The Lives of Harry Lime
Based on the character from 1949’s film noir The Third Man and utilizing the film’s theme song, Orson Wells’ hustler character lands himself in trouble each episode, then with cunning, caring, or just luck, walks away alive at the end.
Dark Enchantress
Magda Polaris entertains customers at the Barbary Queen Cafe where she meets Harry Lime. She appears to have taken the daughter of the wealthy Clairmonts under her wing, but young Susan falls into trouble when she wanders through Rue de Madeleine alone. In what Susan thought was Magda’s apartment, a man threatens that if the girl doesn’t come up with $5,000 pounds, he’ll kill her parents. Then he slips her a mickey. But Harry has a plan. All he needs is for Mr. Clairmont to give him the cash and he’ll take care of the blackmailer!
Hand of Glory
Harry follows a woman home to stay at her family’s [mansion] in the country for a rest and some fresh air. He discovers how eccentric Helen’s twin uncles really are when they start talking about a quest to transmute base metals into gold, which they will do when they soon “know everything.” Their supernatural method? A hand of glory. They already have an old tramp in the spare room as the required murdered man, but Tom and Gregory still need a hanged man to charge the object. For no explicable reason, one brother turns against the other while Harry walks away.
In Pursuit of A Ghost
There isn’t really a ghost involved here, just a con-man who ghosted on a deal he made. An American mobster promises to provide South American revolutionaries with weapons, but instead disappears with their million dollars. When Harry lime is fed a tidbit about a revolution, he falls for it hook, line, and sinker, and ends up tasked with tracking down “El Zorro”! He does, but then chaos breaks loose when Harry tries to con the con-man! Gangsters! Rebels! Foreign police! A femme-fatale… and Harry walks away with a hundred thousand lining his jacket.
Voodoo
Harry has two friends on the island of Haiti who can help him grift a wealthy vacationer who loves authentic souvenirs, but the prize Harry has in mind is none other than the Scepter of Henri Christophe! If he is caught trying to steal it from the local community who honors it as a powerful political symbol, he’ll be killed! He didn’t count on his friends Fanci and Grigri getting the short end of the stick, though. Can he save them? Not really. In one of those end narratives that changes the story completely in the last minute, Harry walks away with a handful of cash from the tourist, but has destroyed the lives of his friends who are now ostracized from their home. Dorna, the love interest, disappears with fifteen Grand of Harry’s money.
