That was the shot that killed Harry Lime. He died in a sewer beneath Vienna, as those of you know who saw the movie The Third Man. Yes, that was the end of Harry Lime. But it was not the beginning. Harry Lime had many lives. And I can recount all of them. How do I know? Very simple. Because my name is Harry Lime.
This BBC produced series was a radio spinoff of the movie of the same name. The stories concerned the adventures of the anti-heroic Harry Lime from before the events that led to his getting gunned down in the sewers of Vienna. His travels took him to all parts of the globe (though he concentrated his activities in Europe), where he would encounter and be at odds with persons whose moral character was even more questionable than his own, and he didn't necessarily always come out on top. The show was broadcast in Britain in 1951 and was syndicated in the States in 1952 and featured Orson Welles reprising his role as Harry Lime.
5000 Pengoes and a Kiss
While performing human smuggling in post-war Hungary, Lime is approached by an actress who wishes him to provide such services for her.
A Night in a Harem
Lime gets word of an obscure Middle East kingdom where some rich oil deposits have been reported and looks into getting a piece of the action.
An Old Moorish Custom
While in Algiers, Lime is in a race against some local gangsters in finding the location of an old Barbary pirate treasure trove.
Note: The basic plot was also used on Hopalong Cassidy under the similar title An Old Spanish Custom.
Art is Long and Lime is Fleeting
Lime is in Paris scamming a pair of rich Brazilian women into buying a fake Renoir when a former partner who has been nursing a grudge against him arrives to cause him grief.
Blackmail is a Nasty Word
Lime comes across a dying crook in Marseilles who gives him a name to tell to a particular official in the post-War French government. Doing so makes the official very cooperative, though Lime hasn't a clue as to why.
Blue Bride
While in Bordeaux, Lime sets up an operation of distributing counterfeit 5000 franc notes.
The Blue Caribou
While in Italy, Lime is hired by a woman to recover a piece of antique pottery which was stolen from her and gets entangled in the doings of a retired Mafia boss.
The Bohemian Star
While in London, Lime’s interest in the Crown Jewels of a deposed monarch from the Balkans gets him mixed up with a pair of jewel thieves who aren’t in a sharing mood.
Cher Chez La Gem
While on a Pacific cruise, Lime gets word of a robber tracking down his partner who fled to Honolulu with a fortune of gems that are still hot.
Clay Pigeon
A state governor up for re-election hires Lime to recover the negatives of some highly scandalous photographs.
The Dark Enchantress
Lime is in Algiers where he notices the curious goings on of the teenage daughter of a rich American which he figures can be turned to his profit.
The Dead Candidate
Lime arrives at a South American banana republic to advance the interests of a soda company where, due to some curious rumormongering, the local tinpot dictator believes that he’s a personal envoy of the U.S. President.
The Double Doublecross
Lime joins up in a money smuggling operation and falls victim to the temperamental natures of his partners.
The Earl on Troubled Waters
While in London, Lime takes up a bet with a crook who thinks that his legendary scamming abilities are exaggerated on whether or not he can convince an American couple that he’s a British lord.
The Elusive Vermeer
Lime is contacted by a British burglar who wishes him to fence for him a Vermeer which he’s planning to steal from a lord’s country house.
Every Frame Has a Silver Lining
Lime has managed to swipe a packet of opium and is looking for some suckers he can use to smuggle the stuff into the States.
Faith, Lime, and Charity
While in India, Limes comes up with a scam where he skims off some money which he’s collecting for the rebuilding of an orphanage.
Fool's Gold
Lime heads to Kuwait posing as an archaeologist to hijack a shipment of smuggled gold and finds his assumed identity to be more of a hassle than a help.
The Golden Fleece
Lime presents forged credentials to get the position of ship’s captain on a yacht heading to China and learns it’s smuggling a most interesting cargo.
Greek Meets Greek
While in Greece, Lime is hassled by a young woman claiming that someone is trying to kill her, but her story has all sorts of absurd trappings. Final episode.
The Hand of Glory
After having participated in some shenanigans in Paris, Lime hides out in a sleepy English village only to get entangled in the arcane pursuits of two old men.
The Hard Way
Lime and a partner are finding that the police of Europe have become more vigilant, so they decide to actually start a legitimate business as a chartered flight airline using an old smuggling plane. But he finds that his reputation isn't that easy to cast off.
Harry Lime Joins the Circus
Lime is working in a traveling circus in post-War Europe when he learns by chance that one of the clowns had formerly been near the top of the hierarchy of the Third Reich.
Honeymoon
Horse Play
While in Paris, Lime cooks up an elaborate scam where he convinces a wealthy American that he’s a member of a syndicate which fixes horse races.
Hyacinth Patrol
While in Panama, Lime inadvertently gets mixed up with the shenanigans of a corrupt lieutenant in the military detachment assigned to the Canal.
In Pursuit of a Ghost
While in Central America, Lime gets mixed up with a band of revolutionaries who think he’s an associate of the American gangster who had been managing their finances before he had made off with most of their funds.
It's a Knockout
While in Havana, Lime concocts a scheme to fleece a vacationing businessman by setting up a phony gambling ring that's centers around a fictional boxer of star potential.
It's in the Bag
While riding on the Orient Express, Lime improvises a scam to relieve the Greek black marketeer sitting next to him of the large amount of cash he’s carrying.
Love Affair
While in Saudi Arabia cutting an oil deal for a government, Lime is approached by the representative of a rival government to do the same for them instead.
Man of Mystery
Lime is hired by a wealthy businessman about whom little is known publicly who claims that he suffered from amnesia several years back and wants Lime to find out as much as he can about his past life.
Note: Welles would later use this plot for the movie Mr. Arkadin.
Mexican Hat Trick
Lime learns of the existence of some affidavits which would prove the innocence of a man who was framed for murder and attempts to locate them so he can extort some cash from the man’s family in exchange.
Murder on the Riviera
While smuggling cigarettes into France, Lime comes across what appears to be a woman doing an inept job of covering up a murder and decides to help her out.
Operation Music Box
While in London, Lime’s attention is caught by a woman who is buying music boxes that were purchased on a certain date and smashing them.
The Painted Smile
Lime is in Sicily where he meets a clown acquaintance with underworld dealings who gets a shock when his daughter who is unaware of either of his professions runs away from the exclusive private school she attends to meet him.
Paris is Not the Same
Pearls of Bohemia
While in Italy, Lime answers a curious ad for a multi-lingual agent which turns out to involve smuggling pearls into Egypt.
Pleasure Before Business
While in Venice, Lime’s attempt to weasel out the safe combination of a naïve Italian count has hit a snag due to the count’s suspicious hired goon. He then comes across an old acquaintance who he convinces to use her feminine wiles on the count to see if she has better luck.
The Professor Regrets
Lime meets an old acquaintance who tells him of a physicist hired by the American government she’s gotten friendly with whom she has seen dealing with a Russian agent.
Rogue's Holiday
While on an Atlantic cruise, Lime comes across a prime opportunity to scam a British lady and her mysterious companion out of a string of pearls.
See Naples and Live
Lime attempts to steal an emerald locket from an elderly socialite while being harried by a disgruntled former associate.
Suzie's Cue
Lime teams up with an impoverished countess to steal a diamond necklace that had belonged to Marie Antoinette.
The Third Woman
Lime is sent by the Allies to find out what has happened to a spy who was suppose to obtain information on a German rocket factory and has failed to do so.
Three Farthings for Your Thoughts
While in Liverpool, Lime’s curiosity is piqued when a woman robs everyone in a pub at gunpoint but only takes their farthings.
Ticket to Tangiers
A nearly broke Lime spots a newspaper ad specifically addressed to him directing him to go to Tangiers for an unspecified purpose.
Too Many Crooks
While in Budapest, Lime gets mixed up with a bank robbery attempt where each member of the gang tries to out-doublecross each other. Premiere episode.
Turnabout is Foul Play
While in Bern, Lime sets up a German businessman wishing to rebuild his pre-war fortunes by baiting him with some phony U.N. plans for the industrialization of Western Europe.
Two is Company
While in Sicily, Lime works out a plan to reunite a woman with her grocery chain executive lover who she’s come to consider to be insufficiently romantic that will allow him to extort a considerable profit.
Violets, Sweet Violets
Lime arrives in Nazi occupied Marseilles and proceeds to make contact with the head of the local black market so that he can get a piece of the action.
Vive le Chance
While in Paris, Lime is contacted by a couple of local lowlifes for his assistance in scamming an American tourist out of a million francs.
Voodoo
While in Haiti, Lime sells a local religious artifact to an American industrialist, not fully realizing the consequences of his action.
Work of Art
While in Buenos Aires, Lime is hired to assist in the theft of a Reuben currently in the possession of a German expatriate of dodgy political associations.