The Shadow

I heard a very interesting episode of The Shadow on the plane ride.  The episode is “The Blind Beggar” from June 26, 1938, and I can only assume the imitable Orson Welles is playing the title role.  What struck me about this story was how much its ethos and the character of the heroic but mysterious Shadow shared in common with Batman, though he was created in the next year.  This must be a salient thread in the late 1930s.  Lamont Cranston shares with Bruce Wayne many things:  firstly, an alter ego as an intelligent and affluent man-about-town.  Whereas Bruce Wayne acquires characters like Robin and Alfred the butler as sidekicks, Lamont has his assistant/girlfriend, which is a fabulous show of faith.  The Shadow has no special powers other than apparent invisibility which is a superb idea to illustrate on radio.  You don’t have to stretch incredulity on the big screen with a character who is, to all intents and purposes, a voice; it works on radio, and the Shadow is sufficiently tonally different to Lamont that this is possible.  “He doesn’t need a gun,” and though his methods have less to do with the gadgets that Batman uses, there does seem to be a need for the Shadow not to use guns.  (Compare this with Red Ryder and his famous BB gun.)   While Batman capitalizes on the superstition and fear of criminals, the Shadow uses similar criminal psychology and, in this episode especially, champions the underdog.  I find it very heart-warming that the plotline of this episode has to do with criminal gangs extorting panhandlers and hobos, and that the Shadow gains these people’s trust.  The scene when the disenfranchised gang up on the criminals is thrillingly reminiscent of the climax to Tad Browning’s Freaks.  “The crowd may be lame and blind but I wouldn’t bet on your chances.”