# I Led 3 Lives

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. I Led 3 Lives lasted 117 episodes. Philbrick served as a technical consultant,$^{:37}$ with Carlson narrating each episode.$^{:86}$
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.
The FBI reviewed all of the series's scripts. The series was honored by the Freedoms Foundation as the best television program of 1955.

## Main cast

* Richard Carlson – Herbert A. Philbrick
* Virginia Stefan – Eva Philbrick
* Patricia Morrow – Constance Philbrick
* Charles Maxwell – Special Agent Joe Carney
* William Hudson – Special Agent Mike Andrews
* John Beradino – Special Agent Steve Daniels
* John Zaremba – Special Agent Jerry Dressler
* Ed Hinton – Special Agent Henderson

### 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)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Secret Call: Part 1" | Eddie Davis | Donn Mullally | October 4, 1953 (1953-10-04) |
| 2 | 2 | "Bess: Part 2" | Eddie Davis | Unknown | October 11, 1953 (1953-10-11) |
| 3 | 3 | "Dope Photographic" | Eddie Davis | Donn Mullally | October 18, 1953 (1953-10-18) |
| 4 | 4 | "Baited Trap" | Lew Landers | Frank Burt | October 25, 1953 (1953-10-25) |
| 5 | 5 | "Railroad Strike Attempt" | Eddie Davis | Gene Levitt | November 1, 1953 (1953-11-01) |
| 6 | 6 | "Campus Story" | Lew Landers | Robert Yale Libott | November 8, 1953 (1953-11-08) |
| 7 | 7 | "Army Infiltration" | Leslie Goodwins | Frank Burt | November 15, 1953 (1953-11-15) |
| 8 | 8 | "The Spy" | Eddie Davis | Donn Mullally | November 22, 1953 (1953-11-22) |
| 9 | 9 | "Jet Engine" | Lew Landers | Stuart Jerome | 1953 (1953) |
| 10 | 10 | "Helping Hand" | Eddie Davis | Gene Levitt | 1953 (1953) |
| 11 | 11 | "Parcels for Poland" | Leslie Goodwins | Frank Burt | 1953 (1953) |
| 12 | 12 | "Captured Congressman" | Eddie Davis | Don Brinkley & Stuart Jerome | 1953 (1953) |
| 13 | 13 | "Purloined Printing Press" | Eddie Davis | Donn Mullally | 1953 (1953) |
| 14 | 14 | "The Wife" | Eddie Davis | Donn Mullally | 1954 (1954) |
| 15 | 15 | "Civil Defense" | Leslie Goodwins | Gene Levitt | 1954 (1954) |
| 16 | 16 | "Communist Cop" | Eugene Forde | Frank Burt | 1954 (1954) |
| 17 | 17 | "Defense Plant Security" | Eddie Davis | Frank Burt | 1954 (1954) |
| 18 | 18 | "Gun Running" | Leslie Goodwins | Gene Levitt | 1954 (1954) |
| 19 | 19 | "Passports" | Herbert Strock | Gene Levitt | 1954 (1954) |
| 20 | 20 | "Map of the City" | Lambert Hillyer | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 21 | 21 | "Caviar" | Lambert Hillyer | Gene Levitt | 1954 (1954) |
| 22 | 22 | "The Kid" | Herbert Strock | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1954 (1954) |
| 23 | 23 | "Youth Movement" | Lambert Hillyer | Donn Mullally | 1954 (1954) |
| 24 | 24 | "Infra Red Film" | Eddie Davis | Stuart Jerome and Curt Siodmak | 1954 (1954) |
| 25 | 25 | "The Editor" | Lewis Allen | Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 26 | 26 | "Confused Comrade" | Leigh Jason | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 27 | 27 | "Communication Disruptions" | Herbert Strock | Maurice Stoller | 1954 (1954) |
| 28 | 28 | "Phantom Labor Leader" | Henry S. Kesler | Robert Libott | 1954 (1954) |
| 29 | 29 | "Progressive" | Leigh Jason | Gene Levitt | 1954 (1954) |
| 30 | 30 | "Old Man" | Herbert Strock | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1954 (1954) |
| 31 | 31 | "Birthday" | Tim Whelan | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 32 | 32 | "Cell Leader" | Herbert Strock | Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 33 | 33 | "Dry Run" | Henry S. Kesler | Arthur E. Orloff | 1954 (1954) |
| 34 | 34 | "Comrade Wants Out" | Herbert Strock | Bob Mitchell | 1954 (1954) |
| 35 | 35 | "Depression" | Lambert Hillyer | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 36 | 36 | "The Boss" | Eddie Davis | Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 37 | 37 | "Love Story" | Leon Benson | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1954 (1954) |
| 38 | 38 | "Unexpected Trip" | Tim Whelan | Tim Whelan | 1954 (1954) |
| 39 | 39 | "Strategic Material" | Herbert Strock | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |

### Season 2 (1954–55)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 40 | 1 | "Counterfeit" | Lew Landers | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 41 | 2 | "Martyr" | Eddie Davis | Donn Mullally | 1954 (1954) |
| 42 | 3 | "Close Factory" | Leigh Jason | Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 43 | 4 | "Relatives" | Eddie Davis | Ellis Marcus | 1954 (1954) |
| 44 | 5 | "Homing Station" | Leon Benson | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1954 (1954) |
| 45 | 6 | "Infiltration" | Lew Landers | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 46 | 7 | "Assassination Plot" | Eddie Davis | Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 47 | 8 | "The Bomb" | Eddie Davis | Frederick Stephani | 1954 (1954) |
| 48 | 9 | "Atomic" | Herbert Strock | Leonard Heideman | 1954 (1954) |
| 49 | 10 | "Day Camp" | Leon Benson | Robert Libott | 1954 (1954) |
| 50 | 11 | "The Guest" | Henry S. Kesler | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1954 (1954) |
| 51 | 12 | "Narcotics" | Henry S. Kesler | Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 52 | 13 | "Fifth Amendment" | Herbert Strock | Donn Mullally | 1954 (1954) |
| 53 | 14 | "Rest Home" | Eddie Davis | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 54 | 15 | "Deportation" | Leon Benson | Robert Libott | 1954 (1954) |
| 55 | 16 | "The Switch" | Henry S. Kesler | Rik Vollaerts | 1954 (1954) |
| 56 | 17 | "Servicemen" | Leon Benson | Leonard Heideman | 1954 (1954) |
| 57 | 18 | "Asylum" | Herbert Strock | Richard G. Taylor | 1954 (1954) |
| 58 | 19 | "Moving" | Leon Benson and Herbert Strock | Arthur Fitz-Richard and Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 59 | 20 | "Minority Control" | Herbert Strock | Jack Rock | 1954 (1954) |
| 60 | 21 | "Camera" | Leon Benson | Ellis Marcus | 1954 (1954) |
| 61 | 22 | "Comic Strip" | Herbert Strock | Stuart Jerome | 1954 (1954) |
| 62 | 23 | "Goon Squad" | Henry S. Kesler | Donn Mullally | 1954 (1954) |
| 63 | 24 | "Mailing List" | Leon Benson | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1954 (1954) |
| 64 | 25 | "Convicts" | Lew Landers | Rik Vollaerts | 1954 (1954) |
| 65 | 26 | "Investments" | Henry S. Kesler | Leonard Heideman | 1954 (1954) |
| 66 | 27 | "The Son" | Herbert Strock | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1955 (1955) |
| 67 | 28 | "Vandalism" | Henry S. Kesler | Jack Rock | 1955 (1955) |
| 68 | 29 | "Revolt" | Henry S. Kesler | Ellis Marcus | 1955 (1955) |
| 69 | 30 | "Brainwashed" | Herbert Strock | Donn Mullally | 1955 (1955) |
| 70 | 31 | "Boss" | Henry S. Kesler | Stuart Jerome | 1955 (1955) |
| 71 | 32 | "Mr. and Mrs. Club" | Lambert Hillyer | Richard G. Taylor | 1955 (1955) |
| 72 | 33 | "Oilfield" | Herbert Strock | Rik Vollaerts | 1955 (1955) |
| 73 | 34 | "Lost Report" | Herbert Strock | Arthur Fitz-Richard | 1955 (1955) |
| 74 | 35 | "Church" | Henry S. Kesler | Jack Rock | 1955 (1955) |
| 75 | 36 | "Commie Dies" | Henry S. Kesler | Ellis Marcus | 1955 (1955) |
| 76 | 37 | "Child Commie" | Henry S. Kesler | Leonard Heideman | 1955 (1955) |
| 77 | 38 | "Comrade Eva" | Herbert Strock | Stuart Jerome | 1955 (1955) |
| 78 | 39 | "Christmas Charity Bracket" | León Benson | Donn Mullally and Baruch J. Cohon | 1955 (1955) |

### Season 3 (1955–56)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 79 | 1 | "Housebreaking" | Henry S. Kesler | Stuart Jerome | 1955 (1955) |
| 80 | 2 | "Attack Area" | Henry S. Kesler | Jack Rock | 1955 (1955) |
| 81 | 3 | "Rendezvous" | Eddie Davis | Ellis Marcus | 1955 (1955) |
| 82 | 4 | "Sacrificed" | Leon Benson | Donn Mullally | 1955 (1955) |
| 83 | 5 | "Eva Sick" | Eddie Davis | Stuart Jerome | 1955 (1955) |
| 84 | 6 | "Project Athlete" | Henry S. Kesler | Leonard Heideman | 1955 (1955) |
| 85 | 7 | "Lawyer" | Jack Herzberg | Ellis Marcus | 1955 (1955) |
| 86 | 8 | "Newsreel" | Henry S. Kesler | Rik Vollaerts | 1955 (1955) |
| 87 | 9 | "Ex G.I." | Jack Herzberg | Stuart Jerome | 1955 (1955) |
| 88 | 10 | "Common Denominator" | Lambert Hillyer | Donn Mullally | 1955 (1955) |
| 89 | 11 | "Stolen Passport" | Eddie Davis | Leonard Heideman | 1955 (1955) |
| 90 | 12 | "Exchange Student" | Leslie Goodwins | Jack Rock | 1955 (1955) |
| 91 | 13 | "Prisoner" | Lambert Hillyer | Rik Vollaerts | 1955 (1955) |
| 92 | 14 | "Instruction Camp" | Herbert Strock | Herbert Strock | 1955 (1955) |
| 93 | 15 | "Second Courier" | Herbert Strock | Stuart Jerome | 1955 (1955) |
| 94 | 16 | "Phony Brother" | Herbert Strock | Leonard Berg | 1955 (1955) |
| 95 | 17 | "Trapped" | Jack Herzberg | Ellis Marcus | 1955 (1955) |
| 96 | 18 | "Mother-in-Law" | Henry S. Kesler | Leonard Heideman | 1955 (1955) |
| 97 | 19 | "Central American Assignment" | Henry S. Kesler | Ellis Marcus | 1955 (1955) |

## In popular culture

The show was a favorite of Lee Harvey Oswald, according to his brother.
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.