Accessibility Tools

Skip to main content
The Shadow Radio Mystery

The Shadow - Radio Mystery

One of the most popular radio shows in history, The Shadow went on the air in August of 1930 and ran until 1954.

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!" The opening lines of the "Detective Story" program captivated listeners and are instantly recognizable even today. Originally the narrator of the series of macabre tales, the eerie voice known as The Shadow became so popular to listeners that "Detective Story" was soon renamed "The Shadow," and the narrator became the star of the old-time mystery radio series.

A figure never seen, only heard, the Shadow was an invincible crime fighter. He possessed many gifts which enabled him to overcome any enemy. Besides his tremendous strength, he could defy gravity, speak any language, unravel any code, and become invisible with his famous ability to "cloud men's minds."

Thanks to this week's sponsors:

Scroll down for previous episodes.

Season Finale - Episode 19:
The Nightmare Combination

In The Wright Opera House’s Season Finale of “The Shadow,” a locksmith answers a strange request to open a safe late at night, only to learn he has opened a nightmare. “The Nightmare Combination,” originally aired September 19, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

  • Produced by Ouray County Players

  • Directed by Alyssa Preston

  • Audio Engineer
    Derek Jones

  • Announcer
    Derek Jones

  • Lamont Cranston/The Shadow
    Marc Hitchcox

  • Margot Lane
    Kate Jones

  • Joe Jehoviac
    Dan Preston

  • Mama Hildebrand
    MarciaLee Brahms

  • Lou the Locksmith
    Glynn Williams

  • Jack Jehoviac
    John Morris


The Wright Opera House is a 501c3 nonprofit, operating a historic venue and premier performing arts organization located in the City of Ouray. It is supported by event fees and by generous donations. Click here to make a tax deductible donation to the Wright.

Previous episodes...

Episode 1: The Case of the River of Eternal Woe

When the Police believe that Mathilda Redfield commited suicide by the river; her neice, Muriel, thinks that she was murdered! Is Dan Burke the murderer? Will the diamond bracelet be found? Only the Shadow knows!

Episode 2: The Blind Beggar Dies

When Singing Jim, a blind street singer, is killed, The Shadow goes after a band of extortionists who prey on the city's street beggars.

Episode 3: The Golden Deceiver

When an espionage radio transmitter is discovered in the Northern Hills and gold miner Carl Murray goes missing, Lamont Cranston gets put on the case. Tune in to find out who is spying on whom. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 4: Career in Crime

As Tommy struggles build a new life, he falls back into his old ways and soon realizes that crime doesn't pay. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 5: The Face of Death

The thrilling adventures of The Shadow, the hard and relentless fight of one man against the forces of evil, continue with The Face of Death. When Lamont Cranston’s friends start turning to stone, The Shadow must use his abilities to uncover the face of Medusa!

Episode 6: The Long Arm of Death

the long arm of death

The Shadow, who aids the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, a wealthy young man about town. Years ago in the Orient, Cranston learned the hypnotic power to cloud men’s minds so that they cannot see him, and adopted the disguise of The Shadow. Join us as The Shadow helps Grace Randolph, a woman whose conscience is tormented over her husband’s suicide. Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 7: The Silent Avenger

The Shadow - The Silent Avenger

The Shadow, who aids the forces of law and order, is in reality Lamont Cranston, a wealthy young man about town. Years ago in the Orient, Cranston learned the hypnotic power to cloud men’s minds so that they cannot see him, and adopted the disguise of The Shadow. Join us as The Shadow is drawn in to the sad tale of the Bricker Family. Will The Shadow choose to save a large crowd of people or one man tormented by the ravages of war and a brother who was just put to death for murder? 

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 8: The Hands of Death

The Shadow - The Hands of Death

The Shadow, who aids the forces of law and order, is, in reality, Lamont Cranston, wealthy young man-about-town. Several years ago, while in the Orient, Cranston learned a strange and mysterious secret. . . the hypnotic power to cloud men’s minds so they cannot see him. Cranston’s friend, Margot Lane, is the only person who knows whom the voice of the invisible Shadow belongs to. 

Tonight’s drama, “The Hands of Death,” is about a man with strange hypnotic eyes, a cathode tube, and a beautiful young woman who died of old age.

Episode 9: The Red Macaw

The red macaw

Tonight’s episode, The Red Macaw, was the second broadcast of The Shadow and originally aired on October 3, 1937. It tells the story of a magician from the East whose partner in crime is a red macaw.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 10: The Ghost Walks Again

The Shadow - The Silent Avenger

 With his friend and constant companion, the lovely Margot Lane, The Shadow meets up with danger in The Ghost Walks Again. When a group of townspeople want to turn the local town hall into a museum and start making money off of tourists, an ancient ghost rises from the dead to put a stop to modern progress. This episode of The Shadow originally aired March 16, 1941.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 11: Struggle with Death

The Shadow - The Hands of Death

“Struggle with Death,” originally aired April 11, 1954 and is about a precious jewel, a hungry girl, and a dagger striking home.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 12: The Case of the Dead Man's Shoes

The red macaw

 

“The Case of the Dead Man’s Shoes,” is about an expensive string of pearls and murder motivated by hate, jealousy, and greed and originally aired July 25, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 13: Horror in the Night

The Shadow - The Silent Avenger

“Horror in the Night,” is about murder and the terror of a nightmare that came to life out of the long-dead past. It originally aired April 25, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 14: Death by Chapter

The Shadow - The Hands of Death

In this episode of The Shadow, a would-be writer crosses the thin line beyond which fiction becomes fact and imagination a murderous reality. “Death by Chapter” originally aired July 4, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 15: Heartbeat of Death

The red macaw

 “The Heartbeat of Death,” is about a run-down estate filled with evil and  hate, a man who was almost buried alive, and the steady thumping of a beating heart.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 16: The Blackball Murder

The red macaw

Greed, ambition, violence, and murder do not stalk their victims only in the dark byways of the city. Tonight they lurk in the velvet darkness of the quiet anchorage of a yacht basin. This tale of murder and treachery, “The Blackball Murder,” originally aired on August 29, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 17: The Case of the Vanishing Killer

The red macaw

This tale of murder motivated by greed and fear, “The Case of the Vanishing Killer,” originally aired on August 8, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 18: Vision of Death

The red macaw

There are those who believe that it is given to some to see and foretell the future. But the gift of prophecy can be a two-edged sword — deadly for the one who possesses it and for those who believe his predictions. This strange tale of death in a house of hate, “The Vision of Death,” originally aired on June 6, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!

Episode 19: The Nightmare Combination

The red macaw

In The Wright Opera House’s Season Finale of “The Shadow,” a locksmith answers a strange request to open a safe late at night, only to learn he has opened a nightmare. “The Nightmare Combination,” originally aired September 19, 1954.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!