morning. At first I was chuckling away to myself but then I thought is i so different these days.

e.g. Heat ...

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in many ways a hugely great crime film but you know for sure the final facedown is going to leave De Niro catching a bullet and no Pacino.

btw: I've spoilered this for politeness sake and not because anybody who hasn't seen Heat yet would have there enjoyment altered by seeing this post first.

ejh said...

Heat = a typically empty Michael Mann film with lots of people doing things for no reason so that spectacular scenes can be staged. Note also the robbery scene in which more firepower is employed in the plaza than during the Battle of the Somme.

(Also see: "the bloke throwing himself through the window at the end of Manhunter".)

Jonathan B said...

I agree that escape scene is way over the top EJH - but feel there's more to Heat than you give it credit for.