Behind the Mask

Then you'll probably like this movie. Maybe.

If you like the Walter Gibson, et al, Shadow then you might want to avoid this unless you are an insane completist like me.

The Shadow & Margot were never meant to be a slapstick version of Nick & Nora and unfortunately that is what has been done to them in this. Okay, Shrevie was always played for laughs on the radio so he is acceptable that way (though I prefer the crafty cabbie from the pulps) but even then he wasn't a total moron.

Oh, the mystery part? Yeah, I suppose there is one and its not the worst mystery ever filmed, that might just be 'Sinister Hands', but if you don't guess whodunnit ahead of time its probably because you fell asleep & didn't care.

Kane Richmond is the Shadow, and as the shadow, he is the principal suspect in the murder of newspaper columnist James Cardwell. So, with the help of his trusty manservant George Chandler, and despite the help of fiancee Barbra Read and her trusty servant, Dorothea Kent, they investigate until the answer is basically handed to Richmond at the very end. Along the way they frustrate police inspector Joseph Crehan, and his inept assistant, Edward Gargan.

In the midst of all the inactive Fox B series, Monogram apparently also picked up movie rights to the Shadow. William Beaudine began the direction on this opus, only to be replaced some time in the process by Phil Karlson. As a mystery, it's pretty bad. As a slapstick comedy, it's all right; even the big fight sequences are played for slapstick comedy, with Richmond's stunt double swinging from a rope and tossing one opponent at another. With Pierre Watkin, Robert Shayne, June Clyde, and Joyce Compton.

An early B comedy by Phil Karlson this was a nice surprise with a stone cold open on an odious blackmailer making his rounds. Ooops! It's a crusading reporter shaking down his list of suckers. The opening scene has him slapping a "sucker", who kinda likes it, and then relieving her of the stiletto she was about to slide into his back. So there's no shortage of suspects.

Kane Richmond is solid as Lamont/Shadow with a Jack Carson-like presence, albeit on a B level. The rest of the cast has a few familiar faces. Condolences to others who also peg the killer. It's a formulaic cliché that has been done to death but I actually liked that I could finger the culprit at first siting.

Lots of inappropriate humor, S&M is a strong undercurrent with a comical cross dressing sequence thrown in, this movie begins and ends with slaps and spankings. If you think this stuff is "corny" because it's period 40s... too bad for you.

When a shady reporter is murdered, the killer is disguised as well-known, masked crimefighter The Shadow. Now, the police are after the mysterious hero.

The Shadow's alter ego, Lamont Cranston (Kane Richmond) must track down the killer impostor before the cops close in.

BEHIND THE MASK is more comedic than one might expect, since in the original, The Shadow was a dark, almost sinister persona able to frighten the criminals he pursued. In this film, The Shadow is marginalized, while the unmasked Cranston does the sleuthing.

Played mostly for laughs, so, don't expect a serious crime drama...

Kane Richmond returns for his second stint as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow in this fourth movie in The Shadow series.up to this point,this this is my least favourite.for me,it was boring and tedious.i didn't find the story all that interesting,or engaging.and the movie annoyed me at times,especially with how loud it was at times.by that i mean lot of shrill screeching,a lot of it by the character of Margo Lane(Barbara Read).Shrevvy(George Chandler)is fairly helpful to Cranston,having more to do this time,and is less of a dim bulb than in the previous movie.that's a positive,at least.overall though,this was a disappointing entry.my vote for Behind the Mask is a 4/10