The Whispering Shadow is a 1933 American pre-Code serial film directed by Colbert Clark and Albert Herman and starring Béla Lugosi in his first of five serial roles. Lugosi received $10,000, the highest known salary of his career, for this film. The serial was filmed in 12 days and was the last role for actor Karl Dane.
The Whispering Shadow | |
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Directed by | Colbert Clark Albert Herman |
Cinematography | Edgar Lyons Ernest Miller |
Music by | Lee Zahler (uncredited) |
Distributed by | Mascot Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 12 chapters (225 minutes) |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The Shadow in The Whispering Shadow is an underworld mastermind. He has invented a device that allows him to kill by radio control.[1] He, along with several other persons, seeks the Czar's jewels. The series is notable for the constant false clues and decoy actions that make nearly everybody a suspect.[2]
The cinematography mimicked that of Karl Freund in Universal's Dracula - for example, using close ups of the actors' eyes - in order to take advantage of Bela Lugosi's fame as the star of that film.[2] The shadow of The Shadow is not real; It was drawn in later by animators.[2] Harmon and Glut comment on that "If Street & Smith, owners of the original [The] Shadow of magazine and radio fame, had found out about the owner of the whisper, they might have sued."[2] The serial was later edited down to a feature-length edition (as was common in those days).
Preceded by The Devil Horse (1932) |
Mascot Serial The Whispering Shadow (1933) |
Succeeded by The Three Musketeers (1933) |
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