 | #009 "Mobsmen on the Spot"
Vol. 2, No. 3 Published: 04/01/32 Submitted: 12/04/31 as "The Shadow Fights The Rackets" Author: Walter Gibson Review date: Sep 20, 2002 |
MOBSMEN ON THE SPOT was originally published in the April 1932 issue of The Shadow Magazine. This was only the ninth Shadow story published. In this early gangster tale, we are introduced for the first time to one of The Shadow's most trusted agents, Cliff Marsland. Yes, it's not only a rousing tale of rackets and racketeers, it's also the story of how Cliff Marsland entered the service of The Shadow. And we, along with Cliff, learn some of the secrets of The Shadow!
The rackets were taking over New York! The police and even The Shadow seemed powerless to stop them. There was the warehouse racket. Tim Waldron was in charge of that one. Warehouse owners were approached by a newly formed "Association" and offered protection from unexpected disaster. Those who joined and paid the hefty monthy dues, were able to continue in business unmolested. Those who chose not to join, were suddenly victims of unexplained bad luck. Strikes, fires, deaths and other accidents mysteriously would befall those who refused to pay their monthly dues.
And there were other rackets, too. There was the garage racket, targeting the many garages in Manhattan. There was the dock racket, which affected all cargoes going in and out of the port. And now a new racket begins to rear its ugly head: the theatrical racket.
Howard Griscom, president of the United Theater Corporation, is seeking a merger with another chain of theaters. To do this, he needs the loan of three and a half million dollars. He tries to arrange a loan from Stanley Wilberton, banker and financier. But the loan is in jeopardy because of the racketeering.
Howard Griscom refuses to bow to the powers behind the racket. He's backed by his secretary, George Ballantyne. But when Ballantyne is murdered by the racketeers, Griscom begins to waver. To put the finishing touches on Griscom, the gangsters then kidnap his daughter, Arline. Is there no where to turn? Can no one rescue the innocent young maiden? Who can save the day? Who can crush the rackets and reveal the secret mastermind behind the billion-dollar racket? Yes, it's The Shadow to the rescue!
The Shadow is assisted by Clyde Burke and his new agent Cliff Marsland. Cliff has just been released from Sing Sing, after eight years in stir for robbery. It was a Brooklyn bank robbery that he didn't commit. But he willingly took the blame to shield the no-good brother of the woman he loved. He spent his time, and has just been released. And he's immediately contacted by The Shadow.
The Shadow knew Cliff Marsland during World War I. Both went under different names at that time, but when they meet again, The Shadow jogs Cliff's memory. He recalls their time together in Esternay, France in the spring of 1918; their celebratory trip to Monte Carlo after the Armistice. Cliff recognizes The Shadow, but they both agree to put the past aside and speak of it no more. It is the present which is now of the utmost importance.
The Shadow enlists Cliff's aid in his ever-growing organization. Cliff agrees to follow The Shadow and offer full obediance without condition. And then begins his training. He learns of the disappearing ink that The Shadow uses. He learns one of The Shadow's codes, this one comprised of dots and dashes. He learns the phone number for contacting Burbank. And he learns the methods of secret communication involving seemingly casual conversations with certain words slightly emphasized. Yes, Cliff Marsland joins the ranks of The Shadow!
Also appearing in this story is Clyde Burke. He's still a former crime reporter, at present running a clipping bureau and engaging in occasional free-lance journalism. In this early story, he hasn't yet joined the New York Classic. That's to come later in the series.
Burbank also makes several brief appearances, including one where he gets out of his stuffy room and tries his hand at trailing a gangster. Apparently, his skills were better suited to his communications work, for we're told the man eludes him.
Lamont Cranston is the other familiar character in this story. In this early story, it's not clear that there are actually two Lamont Cranstons - one being the real man and the other being The Shadow in disguise. If one were to read this story only, it might be assumed that Lamont Cranston IS The Shadow, not just a disguise of The Shadow. But, of course, that will become clearer in future stories.
A few notes of interest... At the beginning of this story, The Shadow is involved in a shootout with racketeers. The strange thing is that he uses a gun with a silencer. There is never any explanation as to the reason for the silencer, and from the details of the story, there seems no need for one. I think it's the only time I've seen The Shadow use a silencer on his .45's. From then on, in this story, the silencer is never mentioned; the .45 automatics roar loud and clear!
The Shadow tells Cliff Marsland that he started his new career of crime fighting while Cliff was in prison. That would put The Shadow's creation sometime between 1924 and 1932, for those wondering when The Shadow had his first adventure. An adventure, unfortunately, not put down in writing for our enjoyment.
In this story, The Shadow has the uncanny ability to scale the outside of a building. He crawls like a human fly along the surface of projecting bricks. No mention is made of those flexible rubber disks, so we must assume he isn't using them.
It's also mentioned in the story that Cliff was familiar with codes from his work during the war. It's a skill he also used in prison, sending secret messages to other inmates. Makes you wonder exactly what he did during the war, and how he ran into the man who would become The Shadow. Could The Shadow have been in the spy game, and Marsland been a code expert? That's only conjecture...
Apparently black-light was all the rage in the early 1930's, because The Shadow uses black-light on some paper and tobacco. The portable black-light apparatus is described as being science's latest weapon against crime. Seems to me that Doc Savage used similar apparatus...
This is also the story where Cliff Marsland meets his one true love. And at the end of this story, they marry and go off to honeymoon in France. His wife appeared briefly in several other Shadow stories, notably DOUBLE Z and THE CRIME CULT from mid-1932. Then, as far as I can tell, she was mentioned no more.