1940-3-10 The Laughing Corpse

Broadcast March 10th 1940 on Mutual at 5:30 p.m. EST sponsored by D.L. & W. Coal Company "Blue Coal" and syndicated for the summer by Goodrich Tires

This episode is included in Radio Spirits CD Set The Shadow: Unearthly Specters*

Written by: Sidney Slon

Announcer: Ken Roberts

Cast: Bill Johnstone (Lamont Cranston/The Shadow) Marjorie Anderson (Margot Lane) Everett Sloane, Kenny Delmar, Arthur Vinton, Alan Reed

Music: Elsie Thompson

Synopsis:

While apartment hunting, Lamont and Margot stumble upon a corpse that apparently laughed even after rigor mortis set in. Commissioner Weston questions the superintendent of the building to learn that the empty apartment was formerly occupied by two scientists — partners who owned a big chemical laboratory. When The Shadow tracks down Dr. Destroff, he learns the corpse was that of his former partner, Lorrenze. Seven years ago there were three scientists but Dr. Vietor was a drunkard and when Lorrenze and Destroff perfected a new formula, they refused to give him a share in the profits. Heated words and a dissolved partnership followed. Every year for seven years they received death threats which finally come true when Destroff receives a small package and opens it to find the same warning. Within minutes he keels over dead while laughing. The superintendent, finding the evidence in Margot’s apartment as she is unpacking, kidnaps her and takes her into the basement. He is Vietor in disguise, the man who succeeded in murdering his former colleagues. Before the brilliant chemist can kill the snooping Margot, The Shadow arrives. Realizing there is no escape, Vietor injects himself with the same “laughing death.”

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Note:

The script for this episode was published in Sanctum Reprint #19 Voodoo Trail & Death's Harlequin

This episode was adapted and recorded for broadcast in Australia as "The Case of the Laughing Corpse" by Grace Gibson Productions. The Australian broadcast of "Study in Terror" Is also credited as being adapted from this script. Neither of these episodes have been released by Grace Gibson Productions.

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