Behind the Mask

Lamont Cranston, aka the Shadow, has his hands full as the murder of blackmailing reporter Jeff Mann is blamed on him.

After having seen "The Shadow" with Alec Baldwin, I felt it was important to seek out older incarnations. This one was on Netflix, so it was easy to pick. And, while I enjoyed it, it also lacks the crime-fighting elements that I enjoyed with the newer version.

The Shadow here does not seem to have any powers, or even much charisma. He is just a rich guy with a butler. And Margo Lane is more on his case here, coming off as a nag. I like her better in the newer version, as well. It may not be fair to compare a film from 1946 with one made 50 years later... but what choice do I have? There is still much to enjoy here, but I cannot see this as a lost treasure.

This second of Monogram's three Shadow movies again features Kane Richmond as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow, and Barbara Read as his girlfriend/assistant Margo Lane. It starts with a well-done, gritty set-up; a blackmailing reporter makes his way through rain-streaked streets at night, to various dingy illegal 'bookies' and nightclubs, meeting with 'clients' and taking payments. One client decides enough is enough and has the blackmailer taken care of in a manner that implicates the Shadow. Cranston sets out to catch the murderer and to clear his alter-ego's name.

Sadly, after such a promising opening this reverts to the 'Thin Man' style banter that dragged the first one down, and by the half-way point plummets into 'comedy' that really isn't funny now. The tension built so well at the beginning just evaporates. On top of that, the Shadow hardly appears, with most of his work done as Lamont Cranston (who, as before, is played like any other amateur detective or adventurer of the era, with no mystical abilities). By the end the killer is caught and the Shadow is exonerated, but it's hard to care. There's a good, noir story in here, but it's squandered. A definite drop. 4/10.

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.

Behind the Mask (1946)

** (out of 4)

Phil Karlson directed this second entry in "The Shadow" series. In this film, a sleazy news reporter is murdered and everyone thinks The Shadow was behind it. The alter ego Lamont Cranston (Kane Richmond) must prove that The Saint wasn't the murderer and find the real one. Every studio during this era had a mystery fighter on their hands and The Shadow belonged to Monogram, which should tell you just about everything you need to know. There's no question that the material here is more second rate than anything else and in the end this just isn't a very memorable movie. I think a lot of the problem goes to the screenplay, which is just rather routine as there's nothing in it that really separates this from the countless other films like it. It certainly doesn't help matters that Cranston is such a boring character that the viewer can never really connect with or really care about what happens to. Another problem is that there's way too much comic stuff. Yes, a mixture of comedy and mystery can be good but not when the jokes fall so flat. The supporting characters are just annoying and especially the assistant's girl who is written as that dumb blonde that gets on everyone's nerves. Richmond really isn't all that energetic or charismatic in the role of The Saint. I'm not sure if he just wasn't interested in the part or perhaps the screenplay just didn't excite him enough to give it more of a push. The supporting players are mostly forgettable, although no one is so bad to where they ruin the film. BEHIND THE MASK will remain watchable for fans of the genre but I think they'll realize that there's not much going on here.

This film is about Lamont Cranston trying to track down a criminal who is masquerading as the "Shadow" and murdering members of the underworld. (And, giving the Shadow a "bad name").

This film has a LOT of potential (and it's VERY clever how the murderer pulls it off), BUT the jealous antics of Margo Lane & friend get to be sooo annoying that it all but ruins the film. (I'm glad to say that Lamont actually SPANKS her at the end of the film!). It's a shame that he didn't do that at the BEGINNING of this film!

Norm