Title: Aboard the Steamship Amazon
Air date: May 8, 1938
Plot summary: A steamship, the Amazon, is headed to some South American country called "Rikiguana". The captain of the Amazon does not know that there is a group of revolutionaries aboard who are smuggling arms to the rebels in Rikiguana in crates that are labeled as refrigerators. The revolutionaries on the boat include Mrs. Maria Chard, a widow who was exiled from Rikiguana long ago; her henchman and possible lover Dr. Victor Hester, and Randolph "Randy" Chard, Maria's stepson, an affable young rich guy. While Maria and Victor are true-blue fanatics, Randy's only going along with the arms smuggling because it's a grand adventure.
As the ship nears land the revolutionaries get a coded message from an unnamed general. The message reveals that their scheme has been discovered and that they must blow up the Amazon, and kill everyone on it, to prevent the weapons from falling into the hands of the government. When Randy blanches at this he is killed.
Also on board the boat are Lamont Cranston and Margo Lane, who are on a pleasure cruise. Margo knows Randy Chard, and notices that he is distressed. Randy says that he's a coward and that he has a big problem, and soon, he is dead. The ship's captain writes it off as a suicide and isn't inclined to listen to Lamont's suspicions of murder. After the captain has Lamont put in the brig for demanding an investigation, The Shadow springs into action.
Tropes:
- Banana Republic: "Rikiguana", the fictional South American country that has a civil war going.
- The Blade Always Lands Pointy End In: Naturally Mrs. Chard can't just stab her stepson, because that would be boring. No, she has to throw the blade into his chest to kill him.
- Busman's Holiday: Poor Lamont and Margo can't even take a pleasure cruise without having to defeat a gang of rebels.
- The Ghost: The General, who never appears but whose fateful telegram message gets Randy Chard killed.
- Not What I Signed Up For: Randolph Chard is having a wonderful time doing exciting stuff like smuggling guns and artillery to South America. But when he gets the message ordering him to blow up the ship, he refuses.
- Vacation Episode: Lamont and Margo, taking a South American cruise, and suddenly having to solve a murder and stop everyone else on the ship from being murdered.
- Villain Opening Scene: The first scene is Randy bantering with his society pals, then talking with his stepmother and her goons about the arms-smuggling.
- Will They or Won't They?: The radio show never clarified the nature of Lamont and Margo's relationship, but this is not the first time that they were shown taking a vacation together, strongly implying that they're a couple.
