Victor Jory (Cat Women on the Moon, The Green Archer) stars as Lamont Cranston, better known by his secret identity, The Shadow. But this isn’t your classy Old Time Radio Shadow, voiced by Orson Welles—no sir! This Lamont Cranston is a criminal scientist (whatever that means), and evidently he can no longer fog men’s minds. He still has his terrifying laugh, at least, but I’m not sure what good THAT does anyone. Maybe it has something to do with endorphins.

But fear not! He may not be rich, or powerful, but The Shadow DOES have certain skills: specifically, the skill to disguise himself as a Chinese pawn-shop owner named Lin Chang, who is friendly with the criminal element. Jory really gets to stretch his acting chops in this role, cramming more offensive stereotypes into one character than I thought possible. I didn’t notice any prosthetic buck-teeth, but I haven’t seen the entire serial, either. But enough of my bitterness—only read on, and see what treasures await the lucky Riffers who choose THE SHADOW!

FEEL YOUR HEART POUND as The Shadow battles the evil Black Tiger and his gang of nebbishy crooks! MARVEL at the coincidence of yet another serial villain with the power of invisibility!

READY YOUR JAW FOR DROPPAGE at the sight of gangsters talking to a plastic tiger’s head with flashy lightbulb-eyes, because the Black Tiger likes to use it as a speakerphone or something! And it can electrocute you if you touch it! Sometimes!

GASP at the insight of Cranston’s girlfriend Margot Lane, who ACTUALLY KNOWS HIS SECRET IDENTITY, and it’s not a big deal!

That’s right, Rifftrax crew: all these powerful emotions could be yours. All you have to do...is riff “The Shadow.”

Link to first episode available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/NotreOWeWnc