A scientist conducting an experiment on invisibility decides to become his own subject. The result causes him to become separated from his own shadow and the shadow turns out to have a murderous mind of its own. This story, a mixture of suspense and science-fiction, has a somewhat silly premise but is well-executed, with interesting characters and a good plot. Genre: Science Fiction

I don't know why, but I really like programs where a scientist tries to discover something and ends up battling unintended consequences of his/her research. (I'm not a big "X-files" fan, but I've always wanted to see the episode "Soft Light" where a former research scientist has a shadow that, if it touches someone, disintegrates them.) In this one, two scientists doing research for the U.S. Department of Defense are on the verge, they think, of a formula which has the ability to make people who drink it invisible. It's worked on laboratory animals...now it's time to test it on a human subject. A subplot involves the lead researcher, who has gotten too involved with his work at the sake of his marriage. At the same time his wife breaks news to him that she wants to divorce him for another man, he tells her that she may never see him again, and explains that he intends to be the first human subject on which this formula is tested and that there's the possibility for error. (It's clear that he doesn't truly want to see the marriage dissolve, but that he loves his wife and wants only the best for her.) The two researchers sit down in a laboratory. The assistant, obviously uneasy, asks whether the lead scientist truly wants to go through with the experiment...he does, and the experiment goes ahead. They wait for several minutes past the time when their calculations say the scientist should have grown invisible. Nothing happens. Frustrated, they know they'll have to go (as the "Green Goblin" said in last year's "Spiderman" movie) "back to formula". They decide to go out for a meal that afternoon. Walking along the sidewalk as the evening sun sets, suddenly the assistant researcher freezes and says "Look at the sidewalk". He has a shadow, but the lead researcher who drank the formula does not. They run back to the laboratory to try to understand what happened. That evening, a cranky researcher feels something has entered her office. She can't see or hear it, but sees a black shadowy figure moving along the wall, moving toward her...

Scientists are ready to test their top secret invisibility serum on a human. The subject is one of the scientists whose wife is leaving him and whose research was credited to his former mentor. Unfortunately the serum only had the effect of detaching his shadow from his body. Harmless enough... ?

Interesting show. I was bored in the beginning thinking it was just a play on the invisible man storyline. Then when His shadow disappeared it grabbed my attention. I was so engrossed I couldn't believe how fast it went. I did however think the ending was a little anti climatic,but a very enjoyable story just the same.

I loved this episode; the fact that the scientist did not turn invisible surprised me and made it more interesting. From start to finish, I was hooked.

A few random thoughts on this one: - Throughout the media I've known in my life, there have been some fun shows regarding invisibility, and shadows, and experiments gone awry. I'm thinking of the episode of "Josie and the ¤¤¤¤¤cats" (in outer space?) where the leopardskin girls use some kind of "scientific" method to turn invisible. Josie and Valerie only have parts of them (arms, legs) turn invisible, while Melody the drummer only turns transparent. Then there's Tony "Monk" Shalhoub in the X-files episode "Soft light", who gets the equivalent of a billion-watt x-ray which burns his shadow into a laboratory wall. Shalhoub's character is doomed to wandering the earth staying away from people, because his shadow's been altered to a degree that if it comes in contact with a human that person will vaporize into the floor. - Joan Shay was a good actress with a nice voice. Lloyd Battista is a good actor with a nice voice. However, sometimes the RMT actors went from actors in a play to almost play acting, and two of the most frequent culprits put said "play acting" voices on display in this episode, Shay with her "frumpy old woman" voice, Battista with his "hoarse Irish cop" impersonation. Both are on display here. (And even in his regular voice Battista gave a slightly wooden performance in this one. At least it seemed so to me, but every actor's going to have an off day when you're in a production that had over 1,000 episodes!) - The late Nat Polen, on the other hand, gave (IMO) his best "scientific voice" performance. (He was frequently called upon to play a scientist in the RMT, in plays such as "The breaking point" and the somewhat doofy "Deadly, darling Delores".) I'm not a fan of Hallowe'en, but when trick or treaters come this is one of the plays I'll fire up on my computer with the speakers up. It's just fun. - "Just don't expect me to put out an all points bulletin on your shadow." - Cute little line from Battista as the hoarse Irish cop.

The "hoarse Irish cop" voice was really annoying to me!

It was indeed interesting that in this story the "invisibility" theme sort of, well, vanished. When I read the summary of the episode in the Payton/Grams book on CBSRMT, I thought what I was about to hear might be a rewrite of a very fun, if forgotten, film of the 1940s called INVISIBLE AGENT---the 4th, I believe, in Universal's "Invisible Man" series. But no, this went in another direction entirely. I thought the shadow could have done more killing---what's the fun of a murderous shadow if it doesn't kill a *lot* of people, and gruesomely?---but still, it was a fun show.  I found it odd that Bob Juhren, the writer, would name his main character "John Gilbert," which was the name of one of the biggest movie stars of the silent era---as a man of Juhren's age must surely have known. I'm probably the only person on the face of the planet who would be distracted by this---Gilbert, the *real* Gilbert, is almost completely forgotten---but it pulled me out of the story every time they said his name! (This might be because one of my books is about John Gilbert....the real one, not the shadow-man.) 

I liked this story. It was a little slow at the start. Sometimes the love aspect of a story bores me a bit. It really picks up when the shadow starts acting on its own. I only have 70 stories saved on my computer and this happens to be one of them. A good choice and a very good encode. Scary stuff when the Dr. is in the lab. A very good part for turning out the lights and listening.

Lloyd Battista's Irish cop voice is the most annoying voice in the entire series. Battista was a decent actor -- except when he was doing that voice. Unfortunately, CBSRMT had lost its most powerful voices by 1979 in Leon Janny and Howard DaSilva.

A very good encode copy of a very good show. The serum that doesn't quite do the trick for the scientists is probably similar to a brand of cognac I favor. I swear I turn invisible when I drink it . . . at least I can tell you with certainty that I don't recall ever seeing my own shadow when drinking it. Don't recall much of anything all told. Makes you think about the old Peter Pan story doesn't it? I mean what the heck is her shadow up to when it's not attached to her? Okay that's a bit off the wall, but many children's stories have a dark side as well. But I'm not really serious about Peter . . . Gonna go find that elixer now . . .

Gang, this has been fun to read. You may have come up with yet another inspiration for an RMT script! The 1982 season was CONSPICUOUS without the voice (and writing talent) of the late, departed-the-year-earlier Ian Martin. Norman Rose was a strong voice (when he wasn't getting feminized by 1982-era scripts).

some terrific feedback for this program! it's great to see! i really enjoyed this program myself. i was surprised i'd never heard it before. definitely schlocky, yet definitely fun!

Okay, wasn't the best line, Shadows don't kill, people kill...

(waking a year-old thread) Quote: ... The late Nat Polen, on the other hand, gave (IMO) his best "scientific voice" performance. (He was frequently called upon to play a scientist in the RMT, in plays such as "The breaking point" and the somewhat doofy "Deadly, darling Delores".) Polen's birthday was yesterday, June 14 (noted among the OTR birthdays catalogued in the "Premiering Today" sections of Jeff Kallman's "Easy Ace" OTR blog). I decided to try a Polen episode or two. Having just finished "... I Saw a Shadow", I agree his performance is a highlight of that episode. I'll try "Breaking Point" next. At the time of this post, "Breaking Point" is available from another site. Polen was in a total of 38 RMT episodes.

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows because in this case the shadow is evil. A good story to listen to. I had forgotten about the X-Files episode someone else mentioned - I'll have to find it and watch it again.

I rate this episode ★★★★☆ for GOOD. I give Bob Juhren props for writing a Drama-Mystery and a Fantasy-Mystery into one story. It was a Drama because there was tension & suspense for these characters. It was also a Fantasy because the shadow had the ability to kill on its own. Part of this CBSRMT episode reminds me of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. The music had suspenseful tunes, but some of them kept on repeating in each Act. The sound effects of the tape recorder, rotary phone, tableware, night traffic, people murmuring while the piano was playing in the background, buzzing of the phone, doorbell, hospital beeps, walking downstairs, and tearing up the tapes were supportable in this tale. In our Host's Prologue, E.G. Marshall gets straight down to it where it's February 17th on a Friday and our main character is introduced. In ACT-1, he explains that Man has tempered with the Forces of Nature for many years and that some forces shouldn't be disturbed; where some wanted to play God. Later, our Host talks about his own shadow in the studio floor. Kudos to him in ACT-2 when he says, "The shadow of a doubt." Great phase to put in this mystery story. In ACT-3, he asks us what killed our main character. But more importantly, in his Epilogue, he asks us to focus on our own shadow and to turn off the lights if you want the shadow to vanish. A very nice speech to end it. And speaking of nice, our talented cast: Nat Polen (as Dr. John Gilbert), Joan Shay (as Margo & Dr. Ferguson), Gordon Gould (as Dr. Steve Kaplan & the Archivist), and Lloyd Battista (as Lieutenant Healy & Bill Watkins). Great work by all them, especially to Lloyd Battista who played a cop with Irish accent and Joan Shay for playing a dainty wife & an arrogant doctor. As for Gordon Gould & Nat Polen, terrific! Perfect duo to play perfect doctors. As I said before, this story reminds me of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde. So tune in that episode (#0107) and tune in to this particular one for a good suspense. Until next time…pleasant dreams. =0)

I always love a good invisible man story! This one takes a twist I did not anticipate and makes it a good storyline! Liked this one very much! Check it out!

I love this episode so much I had to share it on Facebook! I've been fascinated by Shadow People for a good many years, so much so that my second murder-mystery is based on them. The acting here was great, not too over the top and the music and sound were effects very well played so as to enhance instead of distract as is sometimes the case with RMT episodes.

Typical OTR "scientists" who have never heard of proper scientific methodology or documentation.

Good story. Lots of fun to listen to. Music really enhanced the story today. This story epitomizes the good and evil within and easily moved me into this world. Makes me wonder on a sunny day what my shadow is up to!