I Led 3 Lives — Season 3
ELECTRIFYING Stories of the Men who fight alone against the destroyers of Democracy!
About this season
Herbert Philbrick was a young professional and pacifist in 1939 Boston. He joined an anti-war group and quickly found himself caught up in the secret world of underground communist activity. He agreed to spy on the Communists for the FBI, and spent the next 9 years of his life as a Communist, FBI spy, and Communist counter-spy, since they had asked him to follow other comrades to test their loyalty. Hence the 3 lives; and his family, co-workers, and church never knew. This TV show is based on the TRUE story of how Philbrick (played ably by Richard Carlson) could never relax, but had to sneak to secret cell meetings and meet FBI agents in clandestine places to make info drops, never knowing when he might be found out, and if he would live to see the next rendezvous.
Episodes (19)
1. Housebreaking
Aired 3 April 1955 • 30 min
Philbrick returns from vacation to find his house has been burgled. The comrades have broken in to check for any incriminating evidence linking him to the FBI.
2. Attack Area
Aired 10 April 1955 • 30 min
Comrade Nycheck delivers a mysterious crate to be hidden in Philbrick's garage. It contains ten packs of TNT that the comrades intend to explode around the city.
3. Rendezvous
Aired 17 April 1955 • 30 min
A former Nazi joins the Communist Party and brings with him the black arts of his previous regime.
4. Sacrificed
Aired 24 April 1955 • 30 min
Philbrick's cell decide to make a sacrifice. He must turn himself in to the FBI in order to take the heat off more important party member Colonel Paxton.
5. Eva Sick
Aired 1 May 1955 • 30 min
While collecting secret papers for the party, Philbrick hears that his wife Eva is sick in hospital. Distracted and concerned, he mislays the papers and so must retrace his steps to recover the documents.
6. Project Athlete
Aired 8 May 1955 • 30 min
7. Lawyer
Aired 15 May 1955 • 30 min
Philbrick is asked by his cell to persuade a lawyer friend to defend Comrade Zack who is accused of assaulting a union official.
8. Newsreel
Aired 22 May 1955 • 30 min
Top commie Marvin Tanner has taken over the Aurora Newsreel Company. His plan is to send standard newsreels out to cinemas, but each one will have phony inserts containing anti-American propaganda.
9. Ex G.I.
Aired 29 May 1955 • 30 min
A Russian army friend of Philbrick's from WW2 turns up in America. He is now a top Soviet official who wants to defect, but the comrades think otherwise.
10. Common Denominator
Aired 5 June 1955 • 30 min
Philbrick is tested by a suspicious comrade who creates a false assassination scenario involving a visiting Latin American official.
11. Stolen Passport
Aired 12 June 1955 • 30 min
Canadian commies in Ottawa send one of their comrades to Los Angeles on a phony passport. He is to spy on a guided missile site and Philbrick is assigned to help.
12. Exchange Student
Aired 19 June 1955 • 30 min
In his capacity as committee chairman of the University Club, Philbrick welcomes a group of exchange students from Europe. The comrades, however, have arranged to employ one of the students as secret courier.
13. Prisoner
Aired 26 June 1955 • 30 min
Key commie James Swasey is sent to prison for subversive activities. Fearful that he may divulge party secrets to reduce his sentence, the comrades assign Philbrick to arrange his execution.
14. Instructional Camp
Aired 3 July 1955 • 30 min
Philbrick is assigned to train Soviet propaganda experts.
15. Second Courier
Aired 10 July 1955 • 30 min
Philbrick takes over the courier assignment of a mysterious heavy typewriter case. On the train journey he realizes that it's a napalm bomb that has gone into its countdown.
16. Phony Brother
Aired 17 July 1955 • 30 min
Philbrick accompanies refugees from Eastern Europe, Lottie Carp and her brother Peter, on an anti-Communist lecture tour of America. However, the reds have substituted Peter for a lookalike who plans to set up a spy ring.
17. Trapped
Aired 24 July 1955 • 30 min
Ruthless Comrade Martha from Berlin tells Philbrick to deliver a bag of counterfeit dollars to a secret address. Whilst spying on the money he is locked in a secret room. How will he get out?
18. Mother in Law
Aired 31 July 1955 • 30 min
The party send Philbrick and wife Eva on the midnight train to Davistown, leaving their children at home with Eva's mother. When the mother in law comes across some Communist paperwork, she wonders whether to report her suspicions.
19. Central American Assignment
Aired 7 August 1955 • 30 min
The party send Philbrick to the Central American Republic of Panagua where he will be expected to help Communist guerrillas overthrow the democratic government.