Among the earliest of old-time radio programs that I heard was an episode of The Shadow titled “Death from the Deep,” concerning a madman who terrorized the high seas with his private submarine. Orson Welles played the lead and from the day I first listened to the recording, I was hooked on the radio program. After 52 half-hour radio broadcasts, Orson Welles would be replaced by another actor, Bill Johnstone. Johnstone would be replaced by other actors and fans of the program oftentimes debate who was the better Lamont Cranston (alias The Shadow). In my opinion, Orson Welles was the best to portray the role. More important, Charles Osborne’s view of the type of character Welles portrayed was accurate. Throughout the years, the radio program evolved – no doubt part of the reason was the rotation of script writers hired to furnish stories.
At 22, Welles was terrorizing radio listeners with his sepulchral Shadow, the mysterious detective possessing the power of the occult. He was all makeup, mannerisms, voice — he could never suppress his radio training, which stood him in good stead among celebrated actors and playwrights. And today, many fans of The Shadow programs consider Welles’ rendition the best of the series. It was the 1937-1938 Orson Welles season that was the closest to the pulp magazine and the rendition of Lamont Cranston who could play more tricks with the minds of his victims than just clouding their vision. And it was that season that is my favorite of The Shadow.
Not all of the episodes are known to exist from that season, so I was pleased a few years ago when an episode from the Orson Welles era turned up. “Cold Death,” broadcast December 19, 1937, was a Christmas offering. Naturally, I held onto the recording until the holiday season and I just had the opportunity to listen to it. Despite the fact that I read the radio script years ago, listening to this was a treat.
In “Cold Death,” an old skinflint named Daniel Carver owns and operates a small mill village under deplorable conditions. City reporters have tried to expose his operations, but Carver’s thugs beat up anyone who trespasses. Lamont Cranston ventures to Carverville to learn the truth only to discover that people are afraid to talk. Late one night, acting like a Charles Dickens spirit, The Shadow forces Carver to peak through the broken windows to learn of the poor lifestyles his employees are living. Some have died from pneumonia; others cannot afford to buy Christmas presents for their loved ones. Like Scrooge, Carver sees the errors of his ways and promises The Shadow to make amends, including the building of new homes. When his goons get angry because they are fired from their jobs, one of them attempts to shoot the miser, but his gun is knocked away by The Shadow. Scared of what they believe to be a ghost, the ruffians run out of town while Carver starts bringing happiness to the people of his village.
The recording is available on YouTube and while it is not the best of The Shadow during the Orson Welles era, this holiday you can enjoy a radio thriller not heard in decades. There are hundreds of old-time radio holiday broadcasts but few have the curio of “lost” than “Cold Death.”
