It is a sad duty to report that The Shadow Strikes, the first of four projected whodunits based on the popular comic strip, is played strictly for laughs. Which is a shame because silent screen matinee idol Rod La Roque makes a dashing hero and all the ingredients for a good crime thriller are present, including the main character's yen for disguises. But La Roque is soundly defeated by a lackluster script, a tired-looking supporting cast, and a parsimonious budget, and "The Shadow" had to wait almost 50 years to earn a vehicle at least somewhat worthy of his talents. Not surprisingly, small-scale Colony Pictures cancelled the projected series after only one sequel, International Crime (1938).