The Shadow (1994)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Russell Mulcahy

Writers (WGA):

Walter B. Gibson (character The Shadow from stories)
David Koepp (written by)

Release Date:

1 July 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

Tagline:

The Shadow Knows!

Plot:

In 30's New York City, the Shadow battles his nemesis, Shiwan Khan, who is building an atomic bomb.

Plot Keywords:

City | Bomb | The Shadow | New York City | 1930s

Awards:

4 nominations

Cast

Alec Baldwin	...	Lamont Cranston / The Shadow
John Lone	...	Shiwan Khan
Penelope Ann Miller	...	Margo Lane
Peter Boyle	...	Moe Shrevnitz
Ian McKellen	...	Dr. Reinhardt Lane
Tim Curry	...	Farley Claymore
Jonathan Winters	...	Wainwright Barth
Sab Shimono	...	Dr. Tam
Andre Gregory	...	Burbank
Brady Tsurutani	...	Tulku
James Hong	...	Li Peng
Arsenio 'Sonny' Trinidad	...	Wu
Joseph Maher	...	Isaac Newboldt
John Kapelos	...	Duke Rollins
Max Wright	...	Berger

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action violence.

Runtime:

108 min | Canada:93 min (edited version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS-Stereo | DTS

Certification:

Australia:M (TV rating) | Australia:PG | Canada:14A (Ontario) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Finland:K-14 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 | USA:PG-13 | Germany:12 (video rating) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Bregman/Baer Productions

Trivia:

The silver coffin of Temujin is from The Masters of Death, the fourth Shadow pulp story to deal with Shiwan Khan, while the cigarette billboard that broadcasts Khan's commands comes from The Golden Master.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the investigation of the murder at the museum, a policeman working for The Shadow alternately wears his "Shadow" ring on his right/left hand as he leaves to send a message to The Shadow (the establishing shot shows it to be worn on his right hand).

Quotes:

Margo Lane: Oh, God I dreamed.
Lamont Cranston: So did I. What did you dream?
Margo Lane: I was lying naked on a beach in the South Seas. The tide was coming up to my toes. The sun was beating down. My skin hot and cool at the same time. It was wonderful. What was yours?
Lamont Cranston: I dreamed I tore all the skin off my face and was somebody else underneath.
Margo Lane: You have problems.
Lamont Cranston: I'm aware of that.

Movie Connections:

References The Lady from Shanghai (1947)

Soundtrack:

Original Sin (Theme from 'The Shadow')

Walter Gibson Should Be Proud

This movie was the best effort to bring this unique hero to the big screen. Granted, although I like her in general, Penelope Ann Miller was not as strong a Margo as I would have liked, otherwise, I thought this was an outstanding achievement. The look and feel are perfect and I loved how they made sure many of The Shadow's regular crew made their appearances... Shrivey, Roy Tam, Burbank.

The main reason I wanted to comment on this movie, however, was because of the question raised by Patrick in London about why Baldwin's nose changed shape when he became The Shadow. Lamont Cranston's hawk-nosed profile was one of the most famous trademarks of The Shadow. Alec Baldwin, however, does not naturally have that kind of look (to be honest, Lee Van Cleef may be the only movie actor in history with the correct look to have been able to portray The Shadow without resorting to make-up or special effects). Personally, I thought it was a brilliant touch to make that profile an illusion which Cranston utilizes when he becomes The Shadow. It makes it more believable that no one would be able to figure out he is The Shadow. A profile as distinct as Cranston's traditional look would make it difficult to believe that no one could put two and two together... kind of like believing that no one could figure out that Clark Kent is Superman just because he wears glasses. To me, it was just one more thing that elevated this movie above the usual superhero genre flick because it showed an appreciation and respect for the source material that Hollywood is not necessarily known for.