Behind the Mask
Brief Description:
Lamont Cranston, aka the Shadow, has his hands full as the murder of blackmailing reporter Jeff Mann is blamed on him. Not only does the real murderer seem one step ahead of him as Lamont tries to discover his identity, but he is continually hampered from gaining crucial evidence by his jealous, interfering fiancée Margo Lane. Cranston perseveres and is rewarded with the clue he needs at one of Mann’s victims’ nightclubs.
(from Doug Sederberg @ vornoff@sonic.net via IMDb)
Date: 1946
Genre: American mystery comedy
Running time: 1 hour 7 minutes
Cast:
Kane Richmond (Cranston)
Barbara Read (Margo)
George Chandler (Shrevvie)
Dorothea Kent (Jennie)
Joseph Crehan (Inspector)
Pierre Watkin (Commissioner)
Robert Shayne (Brad)
June Clyde (Edith)
James Cardwell (Jeff)
Marjorie Hoshelle (Mae)
Joyce Compton (Lulu)
Director: Phil Karlson
Production company: Monogram Pictures
(watched on Tubi)
Setting/Aesthetic/Feel: 3/5
A generic 1940s aesthetic, but otherwise meh. Nothing to make it stand out.
Characters: 1/5
Cranston was perhaps a good detective (though it really bugged me how he and the inspector were always sparring and the commissioner always sided with Cranston), but he was a bad fiancé. I was really disgusted by how quick he was to smooch with Lulu and Edith. Shevvie was almost as bad in that, but he reminded me of Tenny from the Bulldog Drummond series and I loved that—although Tenny is much, MUCH better. I was really bugged by how Margo and Jenny were presented as bad/dumb for trying to keep their fiancés from smooching other women or being angry at them for doing it. and finally, Jeff was terrible and got what he deserved. I did like the poor policeman with the cold though.
Plot: 1/5
Besides the issues I mentioned in my ranting above, I had way too much trouble trying to keep ahold of the mystery plot with the constant barrage of “comedy relief.” It ended up making little to no sense to me. And the ending where Cranston and Shevvie start spanking Margo & Jenny for “interfering” disgusted me so much. The only thing I liked was that sometimes Jenny was funny. Most of the time, though, the comedy was cheap, slapstick, stereotypical, and and 90% hanging on how dumb women are (when it wasn’t hinging on how dumb cops are).
Romance: 1/5
Lamonte was insensitive, unfaithful, and a yeller who paid 0 attention to Margo’s feelings. Definitely had no business marrying her because he clearly didn’t want to settle down or care about her. Same applies to Shevvie & Jenny.
Content: 1/5 (high)
Women in low-cut dresses and tutus; lots of kissing and snuggling; a girl dresses as a guy and then her pants fall off (not a revealing scene but slightly uncomfortable for me even if its meant as comedy); several scenes where Shevvie, Cranston, Edith, or Lulu make suggestive remarks.
Violence: 4/5 (low)
Fistfights, that’s all, apart from the infamous ending scene.
Overall: 1/5
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