Michael Wilmington, writing for the "Chicago Tribune", gave his take on the film: ""The Shadow" shows what can happen when you overdress pulp. You wind up with something gorgeous and suffocated, bejeweled trash floundering in its own over-splendid stuffings." Roger Ebert, writing for the "Chicago Sun-Times" gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, and said: 'If you respond to film noir, if you like dark streets and women with scarlet lips and big fast cars with running boards, the look of this movie will work some kind of magic.'