Chain Reaction

a cryptic puzzle by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon

Solution
Eleven of this puzzle's answers are too long for their places in the diagram. These answers can be arranged in an unbroken chain such that the last letter of the first word is the same as the first letter of the second word, and so forth (e.g., CAT-TOP-PIN-NEW). The chain's components can be entered in the diagram once their first and last letters (in the example given, C-T-P-N-W) have been removed to the blanks under the diagram. If written in the order in which they occur in the chain, these letters will identify the chain reactor. Clue answers include five proper nouns.

Across

  • 1.
    Promise hot water (6)
  • 5.
    Rough night described by shaken nun (6)
  • 9.
    European city father finally hosts piano player (6)
  • 10.
    Dancer embracing victory celebrant (7)
  • 12.
    Fake gold found in two thirds of our molars, shockingly (6)
  • 13.
    Call operator and request a little chicken? (9)
  • 14.
    Mustang's rebuilt motor in bucket (9)
  • 17.
    Never-attempted diet run amok (7)
  • 18.
    Guide old lady into road ahead (8)
  • 22.
    Around beginning of Lent, give out cash or opulence (8)
  • 24.
    Ceiling over chicken (5)
  • 28.
    Truck painter's medium-graffiti, perhaps (9)
  • 29.
    Unopened, bound copy (9)
  • 30.
    In Juggernaut, Europeans see film's creator (6)
  • 31.
    Teacher in Siam, after laughter, offers word of praise (7)
  • 32.
    Place in Japan has trouble with a British writer (8)
  • 33.
    Outside lodge, start climb (6)
  • 34.
    Insect let loose in competition (6)

Down

  • 1.
    Seized by police department, clothing is searched (6)
  • 2.
    Hungarian actor learning about movie rating (5)
  • 3.
    One M&M in the mouth is not kosher (7)
  • 4.
    Leadership positions for North Carolina politician (5)
  • 5.
    Dance about wearing spinning hula hoops, making a commotion (10)
  • 6.
    Sweetheart returned feeling stung in a sickening way (11)
  • 7.
    Going back, stir around #9 potion (6)
  • 8.
    Street in poor condition made an outdoor home (6)
  • 11.
    Jug shared by nine werewolves (4)
  • 15.
    Psychedelic singer holding soldier back in opera (two words) (11)
  • 16.
    Exemption from Solidarity for children? (8)
  • 19.
    Rolling die, gets extremely tense (7)
  • 20.
    Chairman gets outside help for idiots (6)
  • 21.
    Platter bearing one pastry (6)
  • 23.
    Many papers hurt by announcement in new edition (6)
  • 25.
    Remove seeds from a kind of bread (4)
  • 26.
    Measure gold in cell the wrong way (5)
  • 27.
    Frequent wild luaus (5)