''Behind The Mask'' is a 1946 American comedy-

mystery film A mystery film is a genre of film that revolves around the solution of a problem or a crime. It focuses on the efforts of the detective, private investigator or amateur sleuth to solve the mysterious circumstances of an issue by means of clues, i ...

directed by Phil Karlson and starring

Kane Richmond Kane Richmond (born Frederick William Bowditch, December 23, 1906 – March 22, 1973) was an American film actor of the 1930s and 1940s, mostly appearing in cliffhangers and serials. He is best known today for his portrayal of the character L ...

and

Barbara Read Barbara French Read, also known as Barbara Reed, (December 29, 1917 – December 12, 1963) was a Canadian-American film actress of the 1930s and 1940s, who appeared in 21 films during her career. Early life Born Barbara French Read on Decembe ...

. It was the second in a series of three films released by Monogram in 1946 starring Richmond as the crimefighter

The Shadow The Shadow is a fictional character created by magazine publishers Street & Smith and writer Walter B. Gibson. Originally created to be a mysterious radio show narrator, and developed into a distinct literary character in 1931 by writer Walter ...

, the others being ''

The Shadow Returns ''The Shadow Returns'' is a 1946 American comedy crime film directed by Phil Rosen and starring Kane Richmond, Barbara Read and Tom Dugan. It features the pulp character The Shadow, already a popular hero of novels and a radio show. It was t ...

'' and ''

The Missing Lady ''The Missing Lady'' is a 1946 American mystery film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Kane Richmond and Barbara Read. It was the third and final in a series of three films released by Monogram in 1946 starring Richmond as The Shadow, the ot ...

''.

Synopsis

Lamont Cranston, alias

, has to clear his name of the murder of a blackmailing newspaper reporter by solving the crime himself.

Cast

as Lamont Cranston (The Shadow) *

as Margo Lane * George Chandler as Shrevvie * Dorothea Kent as Jennie Delaney *

Joseph Crehan Joseph A. Creaghan (July 15, 1883 – April 15, 1966) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 300 films between 1916 and 1965, and notably played Ulysses S. Grant nine times between 1939 and 1958, most memorably in ''Union Paci ...

as Police Inspector Cardonna * Pierre Watkin as Police Commissioner Weston *

Robert Shayne Robert Shayne (born Robert Shaen Dawe, October 4, 1900 – November 29, 1992) was an American actor whose career lasted for over 60 years. He was best known for portraying Inspector Bill Henderson in the American television series '' Adven ...

as Brad Thomas *

June Clyde June Clyde (born Ina Parton, December 2, 1909 – October 1, 1987) was an American actress, singer and dancer known for roles in such pre-Code films as ''A Strange Adventure'' (1932) and ''A Study in Scarlet'' (1933). Early years June Clyd ...

as Edith Merrill * James Cardwell as Jeff Marin *

Marjorie Hoshelle Marjorie Leah Hoshell (January 7, 1918 – April 5, 1989) was an American actress. Born in Chicago, Hoshelle was the daughter of Norman and Leah Hoshell. She graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago and UCLA. Portraying Juliet in a stage p ...

as Mae Bishop *

Joyce Compton Olivia Joyce Compton (January 27, 1907 – October 13, 1997) was an American actress. Biography Compton was born in Lexington, Kentucky, the daughter of Henry and Golden Compton. (Despite frequent reports to the contrary, her name was not ...

as Lulu

Reception

Film historian Larry Langman dismissed ''Behind the Mask'' as a "feeble entry in the

Shadow A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, ...

mystery series". Critic

Leonard Maltin Leonard Michael Maltin (born December 18, 1950) is an American film critic and film historian, as well as an author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives. He is perhaps best known for his book of fi ...

gave the film a mixed review, describing it as a "decent low-budget

whodunit A ''whodunit'' or ''whodunnit'' (a colloquial elision of "Who asdone it?") is a complex plot-driven variety of detective fiction in which the puzzle regarding who committed the crime is the main focus. The reader or viewer is provided with the c ...

" with "some nice visual touches but way too much 'comedy' relief."

References

External links

* * * {{The Shadow 1940s comedy mystery films American comedy mystery films Monogram Pictures films The Shadow films 1946 films Films directed by Phil Karlson American black-and-white films 1946 comedy films 1940s English-language films 1940s American films