I Led 3 Lives

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, with Carlson narrating each episode. ==Main cast==

• Richard Carlson – Herbert A. Philbrick • Virginia Stefan – Eva Philbrick • Charles Maxwell – Special Agent Joe Carey • 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) Season 2 (1954–55) Season 3 (1955–56) ==In popular culture==

According to his brother, the show was a favorite of Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. 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==