The Shadow

Orson Welles as "The Shadow"

The Shadow is a fictional character created by the American magazine publisher Street & Smith and the writer and professional magician Walter B. Gibson. Initially created to be a mysterious narrator of a radio program and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by writer Walter B. Gibson, The Shadow has been published as novels, comics, and films, among other media. The Shadow radio soap opera includes episodes narrated by Orson Welles. This is a mysterious vigilant, hidden behind a wide-brimmed hat, a long coat and a kind of red scarf that covers part of his face. Fight crime in the dark, armed with two guns and mental powers. He announces his presence with a sinister laugh. His alter ego is the sophisticated millionaire Lamont Cranston, although he also protects his secret identity with two other appearances: the aviator Kent Allard, and Fritz, a janitor at a police station. In this way of maintaining a dual personality, the character resembles other figures such as Batman and Zorro.

The Shadow debuted on July 31, 1930 as the mysterious narrator of the radio program Detective Story Hour, which was created to increase sales of publisher Street & Smith's monthly pulp magazine Detective Story Magazine. When listeners of the program began Asking newsstands for copies of "that Shadow detective magazine," Street & Smith launched a magazine based on the character, and hired Gibson to create a concept to fit the name and voice and to that I wrote a story in which he appeared. The first issue of The Shadow Magazine pulp series went on sale on April 1, 1931.

On September 26, 1937, The Shadow, a new radio soap opera based on the character as created by Gibson for the pulp magazine, premiered with the story "The Death House Rescue." in which the Shadow was characterized as having "the hypnotic power to cloud the minds of men so that they cannot see him." In the magazine stories, The Shadow did not literally become invisible.

The introductory phrase of the radio adaptation of The Shadow – «Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? "The Shadow knows!" – narrated by actor Frank Readick, became an idiomatic phrase in the US. These words were accompanied by an ominous laugh and a musical background, Le Rouet d'Omphale by Camille Saint-Saëns (composed in 1872).

At the end of each episode, The Shadow reminded listeners that “The weeds of crime bear bitter fruit! "Crime doesn't pay... The Shadow knows it!"

Some early episodes used the alternative phrase, "If you sow evil, you will reap evil!" "Crime doesn't pay... The Shadow knows it!"

Given the success of the project, the novelist Walter B. Gibson was hired to make a literary serial starring the character. For this, Gibson adopted the pseudonym Maxwell Grant, and with that name he published a long series of novels.3 In 1937, a new radio serial was launched, and for this the interpretation of The Shadow was entrusted to Orson Welles.

Illustrator Vernon Greene drew The Shadow comics from 1940 to 1942. Since then, comics of the character have been carried out by authors such as Al Bare, Jack Binder, William A. Smith, Frank Robbins, Howard Chaykin, Mike Kaluta and Bill Sienkewicz.

Throughout the character's entire history, he has been characterized by the use of the slogan: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow Knows!". Likewise, another characteristic of the character's personality is to laugh when appearing in a place and/or disappearing, in the same way he uses this to intimidate or sometimes scare his enemies before starting a physical combat.

A Journey to the Center of the Earth

A Journey to the Center of the Earth is an Old Time radio Show, alternatively titled A Journey to the Interior of the Earth, stands as a timeless science fiction masterpiece crafted by Jules Verne in 1864, initially published in its native French as "Voyage au centre de la Terre." The narrative unfolds with a professor leading his nephew and a hired guide on a daring expedition down an Icelandic volcano, all in pursuit of reaching the Earth's very core. Along this perilous journey, they confront a series of captivating adventures, from encounters with prehistoric creatures to navigating through treacherous natural phenomena, ultimately emerging back onto the Earth's surface in southern Italy.From a scientific perspective, this tale may not have retained its factual accuracy as effectively as some of Verne's other works. Many of his conjectures regarding the Earth's inner composition have been disproven over time. It is important to recognize, however, that Verne's writings were largely products of his vivid imagination rather than earnest attempts at scientific hypothesis. 

Furthermore, during the period when he penned this novel, knowledge about the Earth's core was severely limited.Nevertheless, a noteworthy aspect of the narrative is Verne's personal conviction, relayed through one of the characters in the story, that the inner realms of the Earth diverge significantly from the experiences encountered by the protagonists.

A seven-part radio serial was broadcast on the BBC Home Service in 1962. It was produced by Claire Chovil, and starred Trevor Martin and Nigel Anthony.

An eight-part radio serial was produced for BBC Radio 4 by Howard Jones in 1963. It starred Bernard Horsfall and Jeffrey Banks.

A radio drama adaptation was broadcast by National Public Radio in 2000 for its series Radio Tales.

A 90-minute radio adaptation by Stephen Walker directed by Owen O'Callan was first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 on 28 December 1995, and rebroadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra on 20 November 2011, on 11 and 12 November 2012, and on 20 and 21 December 2014. Nicholas Le Prevost stars as Professor Otto Lidenbrock, Nathaniel Parker as Axel, and Oliver Senton as Hans. Kristen Millwood plays Rosemary McNab, a new character who funds and accompanies the expedition.

A two-part BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Journey to the Centre of the Earth broadcast on 19 and 26 March 2017. Featuring Stephen Critchlow as Professor Lidenbrock, Joel MacCormack as Axel, and Gudmundur Ingi Thorvaldsson as Hans, it was directed and produced by Tracey Neale and adapted by Moya O'Shea.

Boris Karloff

Son of Edward John Pratt Jr. and his third wife Eliza Sarah Millard, he was born in Camberwell (London), and grew up in Enfield. Orphan in his youth, he attended classes at Enfield Grammar School before moving on to Uppingham School, Merchant Taylors' School, and finally the University of London. Karloff's first goal was to join the diplomatic service; his brother John Henry Pratt became a famous and distinguished diplomat. In 1909, Pratt traveled to Canada, changing his name. For health reasons, he did not fight in the First World War.

Once he arrived in Hollywood, California, Karloff participated in numerous silent films, before appearing as Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), the film that made him a star. A year later he played another iconic character, Imhotep, in The Mummy.

Boris Karloff's first role on the silver screen was as a $5-a-day extra as a Mexican soldier in the 1919 silent film, His Magistry the American.

His height and the success of Frankenstein, typecast him in the horror genre (where he made numerous films for Universal Pictures), although he participated in other genres such as John Ford's The Lost Patrol in 1934. Karloff played Frankenstein's monster twice more; The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939), with Lugosi as the mad Igor.

Precisely with Lugosi he coincided in two other important titles The Black Cat (1934) and The Raven (1935). The long make-up sessions with collodion and cotton he had to undergo under the direction of make-up artist Jack Pierce are well known, as well as the uncomfortable costume and platform shoes that caused him back injuries that he would carry with him for the rest of his life.

As for his theatrical career, on the Broadway stage he premiered in 1941 the play Arsenic and Old Lace in which he played a homicidal gangster, who in the development of the show was often confused with Karloff himself. He reprised the character in the 1962 television version. He also appeared in The Linden Tree, by J. B. Priestley, Peter Pan, in the character of Captain Hook and in The Lark (1955), by Jean Anouilh, for which he was nominated for a Tony Award.

Despite the roles that made him famous, Karloff was known in real life as a generous gentleman, especially with children. It is said that during the filming of the first “Frankenstein” the crew feared that the little actress Marilyn Harris would run away terrified at the sight of Boris, but this was not the case because they hit it off as soon as they saw each other. In his later years he acted several times on television (he appeared in the series The CIPOL Girl in 1966, in which he played the role of a woman, “Mama Muffin”, in the episode “The Mother Muffin Affair”) and never left the theater.

Karloff never minded being typecast as an actor in horror films, on the contrary, he considered it a wonderful opportunity to show his talents and was always grateful for it. During his last years he filmed a series of films of little repercussion, being three of them broadcasted after his death (The Corpse Collector in 1970; Sinister Invasion and The Living Dead in 1971). Boris Karloff died of pneumonia at King Edward VII Hospital, Midhurst, at the age of eighty-one, and was later cremated.

For his contribution, Boris Karloff was awarded two stars on the legendary Walk of Fame, at 1737 Vine Street (for his films) and 6664 Hollywood Boulevard (for television). He is considered one of the great classic horror film actors, alongside Béla Lugosi (as Dracula) and Lon Chaney Jr. (as a werewolf).

This collection embodies his many guest appearances and roles in various old time radio programs including Bergen & McCarthy, Creeps by Night, Duffy's Tavern, Inner Sanctum, Information Please, Jack Benny Program, Lights Out, Martin and Lewis, NBC University Theater, Suspense, Theater Guild on the Air and many others.

Virginia Gregg

Virginia Gregg (Harrisburg, Illinois, March 6, 1916 - Encino, California, September 15, 1986) was an American actress, who lent her voice to the films Psycho (1960), Psycho II (1983) and Psycho III (1986).

Born in Harrisburg, Illinois, she was the daughter of musician Dewey Alphaleta and businessman Edward William Gregg. She had a stepsister, Mary.

Her family and she moved to Pasadena, California when she was five years old. She attended Jefferson High School, Pasadena Junior College, and Pacific Academy of Dramatic Art.

Gregg was a prolific radio actress, heard on such programs as The Adventures of Sam Spade, Dragnet, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, The Jack Benny Program, Let George Do It, Lux Radio Theatre, One Man's Family, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, The Screen Guild Theater, CBS Radio Mystery Theatre, The Zero Hour, and Mutual Radio Theater.

On the radio series Have Gun–Will Travel (starring John Dehner as Paladin), Gregg portrayed Miss Wong (Hey Boy's girlfriend), and also appeared in very different roles in the concurrent television series with Richard Boone. She had the role of Betty Barbour on One Man's Family and played Richard Diamond's girlfriend, the wealthy Helen Asher, on the radio series Richard Diamond, Private Detective (starring Dick Powell as Diamond). She later guest-starred in an episode of the television version of Richard Diamond, starring David Janssen.

Virginia Gregg made her film debut in Alfred Hitchcock's 1946 Les Enchaînés (a small uncredited role). She reunited with the director on Psycho (1960), where she was the voice of Norma, the mother of Norman Bates (note that in the first two sequels to this film, Psycho 2 in 1983 and Psycho 3 in 1986 - her last big-screen performance - she was once again the voice of Norma Bates). In the first film, she also stabbed Janet Leigh in the famous shower scene, Anthony Perkins being in New York at the time of filming.

In all, she contributed to forty-two American films, including westerns. Notable films include Robert Rossen's Blood and Gold (1947, with John Garfield and Lilli Palmer, in which she played her first credited role), Daniel Mann's A Woman in Hell (1955, with Susan Hayward and Richard Conte), Blake Edwards' Operation Petticoats (1959, with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis), and Delmer Daves' Spencers' Mountain (1963, with Henry Fonda and Maureen O'Hara).

On television, Virginia Gregg appeared from 1952 to 1983, in nineteen TV movies, two soap operas and, above all, one hundred and forty-two series, particularly in the Western genre. Notable series include Badge 714 (eleven episodes, 1952-1955), Alfred Hitchcock Presents (four episodes, 1955-1957), Gunsmoke (seven episodes, 1958-1969) and The Iron Man (four episodes, 1969-1974).

Finally, during her career, the actress was also very active on the radio, collaborating on numerous series and programs.

Gregg married producer Jaime del Valle in 1948 (another source says October 15, 1947, in Las Vegas, Nevada). They had three children, Gregg, Jaime, and Ricardo. They were divorced on December 22, 1959.

Gregg was active with Recording for the Blind, making recordings as a volunteer and serving on the group's board of directors.

Gregg died from lung cancer in Encino, California, on September 15, 1986.

Betty Lou Gerson

Betty Lou Gerson was born on April 20, 1914. She was an American film, television, and voice actress. She provided the voice of the villain Cruella de Vil in the Disney animated film 101 Dalmatians.

Gerson was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, but was raised in Birmingham, Alabama, where her father was an executive at a steel company. She was Jewish. She was educated at private institutions in Birmingham and Miami, Florida. At age 16, Gerson moved with her family to Chicago, Illinois, where she began providing her voice on the radio show The First Nighter Program. She later moved to New York City.

She began working in radio dramas in 1935, where she gained notoriety. She moved to Los Angeles in the 1940s, where she worked on radio dramas such as The Whistler, I Love Adventure, Mr. President, Crime Classics, Escape, and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

She was the narrator of Walt Disney's 1950 film Cinderella. Eleven years later, she provided the voice of the villain Cruella de Vil in the animated film 101 Dalmatians, also from Disney. Her few film appearances include films such as The Fly (1958), The Miracle on the Hills (1959), and Mary Poppins (1964). On television, she had small roles in the series Perry Mason, The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series), The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hazel, and The Rifleman.

Gerson retired from acting in 1966. She briefly returned in 1997 as a voice actress in the film Cats Don't Dance. On January 12, 1999, she died of a stroke at the age of 84. Her remains were cremated and her ashes scattered at sea.

Parley Baer

Parley Baer was born on August 5, 1914 in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. He was a film and radio actor, known for Dad Cadillac (1988), A Fever in the Blood (1961) and Dave, President for a Day (1993). He was married to Ernestine Clark. He died on November 22, 2002 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

He was the voice of Ernie Keebler on the Keebler cookies commercials.

He served in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific theater in WWII, earning seven battle stars and a presidential citation. Attained rank of captain.

During his struggling years, he served as a ringmaster for Circus Vargas and Barnum & Bailey. He would later serve on the board of the community L.A. Circus, and as a docent at the Los Angeles Zoo. Wrote publicity for Al. G. Barnes Circus, in winters. Announcer at Salt Lake City radio station, KSL.

He created and toured with his own circuses, doubling as ringmaster and performance director, roles he filled with other circuses as well.

In addition to the role of Chester on the Gunsmoke radio series which ran from 1952 to 1961 (the part was played by Dennis Weaver in the long-running television series), Baer was frequently heard on the Lux Radio Theater, Escape and Suspense radio programs, among others.

In the 1930s, Baer served on radio as director of special events for KSL. His first network show was The Whistler, which was soon followed by appearances on Escape (notably narrating "Wild Jack Rhett" and as the title patriot in an adaptation of Stephen Vincent Benét's "A Tooth for Paul Revere"), Suspense, Tales of the Texas Rangers (as various local sheriffs), Dragnet, The CBS Radio Workshop, Lux Radio Theater, The Six Shooter, and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, to name a few.

In 1952, he began playing Chester, the trusty jailhouse assistant to Marshal Matt Dillon on the radio version of Gunsmoke, eventually ad-libbing the character's full name, "Chester Wesley Proudfoot" (later changed to "Chester Goode" in the televised version of the series, which featured Dennis Weaver in the role of Chester). Baer also worked as a voice actor on several other radio shows produced by Norman MacDonnell, performing as Pete the Marshal on the situation comedy The Harold Peary Show, as Doc Clemens on Rogers of the Gazette, and as additional characters on Fort Laramie and The Adventures of Philip Marlowe.

Other recurring roles included Eb the farm hand on Granby's Green Acres (the radio predecessor to television's Green Acres), Gramps on The Truitts, and Rene the manservant on a radio version of The Count of Monte Cristo. His later radio work included playing Reginald Duffield and Uncle Joe Finneman on the Focus on the Family series Adventures in Odyssey in the 1980s and 1990s.

Radio playwright and director Norman Corwin cast Baer as Simon Legree in the 1969 KCET television reading of his 1938 radio play The Plot to Overthrow Christmas.

As an on-camera performer, Baer was recognizable by his distinctive voice, his paunchy appearance, and his balding head. Often he portrayed fussy, bossy, and/or obstinate officials or neighbors. Extended television roles included blustering, by-the-book Mayor Stoner on The Andy Griffith Show, the neighbor Darby on The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, frequent guest appearances on The Addams Family as insurance man and city commissioner Arthur J. Henson, and in the late 1990s, Miles Dugan on The Young and the Restless. He also appeared as a telephone executive on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.

On November 22, 2002, Parley died from complications from a stroke at age 88.

Arnold Moss

Arnold Moss was born on January 28, 1910 and was an American character actor.

Born in Flatbush, Moss was a third-generation Brooklyn native. He attended Brooklyn's Boys High School. His first involvement with acting came when he was in college, after which he joined the Eva Le Gallienne Apprentice Group.

Moss was an announcer at two Baltimore, Maryland, radio stations, moving to WCAO in 1931 after having worked at WTAM. In 1932, he was the youngest announcer at CBS.

He played Dr. Fabian in Cabin B-13 on CBS radio in 1948–49, played in Cafe Istanbul on ABC radio in 1952, was Ahmed on Stella Dallas, was Philip Cameron in Against the Storm and was the first voice of the character of Ted White on the radio serial, The Guiding Light, from April 1948 to May 1949. Moss’s radio work included appearances on Columbia Workshop, Theater of Romance, Inner Sanctum Mysteries, Molle Mystery Theater, Cabin B-13 and CBS Radio Mystery Theatre.

Moss appeared in dozens of television programs during the golden age of TV. On November 22, 1950, he starred in "Lord Mountdrago" on Somerset Maugham TV Theatre. He appeared on television in Star Trek (1966) as mysterious actor Anton Karidian, alter-ego of the tyrannical Gov. Kodos of Tarsus IV, in the episode "The Conscience of the King". He also played in The Rifleman as the school teacher, Mr. Griswald, and as Chief Lonespear in Bonanza episode "In Defense of Honor" in 1968. Other television appearances include The Time Tunnel, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., The Man from U.N.C.L.E., and the anthology series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, General Electric Theater, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Suspense, Tales of Tomorrow, Studio One, and Kraft Television Theatre. He played Prospero in Margaret Webster's 1945 production of Shakespeare's The Tempest for a combined total of 124 performances, the longest run of the play in Broadway history. He appeared in the original Broadway production of the Hal Prince/Stephen Sondheim musical Follies.

Moss died from lung cancer at his home in New York City on December 15, 1989.