Title: The Tenor With the Broken Voice
Air date: June 5, 1938
Plot summary: Hagen Radcoffe, an opera tenor, is singing in a production of Pagliacci. Right in the middle of his big solo, Radcoffe's voice cracks. His career as an opera singer is instantly destroyed. Radcoffe is taken off the stage in hysterics, disappointing Lamont Cranston and Margo Lane, who were in the audience.
Shortly thereafter, Lamont is at home listening to the next performance of Pagliacci on his radio. The tenor who replaced Radcoffe starts singing that same solo, the one at the end of the first act—and a sandbag in the rigging falls on his head and kills him.
Cue the next performance of Pagliacci. Tenor #3 is singing the big solo, when suddenly, the voice of The Shadow rings out, demanding that the asbestos curtain be lowered. Barely is the curtain lowered when an explosion goes off backstage.
The theater's board convenes an emergency meeting. Radcoffe comes before the board to talk them into canceling Pagliacci, which is obviously cursed. But The Shadow, convinced that the problem is not curses but a madman, gets the board to agree that The Show Must Go On.
Tropes:
- At the Opera Tonight: Lamont and Margo go to a performance of Pagliacci, and wind up going to several more after tragedy strikes.
- Bat Deduction: Lamont tunes into the radio for the next performance of Pagliacci, after the voice-cracking incident, based on nothing more than his own sense that something bad will happen. Sure enough, Radcoffe's replacement is killed.
- If I Can't Have You…: An unusual, non-romantic example. Radcoffe's career is destroyed in an instant when his voice cracks while singing the solo from Pagliacci. He decides that if he can't sing the part, no one else will be allowed to.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: At the climax The Shadow accuses Radcoffe of rigging up the dynamite to the asbestos curtain. Radcoffe denies it, saying that it was really The Shadow who put all that gunpowder in Box 7 and wired it to the curtain. Then The Shadow nails him.The Shadow: How did you know it was gunpowder? I said it was dynamite!
- Inopportune Voice Cracking: Played for Drama, as Radcoffe the tenor's career is ruined when his voice cracks during Pagliacci. It drives him insane.
- Narrating the Obvious:
- Margo has to tell Lamont what they can both see, that Radcoffe is being led off the stage.
- Despite being alone, Radcoffe conducts a monologue to himself about how he's wiring the gunpowder to the curtain.
- Officer O'Hara: Night Watchman O'Hara, in the person of Mike the night watchman at the opera house, who speaks with a strong Irish accent and sings "The Wearing of the Green" as he makes his way around.
