Meet Boston Blackie

Slick-haired, hard-eyed Morris debuts as Boston Blackie, an ex-con who turns to the side of the law after a corpse shows up in his cabin en route by ocean liner to the US from Europe. Of course he is accused and must escape from the cops to gather enough evidence to prove his innocence. He discovers that a giant spy ring is being fronted by an oceanside carnival and, by uncovering it, saves his skin. This became the groundwork for a series of 13 more episodes, each with similar plots.