1938-8-28 Death Under the Chapel

Broadcast August 28th 1938 syndicated for the summer by Goodrich Tires

This episode is included in Radio Spirits CD Set The Shadow: Rare Radio Gems*

Written by:

Announcer: Ken Roberts

Cast: Orson Welles (Lamont Cranston/The Shadow) Margot Stevenson (Margot Lane)

Music: Rosa Rio

Synopsis:

When a student commits suicide at Lamont Cranston’s alma mater and his Philosophy professor is blamed in the boy’s suicide note, Professor Quelema is fired. With dreams of revenge and power to unbalance it, his brilliant mind is driven to crime by creating an explosive device that will blow up the chapel and kill hundreds during graduation ceremonies. With no use of his legs, Quelema commands a deaf mute named Anton to carry him about the campus and answer his every request by giving directions by tapping code on a table. After learning of the plot from Bragg, the instructor in Quelema’s department, The Shadow confronts the professor and Anton in the basement of the chapel. Trapping The Shadow in the same room with the time bomb, Quelema orders Anton to kill the invisible man, but The Shadow explains to Anton what is happening by tapping on the wall Anton touches. Anton panics and flees, smashing the locked door to pieces. The Shadow turns off the time bomb. Seeing no other way out, Quelema commits suicide in the same manner used by his former student.

Listen to this episode

Note:

*This episode s also available on The Murray Hill Anthology of The Shadow