LHO, I LED THREE LIVES

[Dealey Joe]

There is something that bugs me about the contoversy sorrounding LHO and the TV program back in the early 50'sIt agravates me, not being a good researcher when I can't find what I am looking for. Maybe you can help?We got our first TV in 1950-51, I was 10 years old at the time.TV prograaming was much different back then amd information on some showes hard to find today.It is hard for me to explain how everyone felt about having the Theater, Radio, newspaper all in one box in your home.When our family got it's first TV, they were called Televisions then, I only knew of two other families that had one.We had one station to watch, a station founded by Sarkes Tarzian, one of the pioneers on the development of the FM Radio receiver and later the semi-conductot known as a transistor, located in Bloomington, Indiana.TV programming in the early days were scarce and many old radio shows were being converted to TV shows.Now getting to my question.I remember a show that was a forerunner of "I Led Three Lives" but cant remember much about it as it wasprobably only one season long and had a little different name like "I was a spy for the FBI" most liikely designed on the 1951 movie "I Was A Communist for the FBI""I had to sell out my own girl--so would you! I was under the toughest orders a guy could get! I stood by and watched my brother slugged...I started a riot that ran red with terror...I learned every dirty rule in their book--and had to use them--because I was a communist--but I WAS A COMMUNIST FOR THE FBI." "Starring Frank Lovejoy, with Dorothy Hart, Philip Cary, Gordon Douglas, Bryan Foy. Screen Play by Crane Wilbur. Based on the experiences of Matt Cvetic, as told to Pete Martin. And published in the Saturday Evening Post." "It's all here! Every breathless moment of the FBI's most relentless counter-attack!" All the world may be a stage, but for Matt Cvetic and Herb Philbrick, real-life volunteer undercover agents for Hoover's FBI throughout most of the forties, the courtroom was the venue that catapulted them into the glamorous world of show giz. Cvetic had infiltrated the CP in Pittsburgh, while Philbrick had used his uncanny intellgience to penetrate Red cells in Boston. When the two of them testified independently in 1949, helping to convict several top Party members of conspiracy to overthrow the U.S. government [under the Smith Act], their fortunes were as good as made. (During this period, a popular TV series called "I Led Three Lives" portrayed Philbrick's exploits.) Cvetic, a hard-drinking lout who reportedly once thrashed his sister-in-law badly enough to hospitalize her, sold his first-person account to The Saturday Evening Post, which serialized his heroics as "I Posed as a Communist for the FBI" (written with the help of Pete Martin). A radio series followed. Then, in 1951, Warner Brothers released the film version, with Frank Lovejoy portraying the man who (it is suggested) singlehandedly brought the Communist Party to its knees. Pittsburgh celebrated the film's April premiere with a "Matthew Cvetic Day," complete with parade. Incredibly, I Was a Communist for the FBI was nominated for an Academy Award as the best documentary of the year. This TV show would have been in 1951-1953 probably made from a radio show, when it was blended into "I Led Three Lives" and very quickly no one remembers the original show, and I cannot find a record of it.My point here is that LHO and most other boys were mesmerized by this program that delt with the dredded Communist threat.and was for sure watching it in '51, '52 and part of '53 mosy were probably reruns with new show scattered in. by 1953 we were watching wonderful things like the Election of Dwight Eisenhour and "the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth"We even was able by direct telecast to view the indiana University Basketball home games. Bob I think the coach was Branch McCraken. And myself being tall well remember the Center " Don Schlunt"My pointis that i have heard the LHO could not have been watching "I Led Three Lives"Wile being factually correct is in actual fact wrong.Some of you researchers help me?It's not paranoia when you know they really are out to get you., 15 March 2005Author: Phillip Schearer from Devon, PAIn my childhood Richard Carlson was perhaps my favorite actor because of his many appearances in '50s sci-fi movies (Magnetic Monster, It Came from Outer Space, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc.). In these and similar movies he consistently portrayed a model of calm, intelligent, thoughtful bravery in the face of strange new dangers, and he continued in this vein in the TV series "I Led Three Lives".As a child I had no reason to disbelieve the show's portrayals of subversive Communist activities in the United States. Later I read Herbert Philbrick's book that served as the source of the name and background for the series, and it too had the ring of truth.Yet as other comments here about this show reveal, the idea that America was the target of conspiracy and espionage is derided as paranoid. The investigations of the House Un-American Activities Committee are described as a witch hunt, on the implicit premise that since there are no witches, there must not have been Communists either. We still hear laments for the Hollywood writers, directors, etc., who found it difficult to find work after being blacklisted for refusing to admit to their membership in the Communist Party.Well, folks, the cat is out of the bag. As if the world was not already full of enough evidence of the evil of Communism, the fall of the Soviet Union led to the opening of the KGB archives in Moscow to researchers, and guess what... At the direction of the Soviet Union, there were Communist agents and sympathizers in the US Army, the Manhattan Project, the State Department, many labor unions, and other strategic targets. The archives show that the Communist Party USA received millions of dollars each year from the Soviet Union for purposes of undermining America, with Hollywood being specifically targeted for infiltration.In that atmosphere I think it is remarkable that "I Led Three Lives" ever got produced. I whole-heartedly hope that this show does get re-released. However much it may have been dramatized, "I Led Three Lives" shows how America was in fact endangered by its enemies, foreign and domestic.

[Michael Dell]

Joe, according to IMDB, "I Led Three Lives" (also called "I Led 3 Lives") ran from 1953-1956. And it looks like there were 39 episodes per season, so 117 total... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045397/

[Michael Dell]

Joe, I just found an old message board discussion about the show. And one of the fellas was saying that a book called "I Led 3 Lives" by Martin Grams details a complete history of the show. Here's a link to the book...http://www.amazon.com/Led-Lives-Jr-Mart ... 3930925But in the course of the forum discussion (http://www.hometheaterforum.com/forum/t ... s-in-color), the following post is made...I have received the book about IL3L and there is no information about which episodes were shot in color. There is a chapter about all the misinformation and inaccuracies that has spread about this series. Much of the 'trivia' told about this series is completely in error. The Wikipedia entry is full of errors.For example, the myth that the FBI and J. Edgar Hoover approved each episode is wrong. Only the very first episode, the pilot, had approval by the FBI (in the form of a letter) on how the FBI agents were protrayed. ZIV received a letter Ok-ing the protrayl of the FBI agents and this was the ONLY contact EVER between the FBI and ZIV regarding the series.Also, Wikipedia states that Herbert Philbrick narrated each episode. This is untrue, each episode was narrated by the series lead, Richard Carlson. There are other Wikipedia errors as well. Apparently the person who posted the Wikipedia non-facts never even saw the series since viewing one episode would prove that the series was narrated by Carlson.One of the most infamous "facts" about the series was that it was Lee Harvey Oswald's favorite TV show. This statement makes no sense in light of the facts. Oswald's brother stated that Oswald watched the TV show before his brother entered the Marine Corps. But his brother entered the Corps in 1952 and the first episode of IL3L was not aired until October 1953. Adding to this is the fact that IL3L did not go into immediate reruns when it left prime time in 1956. It was rerun back in the 1960's, too late for Oswald to see it "as a boy".I have also read online that Oswald's brother did not visit home during his military service and the series was off the air by the time he was discharged.From what Martin Grams says about the series, it may be possible that Oswald's brother has the series confused with another spy show of the era. Grams recounts several incidents where strangers have talked to him about remembering the series and it turns out they were describing another series, such as the radio show "I Was A Communist For The FBI".It has been so many years since the series has been broadcast on TV, and so few people have seen it that makes it very easy for rumors and wildly inaccurate "facts" to be told and retold about the series. So from that next-to-last-paragraph, it sounds like the book may be able to identify that mystery show you're trying to remember. Have you ever read the Grams book?

[Dealey Joe]

I am looking for a spy show that was on tv before I Led Three Lives.It would be the one LHO was watching prior to 1953

[Michael Dell]

And I just found this page with some interesting info on the series...http://www.jfredmacdonald.com/trm/111spytv.htmIt also lists a bunch of 1950s spy shows. Maybe one of them is the show you're trying to remember. Any sound familiar? Passport to Danger (1951-52) Dangerous Assignment (1951-52) Foreign Intrigue (1951-55) Biff Baker, U.S.A. (1952-53) The Hunter (1952-54) China Smith (1952-55) Pentagon, U.S.A. (1953) I Led 3 Lives (1954-55) Adventures of the Falcon. (1954-55) Secret File, U.S.A. (1954-55) The Man Called X (1955-56) I Spy (1955-56) Crusader (1955-56) O.S.S. (1955-56) David Harding, Counterspy (1958) The Invisible Man (1958-59) Behind Closed Doors (1958-59) Counterthrust (1959-60)

[Michael Dell]

Joe, one more possibility. A guy named Wes Britton wrote a book called "Spy Television," chronicling the history of spy TV shows. Here's the web site... http://www.spywise.net/aboutspy.htmlAnd you can email Mr. Britton directly at spywise@verizon.net.I'm guessing if anyone can help you, he's the guy...

[Dealey Joe]

Passport to Danger (1951-52) can't remember who was in this?Dangerous Assignment (1951-52) I think Brian Donlevy stared in this one.I watched these programs too

[Michael Dell]

Dealey Joe wrote:Passport to Danger (1951-52) can't remember who was in this?Dangerous Assignment (1951-52) I think Brian Donlevy stared in this one.Cesar Romero was in "Passport to Danger."

[kenmurray]

Joe, I'm beginning to think you have led three lives:Joe FridayJoe MannixJoe Cartwright

[Dealey Joe]

Sometimes I think it is more than 3