The Shielding Shadow

The Shielding Shadow
Advertisement.
Directed by	Louis J. Gasnier Donald MacKenzie
Written by	Randall Parrish George B. Seitz
Starring	Grace Darmond Ralph Kellard
Distributed by	Pathé Exchange Astra Film
Release date	October 1, 1916 (1916-10-01)
Running time	15 episodes
Country	United States
Language	Silent (English intertitles)

The Shielding Shadow is a 1916 American action film serial directed by Louis J. Gasnier and Donald MacKenzie and starring Grace Darmond and Ralph Kellard.^[1]

Plot[]

The 15 chapter story involves the heroine being protected by a shadow with burning eyes. There's also a cloak of invisibility, some hypnotism and a giant octopus added to the mix.

Cast[]

• Grace Darmond as Leontine
• Ralph Kellard as Jerry Carson
• Léon Bary as Sebastian Navarro
• Madlaine Traverse as Barbara
• Lionel Braham as The Bouncer
• Frankie Mann as The Cabaret Singer
• Leslie King as One Lump Louie
• Hallen Mostyn
• Madeline Francine

Notes[]

Most of the chapters of this serial are lost with only chapters 4, 10, 11, 14 and 15 still remaining according to Treasures from the Film Archives by Ronald S. Magliozzi.

A French-American production, The Shielding Shadow was directly inspired by another silent movie serial, Judex - produced by Pathé Exchange's competitor Gaumont - whose first episode was titled The Mysterious Shadow. As Judex's release was delayed because of World War I, The Shielding Shadow was distributed in the United States before Judex. The Gaumont production, however, managed to be released in France before The Shielding Shadow (known in France as Ravengar). Both films appear to have been inspirations for the American pulp character The Shadow, who wears a costume similar to Judex's and has a power of invisibility like The Shielding Shadow's protagonist.^[2]

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Shielding Shadow.

• The Shielding Shadow at IMDb
• The Shielding Shadow at AllMovie