Karl Dane - "The Whispering Shadow"
Home Bio Research Films Photos Links Timeline
The Whispering Shadow (1933)

This Mascot serial, shot in 18 days in December 1932, was Karl's last film appearance. The title character is a maniacal crime boss who menaces the Empire Transport & Storage Company with a deadly electronic ray. Karl's role of Sparks was originally slated for comedian Harry Langdon who dropped out because of ill health. Karl was eager to use this opportunity as a comeback, but the serial was not well received and his comeback was not to be. However, Karl does seize the opportunity to provide some very funny sequences, making this Mascot much more entertaining than it might have been without him.

Click on the play button (right arrow) to watch the four scenes from the serial. Thanks to Forget the Talkies for posting these!

Karl is Sparks, the building electrician who spends a great deal of the serial obsessed with solving a small mechanical puzzle.
Sparks attempting to solve his puzzle as W.B. Jarvis (Norman Feusier) and Prof. Alexis Steinbeck (Roy D'Arcy) look on.
Left to right: Roy D'Arcy, Viva Tattersall, Bela Lugosi, Robert Warwick, Karl, Lafe McKee and Malcolm McGregor.

The Whispering Shadow is available on two DVDs from Alpha Video.
Web design by Dan Balogh
Content copyright © 2007 Laura Balogh
Last modified: August 10, 2008