I Led 3 Lives
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox television
I Led 3 Lives (also known as I Led Three Lives) is an American drama series syndicated by Ziv Television Programs from October 1, 1953, to January 1, 1956. The series stars Richard Carlson. The show was a companion piece of sorts to the radio drama I Was a Communist for the FBI, which dealt with a similar subject and was also syndicated by Ziv from 1952 to 1954.
Synopsis
The series was loosely based on the life of Herbert Philbrick, a Boston advertising executive who infiltrated the U.S. Communist Party on behalf of the FBI in the 1940s and wrote a bestselling book on the topic, I Led Three Lives: Citizen, 'Communist', Counterspy (1952). The part of Philbrick was played by Richard Carlson. The "three lives" in the title are Philbrick's outward life as a white-collar worker, his secret life as a Communist agent, and his even more secret life as an FBI operative helping to foil Communist plots.[1] I Led 3 Lives lasted 117 episodes. Philbrick served as a technical consultant,[2]Template:Rp with Carlson narrating each episode.[2]Template:Rp
The episodes often had very little to do with the actual events of Philbrick's life as related in his book—Philbrick is credited with only 5 of the 117 screenplays. Screenplays gradually became more and more outlandish, featuring, for example, such supposed "Communist plots" as the conversion of household vacuum cleaners (1942-1954 Electrolux) into tactical missile launchers with which the Communists intended to destroy America's Nike anti-aircraft defensive missiles, and the manufacturing of untraceable "ghost guns" (unserialized Colt M1911 .45 cal semi-automatics) with which the Communists intended to assassinate their political enemies.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
The FBI reviewed all of the series's scripts.[3] The series was honored by the Freedoms Foundation as the best television program of 1955.[4]
Main cast
- Richard Carlson – Herbert A. Philbrick[5]
- Virginia Stefan – Eva Philbrick[5]
- Patricia Morrow – Constance Philbrick[3]
- Charles Maxwell – Special Agent Joe Carney[3]
- William Hudson – Special Agent Mike Andrews[3]
- John Beradino – Special Agent Steve Daniels[3]
- John Zaremba – Special Agent Jerry Dressler[3]
- Ed Hinton – Special Agent Henderson[3]
Guest stars
- Vivi Janiss as Comrade Elaine in "Gun Running" and Comrade Endora in "Counterfeit"
- Eve McVeagh as Miss Cutler in "Commie Dies"
- Ewing Mitchell as Mr. Collins in "Defense Plant Security"
- Victor Rodman as Comrade Arthur in "Commie Dies"
Episodes
Season 1 (1953–54)
Season 2 (1954–55)
Season 3 (1955–56)
In popular culture
The show was a favorite of Lee Harvey Oswald, according to his brother.[6]
The title of the TV series I Had Three Wives, which aired briefly in 1985, is a pun on the name of the original; it was an otherwise unrelated comedy-drama about a private detective's three ex-wives, who cooperate on cases.
References
<templatestyles src="Reflist/styles.css" />
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b c d e f g Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".
Further reading
- Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
External links
- Template:Trim/ Template:Trim at IMDbTemplate:EditAtWikidataScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:WikidataCheck
- I Led Three Lives: Army Infiltration (S1 E7) at The Internet Archive
- I Led 3 Lives - Pilot via YouTube
- Pages with script errors
- 1950s American drama television series
- 1953 American television series debuts
- 1956 American television series endings
- Black-and-white American television shows
- Cold War espionage
- American English-language television shows
- First-run syndicated television programs in the United States
- Propaganda in the United States
- Television series by Ziv Television Programs