The Shadow of the Eagle (1932)

The Eagle uses sky writing to make threats against a corporation. Nathan Gregory owns a traveling fairground and is thought to be the Eagle. Craig McCoy is a pilot who goes looking for the Eagle when Gregory turns up missing.

Directors:

Ford Beebe, B. Reeves Eason (uncredited)

Writers:

Ford Beebe (story), Colbert Clark (story)

Stars:

John Wayne, Dorothy Gulliver, Walter Miller

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Wayne	...	Craig McCoy
Dorothy Gulliver	...	Jean Gregory
Walter Miller	...	Danby
Kenneth Harlan	...	Ward
Richard Tucker	...	Maj. Evans
Pat O'Malley	...	Ames
Edmund Burns	...	Clark
Yakima Canutt	...	Boyle
Roy D'Arcy	...	Gardner
Billy West	...	Bob - Clown
Edward Hearn	...	Col. Nathan Gregory
Lloyd Whitlock	...	Green
'Little Billy' Rhodes	...	The Midget (as Little Billy)
Ivan Linow	...	Henie - Strong Man
James Bradbury Jr.	...	Henry - Ventriloquist

Storyline

Nathan Gregory is a World War I veteran pilot who runs a small, debt-ridden traveling carnival along with loyal daughter Jean. Gregory is at odds with five of his former squadron comrades, who he thinks shot him down in 1918 and stole his plans for an incredible invention, a radio=piloted plane. An enigmatic criminal, called "The Eagle", and his gang of toughs skywrites threatening the five businessmen with vengeance for their past misdeeds. Although Gregory is suspected of being the arch-villain, especially after he disappears, hero Craig McCoy and the carnival's midget, strongman, and ventriloquist struggle to expose "The Eagle's" identity.

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Plot Keywords:

pre code film | b movie | poverty row film | low budget film | double feature film | 

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Taglines:

A CRASHING Adventure Serial! (1949 re-release poster)

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 February 1932 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Sombra da Águia

Filming Locations:

Antelope Valley, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mascot Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

218 min (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

CHAPTER TITLES: 1. The Carnival Mystery; 2. Pinholes; 3. The Eagle Strikes; 4. The Man of a Million Voices; 5. The Telephone Cipher; 6. Code of the Carnival; 7. Eagle or Vulture?; 8. On the Spot; 9. When Thieves Fall Out; 10. The Man Who Knew; 11. The Eagle's Wings; 12. The Shadow Unmasked.

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Goofs

The long shot of the scene depicting John Wayne as Craig and Roy D'Arcy as Gardener are clearly shot with the men on a ferris wheel, but the closeups of both men are mismatches and none of the bars and struts of the ride can be seen since both actors are clearly on the ground and not moving.

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Quotes

Henie the Strong Man: [backing accidently into the midget] Hey, get out under my feet, you little squirt!
The Midget: Don't get persomal, you big palooka! It's guys like you that make guys like me hate guys like you.

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Alternate Versions

There is a 185-minute home video version (released on DVD by Platinum) which cuts the "episodic" aspects, such as episode titles and cliffhangers, to form a continuous story.

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Connections

Featured in Sprockets: Classic Serials (1991)

User Reviews

Good guys can't catch a break, but win in the end.

The good guys never seem to catch a break. It added to the plot and my frustration. What a roller coaster of a movie. It was a good movie and keeps you on the edge of your seat rooting for the good guys to get one thing to go their way. Common John Wayne where, as the hero, he never gives up hope.

Didn't realize that it was almost 3 hours till it got close to the end and I looked up at the clock.

If you like b/w old movies, it's a good show to watch. I like John Wayne but have watched most of his older movies. It's a lot of fun to see a young John Wayne running around to save the day. If you don't like the older John Wayne movies, give some of is younger stuff a chance.