Moderately Interesting Morning Fact July 31, 2012: Only the Shadow Knows Edition

On this day in 1930, the radio mystery program The Shadow airs for the first time. From Wikipedia: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” spoken by long-intoned by actor Frank Readick Jr., has earned a place in the American idiom. These words were accompanied by an ominous laugh and a musical theme, Camille Saint-Saëns‘ Le Rouet d’Omphale (“Omphale’s Spinning Wheel”, composed in 1872). At the end of each episode The Shadow reminded listeners that, “The weed of crime bears bitter fruit. Crime does not pay…. The Shadow knows!”

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