Shadows: Midnight Is Come

Following the success of The Body Snatcher, Val Lewton has become one of RKO's most valuable and lauded producers.

As well as the many opportunities now being presented to him, Lewton has also embarked upon his first true "A-Picture", a dark tale of madness and cruelty set within the walls of the most notorious asylum in the world.

But as Hollywood itself begins to change, the shadows upon the screen will not be the only ones closing in on Lewton...

With Mark Gatiss

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Shadows: The Resurrection Men

RKO's latest horror movie, 'The Body Snatcher', based upon a dark legacy of crimes from another time, is proving to be Val Lewton's most challenging project yet.

Seemingly determined to have his way, Lewton's boss, Jack Gross has agreed to finally give Lewton and his team an "A-List" budget. But this promise comes with a set of conditions...

It isn't long before Gross's demands are dragging Lewton's possible masterpiece into exploitation territory. With the budget as a bargaining chip, will Lewton be forced to ruin his own reputation in order to get the film made? Or will a solution present itself from the most unlikely of places?

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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CONTENT WARNING BELOW

A significant part of the episode deals with the story of Burke and Hare. This was necessary to the overall story, as the film this episode deals with, 'The Body Snatcher', was based, in part, upon their crimes.

It was important to tell their story honestly, as there has been an unfortunate tendency in recent years to paint Burke and Hare as a pair of somewhat goofy miscreants instead of the abominable creatures they were in reality.

As such, there are certain details that some may find upsetting or disturbing. Burke and Hare murdered many people of all ages. The details of these crimes are more than likely unsuitable for younger ears, and may also cause distress to you, the listener. If you feel that you would like to skip over this section, then it begins at 52:12 and runs through to 1:36:00.

The episode also contains a brief history of the science of anatomy, which is not particularly graphic, but it still might not be something you feel easy listening to. It begins at 29:51, and runs to the end of the Burke and Hare section at 1:36:00

Shadows: The Silent Land

Val Lewton’s salvation has arrived in the form of Universal Horror star, Boris Karloff, a long-time admirer of Lewton’s new brand of horror cinema.

For their first project together, Lewton must draw upon the darkest piece of his childhood; the place where his imagination grew up.

And so begins a journey into the past, and to a place where dreams go to die…

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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Shadows: The Rebellious Ones

Val Lewton's chance to prove himself outside the horror genre has arrived.

If he and his team can turn the nationwide problem of juvenile delinquency into a dramatic hit, then it may mean his graduation from the "B-Division", and his escape from the oppressive executive producer who seems intent on thwarting his creative freedom.

But as the pressure begins to mount, Lewton will find himself facing a new threat; one that may put an end to not just his career, but his life...

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Special thanks to Mark Gatiss and Brook Darnell

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Shadows: The Lost Child

Val Lewton has finally agreed to create a sequel to his biggest hit, 'Cat People'. But rather than produce a conventional continuation, Lewton has decided to delve into his own past, and to tell his most personal story yet, that of a childhood cut short by an over-zealous guardian.

But in doing so, will he repeat the mistakes of his own past?

Aiding him in his quest is a new director, whose meticulous plans for the film may be at odds with his own...

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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Special thanks to researcher Brook Darnell

Shadows: Blood On The Water

It is a time of change at RKO.

Val Lewton's horror movie unit is being widely imitated by Hollywood at large, all hoping to attract the kinds of audiences flocking to Lewton's modern brand of horror. But Lewton himself is facing an insurmountable problem: how to create RKO's first "Monster Rally".

The answer will come from the most unlikely of places: the Lewton family's private collection of letters...

At the same time, RKO boss Charles Koerner is demanding an interim movie, a horror set upon the seas to be called 'The Ghost Ship'. In order to bring it to life, Lewton will have to circumvent the attentions of an uncompromising new supervisor, as well as survive the eccentric excesses of his new technical advisor...

Meanwhile, at the Pasadena Playhouse, two writers have just staged an original play that will have a devastating effect on Lewton's career...

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A very special thanks to the peerless Mark Gatiss, and to Brook Darnell of the Library Of Congress for her tireless research into the private papers of Val Lewton.

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Shadows: The Devil In The Village

Val Lewton's wildly ambitious plan for his fourth film, 'The Seventh Victim', is to create a New York fairytale; a fractured picture of his beloved Greenwich Village distorted by underlying evil and populated by an eclectic assortment of bruised characters.

But in order to find the right story, Lewton will have to send his writer, DeWitt Bodeen, into uncharted, and somewhat Satanic territory...

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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Shadows: The Black Hearted

WARNING: This episode contains stories, descriptions and details that some listeners may find upsetting or disturbing. If you would like further details about the subjects discussed in this episode, please refer to the guide at the bottom of these show notes. These subjects are discussed between and 0:31:10 and 1:19:07. Please proceed carefully.

'The Leopard Man', Val Lewton's third horror film for RKO Studios, is to be an adaptation of Cornell Woolrich's shocking murder mystery novel, Black Alibi. But in Lewton's hands, the project has become an opportunity to not only express his dark creativity, but also to tap into the childhood fears of its director, Jacques Tourneur, and to introduce the serial killer into American cinema.

But Lewton's team has more at stake than a simple movie.

Should the film become a success, then the creative partnership at the helm of their endeavours will be broken apart.

And should that happen, Val Lewton will be forced to make a terrible choice...

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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EPISODE GUIDE: Some of the subjects discussed in this episode include descriptions of crimes carried out by real-life serial killers. This includes assault, murder, violence, child murder and sexual violence. These subjects are discussed between and 0:31:10 and 1:19:07. Please proceed carefully.

Shadows: Song Of The Dead

Following the success of 'Cat People', Val Lewton has been assigned to create a film entitled 'I Walked With A Zombie'. 

RKO's B-movie boss, Lew Ostrow, is insistent that the film should follow the formula being employed by the horror department at Universal Pictures.

But Lewton's plans for the film are far more ambitious...

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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Shadows: The Cat Strikes

Val Lewton has been hired by RKO Studios to oversee the creation of their new horror division. However, the job has come with a set of curious conditions...

Having had the name of his first movie, 'Cat People' decided for him in advance, Lewton must assemble a story that fits the title. But perhaps the solution to the problem lies in an almost forgotten story from Lewton's past.

As well as adhering to RKO's peculiar directives, Lewton must also contend with the demands of his new boss, Lew Ostrow, who is expecting an altogether different type of horror movie...

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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Shadows: The Boy From The Black Sea

Once upon a time, horror cinema was changed forever by the fiercely inventive imagination of a remarkable man...

In Part One of 'Shadows: The Val Lewton Story', hear the curious beginnings of a cinematic legend, whose uniquely terrifying creations were influenced by the dark brand of folklore upon which he was raised...

Featuring Mark Gatiss

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