Lew Landers
Director
I Led 3 Lives (1953)
Season 2
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.
Released Oct. 1, 1953
Episode 42 min
None+
Country: United States
Languages:
English
S2E1 - Counterfeit
July 4, 1954, midnight
S2E2 - Relatives
Comrade Mike asks Philbrick to take over the party fund raising. Main plan involves persuading people to pay big money to have their relatives rescued from East Germany. In reality the relatives have already been killed by the Communists.
July 11, 1954, midnight
S2E3 - Close Factory
The comrades ask Philbrick to help them destroy a ceramics factory belonging to his clients. The factory owners are also campaigning in Europe for freedom from Communism.
July 18, 1954, midnight
S2E4 - Martyr
July 25, 1954, midnight
S2E5 - Homing Station
Comrade Quentin, an old friend of Philbrick's, is now working as electronics engineer for the party. The reds plan to install a series of radio homing stations which will enable radio-controlled missiles to hit the United States.
Aug. 1, 1954, midnight
S2E6 - Infiltration
Comrade Mitchell is gearing up for Project F10, a major plot to burn down chemical plants. But first he tells Philbrick there must be a thorough purge to eliminate FBI infiltrators.
Aug. 8, 1954, midnight
S2E7 - Assassination Plot
Congressman Tom Leahy is delivering a series of radio broadcasts denouncing Communism. Comrade Taylor decides to assassinate him.
Aug. 15, 1954, midnight
S2E8 - The Bomb
Ex-commie Professor Marlowe is to testify at the Washington hearings. The comrades send Philbrick on the same plane to Washington, but his brief case seems to contain a time bomb.
Aug. 22, 1954, midnight
S2E9 - Atomic
The reds are anxious to delay American testing of nuclear weapons. Farmer comrade Roy Owens plans to spread a major rumor among the US farming communities that fall out will poison the land, (with a little help from the Communists).
Aug. 29, 1954, midnight
S2E10 - Day Camp
Comrade Hilda urges Philbrick to enroll his daughters and her school friends at the Poconino day camp where American kids are brainwashed into rejecting the ways of capitalism.
Sept. 5, 1954, midnight
S2E11 - The Guest
Important commie Joe Macklin fails to appear before an anti-Communist committee and goes on the run. The Philbricks are asked to hide him at their home until he can flee the country.
Sept. 12, 1954, midnight
S2E12 - Narcotics
To corrupt the minds of American youngsters, the reds are importing new opium derivatives that are both cheap and effective. Philbrick is horrified to be asked to handle the marketing.
Sept. 19, 1954, midnight
S2E13 - Fifth Amendment
Philbrick's friend and ex-commie Clay Jennings receives a subpoena from the Un-American Activities Committee. Should he name names, or take the Fifth Amendment?
Sept. 26, 1954, midnight
S2E14 - Rest Home
The comrades book Philbrick into a rest home for tired businessmen who are being drugged into revealing company secrets.
Oct. 3, 1954, midnight
S2E15 - Deportation
Elena Moretz, a pretty diplomat from an Iron Curtain country, is being deported from the US. The comrades suspect she is a double agent and ask Philbrick to follow her.
Oct. 10, 1954, midnight
S2E16 - The Switch
Comrade Burt, leader of Philbrick's cell, offers to work for the FBI as counter spy. How can Philbrick tip off the bureau that this is a Communist trick?
Oct. 17, 1954, midnight
S2E17 - Servicemen
Comrade Myra Houk creates an organization called Sweethearts for Servicemen. Pretty girl commies are assigned to befriend US military personnel to collect useful information.
Oct. 24, 1954, midnight
S2E18 - Asylum
Beautiful young Comrade Margaret instructs Philbrick to deliver a wristwatch camera to a Communist agent who is posing as an asylum seeker at a top secret establishment.
Oct. 31, 1954, midnight
S2E19 - Moving
Comrade Norma Baker orders Philbrick and his family to move house to Rexford, a suburb where the party hope he can recruit new members from young, middle-class couples.
Nov. 7, 1954, midnight
S2E20 - Minority Control
Comrade Ferrell comes up with a scheme to infiltrate the Tax Payers Alliance, a respected society of American land owners. The plan is for Philbrick to rig the TPA ballot box so that on election day the minority Communist members will win.
Nov. 14, 1954, midnight
S2E21 - Camera
Philbrick manages to film the proceedings at a Communist party meeting. From the developed film the FBI spot a major person of interest.
Nov. 21, 1954, midnight
S2E22 - Comic Strip
Comrade Nyby, a comic strip artist doing propaganda work for the party, tries to resign. But the comrades have other ideas.
Nov. 28, 1954, midnight
S2E23 - Goon Squad
Members of Philbrick's Communist cell are being attacked by a mysterious masked gang. Could they be the party's own storm troopers trying to enhance public sympathy for the cause?
Dec. 5, 1954, midnight
S2E24 - Mailing List
Comrade Jack Blake plans to infiltrate the labor union of the Brotherhood of Aviation Craftsmen. By coincidence the offices of the BAC are in the same block as Philbrick's. Can he steal their mailing list?
Dec. 12, 1954, midnight
S2E25 - Convicts
The reds try to recruit ex-convicts into the party. Philbrick must tip off the FBI which senior comrade is in charge of the plan.
Dec. 19, 1954, midnight
S2E26 - Investments
Communist speculator Robert Faulk devises a scheme to manipulate the US stock market to boost party funds.
Dec. 26, 1954, midnight
S2E27 - The Son
Pretty young Comrade Lona Nedrick starts a phony romance with Bill Hoffman, son of Dr Heinz Hoffman who is developing jet engines for the military.
Jan. 2, 1955, midnight
S2E28 - Vandalism
Local hooligans are committing acts of vandalism. The comrades ask Philbrick to publish an article blaming capitalism, although in reality the vandals are being sent in by commie agitators.
Jan. 9, 1955, midnight
S2E29 - Revolt
Regional leader Comrade John asks Philbrick to go undercover to investigate a local cell leader who is suspected of plotting an internal revolt. The three lives that Philbrick was leading have now become four.
Jan. 16, 1955, midnight
S2E30 - Brainwashed
James Hillary, a friend of Philbrick's from the Press and Advertising Club, has just returned from two years in prison behind the Iron Curtain. The reds have attempted to brainwash him into preaching the virtues of Communism.
Jan. 23, 1955, midnight
S2E31 - Boss #2
Cell boss Comrade Mitch sends Philbrick on a train ride to Woodland City where a vital government project must be sabotaged.
Jan. 30, 1955, midnight
S2E32 - Mr. and Mrs. Club
Philbrick's neighborhood charity arrange for a couple of displaced persons to come over from Europe. But his local Communist cell tell him to substitute the refugees for two Soviet saboteurs.
Feb. 6, 1955, midnight
S2E33 - Oilfield
Influential comrade Gregory Collins arranges for Philbrick to win a lucrative recruitment contract with the Green Diamond Oil Company. He will engage only party employees and eventually the Communists will isolate the world oil supply.
Feb. 13, 1955, midnight
S2E34 - Lost Report
Philbrick types a report for the FBI, but carelessly lets a neighborhood kid make it into a paper airplane. Where did it fly to?
Feb. 20, 1955, midnight
S2E35 - Church
A number of undercover comrades are instructed to join their local church. The plan is to convert the faithful from their religious beliefs to the better Communist doctrine.
Feb. 27, 1955, midnight
S2E36 - Commie Dies
Comrade Arthur is gravely ill. Philbrick is asked to take over the dying commie's fraudulent fund raising.
March 6, 1955, midnight
S2E37 - Child Commie
A 12 year old girl (Isa Ashdown), who has been brainwashed by her communist father, infiltrates Philbrick's home and attempts to discredit him as a traitor to the communist party.
March 13, 1955, midnight
S2E38 - Comrade Eva
Philbrick's wife and fellow counterspy Eva is called in by their cell comrades for a key propaganda mission.
March 20, 1955, midnight
S2E39 - Christmas Charity Bracket
The Communists do not believe in Christmas, but Comrade Irene Clark organizes a Christmas charity racket that will raise a hundred thousand dollars. Naturally, all the money will go to the party.
March 27, 1955, midnight
Episode Runtime: 42 min.
Season Runtime: 30 min.
Released: Oct. 1, 1953
Last Air Date: Aug. 7, 1955, midnight
Status: Returning Series
Certification: NR
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