''The Shielding Shadow'' is a 1916 American

action Action may refer to: * Action (philosophy), something which is done by a person * Action principles the heart of fundamental physics * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video gam ...

film serial A serial film, film serial (or just serial), movie serial, or chapter play, is a motion picture form popular during the first half of the 20th century, consisting of a series of short subjects exhibited in consecutive order at one theater, ge ...

directed by

Louis J. Gasnier Louis Joseph Gasnier (September 15, 1875 – February 15, 1963) was a French-American film director, producer, screenwriter and stage actor. A cinema pioneer, Gasnier shepherded the early career of comedian Max Linder, co-directed the enormously ...

and Donald MacKenzie and starring Grace Darmond and Ralph Kellard.

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 Grace Darmond (born Grace Marie Glionna; November 20, 1893 – October 8, 1963) was a Canadian-American actress. Early life Grace Marie Glionna was born in Toronto on November 20, 1893. Her parents were Vincent Baptiste "James" Glionna, an ...

as Leontine * Ralph Kellard as Jerry Carson *

Léon Bary Léon Bary (6 June 1880 – 7 January 1954) was a French actor. He appeared in more than 50 films between 1916 and 1955.

as Sebastian Navarro * Madlaine Traverse as Barbara *

Lionel Braham Lionel Braham (April 1, 1879 – October 6, 1947) was a British actor. He appeared in the films ''Snow White'', ''Young Lochinvar'', '' I'll Show You the Town'', '' Skinner's Dress Suit'', ''Don Juan'', ''As You Like It'', ''Personal Property'', ...

as The Bouncer * Frankie Mann as The Cabaret Singer * Leslie King as One Lump Louie

Chapters

*1. The Treasure Trove *2. Into the Depths *3. The Mystic Defender *4. The Earthquake *5. Through Bolted Doors *6. The Disappearing Shadow *7. The Awakening *8. The Haunting Hand *9. The Incorrigible Captive *10. The Vanishing Mantle *11. The Great Sacrifice *12. The Stolen Shadow *13. The Hidden Menace *14. Absolute Black *15. The Final Chapter

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 Judex (real name Jacques de Trémeuse) is a fictional French vigilante hero created by Louis Feuillade and Arthur Bernède for the 1916 silent film '' Judex''. Judex (whose name is Latin for "judge") is a mysterious avenger who dresses in black ...

'' - produced by

Pathé Exchange Pathé Exchange, commonly known as Pathé, was an American film production and distribution company, largely of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's silent film, silent era. Known for its trailblazing newsreel and wide array of short film, s ...

's competitor Gaumont - whose first episode was titled ''The Mysterious Shadow''. As ''Judexs release was delayed because of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, ''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 The Shadow is a fictional character created by American 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 Gibs ...

, who wears a costume similar to

's and has a power of invisibility like The Shielding Shadow's protagonist.Xavier Fournier, ''Super-héros : une histoire française'', Huginn Muninn, 2014, p. 70-73

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shielding Shadow, The 1916 films 1910s action films American silent serial films American black-and-white films 1910s English-language films Films directed by Louis J. Gasnier Pathé Exchange film serials English-language action films Silent American action films 1910s American films