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The Shadow- The Case of the Cotton Kimona
(1954 TV Pilot)
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The Shadow (1954): My feelings
are mixed on this Shadow TV pilot. At least the Shadow is a
superhero, but the whole show is filmed like a soap opera with only a
few rooms for sets. It's a very thinly-disguised detective show,
with the Shadow character easily dropped in. You never get to see
the Shadow, so there was no Shadow costume for this show. You see
a bright light, hear his voice, and that's it.
There's not much to it. It's just like "Dragnet" or any other 1950s cop show, and it should be a superhero show. No activity; just a lot of talk. The actors are great. Tom Helmore does a great job as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow. Paula Raymond, the lady who plays Margo Lane, is a real knockout. But this story just isn't that interesting. In this form, it wouldn't have dazzled as a weekly series. I do, however, feel that with some retooling, this cast and the premise of the Shadow would've been awesome!
If you're looking for a Shadow show with some entertainment value, the 1994 film is the best, and even the 1930s non-superhero Shadow movies are thrilling in their own right.
There's not much to it. It's just like "Dragnet" or any other 1950s cop show, and it should be a superhero show. No activity; just a lot of talk. The actors are great. Tom Helmore does a great job as Lamont Cranston/The Shadow. Paula Raymond, the lady who plays Margo Lane, is a real knockout. But this story just isn't that interesting. In this form, it wouldn't have dazzled as a weekly series. I do, however, feel that with some retooling, this cast and the premise of the Shadow would've been awesome!
If you're looking for a Shadow show with some entertainment value, the 1994 film is the best, and even the 1930s non-superhero Shadow movies are thrilling in their own right.