The Shadow Strikes (1937) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

After Lamont Granston foils a robbery at the attorney's office as The Shadow, the police begin sweeping the scene. To escape unnoticed and avoid revealing his secret identity, Granston is forced to assume Chester Randall's persona. He uses this disguise to slip away from the crime scene undetected.

• lamont cranston
• chester randall
• impersonation
• disguise
• the shadow

Before dying, Caleb Delthern revealed that his niece Marcia would be completely disinherited if she married Warran Berringer. This clause became a central mystery element, as it established a strong motive for those who might want to influence Marcia's marital decisions or control the inheritance.

• marcia delthern
• warran berringer
• inheritance
• will
• disinheritance

Winstead Comstock, the oldest nephew, was the prime suspect because he stood to inherit half of Delthern's vast estate under the original will. The remaining half was to be divided among Marcia and two other nephews, giving Winstead a clear financial motive. He was later cleared when alibis confirmed he was at a theater and a café during the shooting.

• winstead comstock
• arrested
• inheritance motive
• alibi
• nephew

Wellington, the butler, was the actual killer of Caleb Delthern. In his dying moments after shooting Brossett, Wellington confessed that he hoped to divert some of the Delthern money to his son, Warran Berringer, who was supposed to marry Marcia and would have been cut off by the inheritance clause.

• wellington
• butler
• murderer
• warran berringer
• confession

Wellington discovered Granston's address in Marcia's purse and traveled to his residence with the intent to kill him. Wellington's motive was to protect his son Warran Berringer's chances of accessing the Delthern inheritance. By eliminating Granston (who was getting close to solving the case), Wellington hoped to prevent the truth about the murder from being revealed.

• wellington
• butler
• murder attempt
• granston residence
• warran

Warran Berringer was Wellington's son. This family connection was the hidden motive behind much of the intrigue surrounding the Delthern inheritance. Wellington killed Delthern to protect his son's potential inheritance, and later tried to kill Granston to prevent the truth from surfacing.

• wellington
• warran berringer
• father son
• family secret
• inheritance scheme

After Brossett tailed Granston to his home and confronted him, Wellington hid behind a curtain. Both men attempted to shoot Granston simultaneously, but they ended up killing each other instead. Brossett had become convinced that Granston was The Shadow and came to eliminate him, while Wellington was there to kill Granston to protect his son's secrets.

Foreshadowing: The earlier discovery of Granston's address in Marcia's purse set up this deadly confrontation.

• brossett
• wellington
• shootout
• mutual death
• granston residence

Marcia discovered a pistol on Jasper's nightstand and reported it to the authorities. Granston learned from Detective Kelly that the pistol's caliber did not match the weapon used in Delthern's murder. This crucial piece of evidence cleared Jasper as the shooter and directed the investigation elsewhere, though it initially created suspicion around him.

• jasper delthern
• pistol
• caliber
• murder weapon
• evidence

When Captain Breen suspected that Randall was an impostor, Granston had his assistant Hendricks disconnect the phone line while simultaneously convincing Breen to call the secretary back. Granston then answered as if the secretary was still connected, maintaining his cover. Breen was convinced and temporarily withdrew his suspicion.

• captain breen
• phone trick
• impersonation
• hendricks
• disguise

Brossett, a casino owner to whom Jasper owed money, plotted to obtain the Delthern will from the house. Using a listening device, Granston overheard Brossett discussing how to seize the will and pressure Jasper to pay him to retrieve it. The will was valuable because it contained the inheritance clause that could control Marcia's future.

• brossett
• casino
• will
• jasper debt
• inheritance control