(About 1,045 words)

The Shadow Knows
by Mike Morris
Front Range PC Users Group, Fort Collins, CO
www.frpcug.org
ml_morris(at)jymis.com

How many readers remember that phrase?  Or remember listening to the show on the radio:

“Who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men?  The Shadow knows.”

Recent headlines have described the availability of TV shows on the internet—at a price.  No headlines, however, for The Shadow or other radio programs from the 1930’s and 1940’s.  The copyrights to a large number of the old radio shows have expired, and you can now download (or order) these programs in a variety of formats and listen to them through your computer or other audio equipment.

Whether your interest is historical research, for the nostalgia value, for a hobby, or for the simple entertainment value, the variety of programs and information about these old radio programs is astonishing.  I originally searched the internet using Google and the phrase “old radio programs.”  That search returned over 20,000 hits over 6 months.  The correct phrase should have been “old time radio.”  That search returned over 1 million hits from the past 6 months.

These websites provide an incredible wealth of information.  I have checked a very small number of websites, and offer my comments on them.  There are episodes of The Shadow, Sam Spade, The Thin Man—as you can see, I like mysteries.  There are comedies, westerns, music, and much more.

By the way, how many readers remember the origin of Sam Spade?  Do you recall the movie “The Maltese Falcon” with Humphrey Bogart?  The movie was based on the novel of the same name by Dashiell Hammett (originally published in 1929), which introduced the world to Sam Spade.  Another novel by the same author, “The Thin Man,” (originally published in 1933) was turned into a move starring William Powell and Myrna Loy.  Here is a trivia question for you:  who really was the Thin Man?—answer at the end of this article.

As you might expect, the audio quality of these old radio shows varies.  Some websites allow you to listen to short samples of selected shows using either RealPlayer™ or Media Player, both of which are bundled with the Windows operating system.

“It is Thursday night, July 31,1930. The time is 9:40 PM. Radio listeners tuned to CBS hear the first appearance of "The Shadow" . . . .”  Thus begins the history of “The Shadow” as provided by the Old-Time Radio Program Guide, http://www.old-time.com/toc.html.  This website has links to historical information on a number of old time radio programs and to other websites that include soundbites and stories, and to websites that offer programs on cassettes, CD’s, DVD’s, or direct downloads to your computer.

More history is available at Radio Days: A Soundbite of History, http://otr.com/index.shtml.  There are links to history by category (Mystery, Private Eyes, Comedy, SciFi) and to histories of selected programs (Captain Midnight, Terry and the Pirates).  This website also provides an historical timeline with important dates in radio broadcasting with descriptions of relevant programs.  Selected downloads (soundbites) are included.  There is a link to a schedule of old time radio on the airwaves (and on the internet).

At “It Seems Like Only Yesterday,” http://www.yesterdayradio.com/, old radio programs are offered for sale on cassettes.  Categories include: World War II and Civil War History, Big Band Music, Comedy, Westerns, Science Fiction, and Sherlock Holmes.  The Big Band category includes Glenn Miller, Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey, and other broadcasts from the 1940’s.

The “Radio of Yesteryear” website, http://www.originaloldradio.com/, claims to have 50,000 old time radio programs available on CD’s, in various formats.  There is a category called “Radio’s Best 1000,” and “single subject” CD’s such as Abbott and Costello, CBS Radio Mystery Theatre, and many more.

Meanwhile, back at . . . old-time.com, there is a link to a website called “Radio Showcase,” http://www.old-time.com/sponsors/rad_sho.html.  This site offers an excellent searchable database, with “actor credits, recording sources, story categories, and program notes . . . .”  Here is a sample of a search:

Here is a sample of the results of the search:

In the interest of objectivity, I call your attention to the RadioLovers.com website, http://radiolovers.com.  This site claims to offer individual old time radio program downloads.  However, I did not pursue the offer.  I found the site’s use of pop up ads objectionable (the ads appeared despite having the pop up blocker enabled in my Firefox browser).  But that is my personal prejudice.  For those with greater tolerance to such ads, you may find this site useful.

As I listened to these old radio programs, and read about their history, I realized that there was one program that I wanted to locate above all others:  the original radio broadcast of War of the Worlds.  This program, created from the 1898 H. G. Wells novel by Orson Welles and broadcast in 1938, is famous (or infamous) for the real panic it created.

A search using Google on the phrase “war of the worlds” provided the result EarthStation1.com, http://www.earthstation1.com/wotw.html.  Success!  I listened to the entire program (slightly less than one hour) using RealPlayer™.  My brain soaked up certain phrases:

“. . . these creatures have scientific knowledge far in excess of our own . . . .”

“. . . a vanguard of an invading army from Mars . . . .”

Okay, so point your finger at me and laugh, while you enjoy the latest movie version with its extraordinary computer generated special effects.  I thoroughly enjoyed the hour I spent listening to this classic radio broadcast.  Even the 1930’s audio quality added to its menace.

While you are watching the movie, I am going to dim the lights, turn off the TV, unplug the phone, and settle into my favorite chair.  It is time to listen to The Shadow.  Even in the 21st century, it is comforting that there is an answer to the question “who knows what evil lurks in the heart of men?

The Shadow knows.”

[The trivia question answer:  No, it is not the detective Nick Charles.  The title of Thin Man belongs to the extremely eccentric inventor Clyde Wynant, who remains missing until the last chapter of the novel, when it is revealed that he is the victim of a gruesome crime.]

There is no restriction against any non-profit group using this article as long as it is kept in context with proper credit given the author.  The Editorial Committee of the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), an international organization of which this group is a member, brings this article to you.