Recommended 10 stars. Much credit goes to veteran director Joseph Pevney for handling this outstanding episode, one all of us kids loved growing up watching. As I have written earlier, the first season of M. I. truly laid the groundwork for what was to come, and what ingenious fun it all was. Pevney, to his credit, stands as one of the long time directors of STAR TREK and also a very good film director. He was married to child actress Mitzi Green.
Hang tight for some thrills. As the last reviewer noted, and I totally agree, this episode gets into the 60s drug culture, but very cleverly. It's all about a rare microchip that's hidden in a stash of sugarcubes --laced with LSD? This is over the top stuff. Francis Lederer portrays Senko, perhaps one of the most creepiest of villains to appear on the series. This guy is sadistic, and the one the team has to bring down ASAP.
Lederer began his long career in Germany before coming to Hollywood in the 30s. He specialized in a variety of roles, but came off best as villains.
Memorable as Count Dracula in the RETURN OF DRACULA (1957), and you can see a bit of that evil character in this episode. Watch that film if you have a chance as he comes off as a modern-day Bela Lugosi.
This classic episode has some of the best MISSION IMPOSSIBLE tricks of the trade. Rollin sits in a strait jacket in a padded cell, of course at the mercy and glee of Senko, but ingeniously escapes (and returns) to switch drug injections in the next room! He is armed with one of those miraculous M. I. tools that can widen the jail cell bars. Watch this fabulous scene, also for the way he gets out and back in the jacket. Excellent direction on the part of Joe Pevney.
Greg Morris and Peter Lupus are also working, cutting through a brick wall, which is always fun to watch, but --yes -- you can see the real fake bricks!
Similar stuff I spotted at times on MANNIX, also shot at Paramount. Top honors going to the scene where another one of those incredible rubber masks is applied and Senko (now unconscious) is in deep trouble, without giving too much away.
Those miticulously made fake masks were always a highlight, and the detailed application of the fakeup makeup. What a trip, especially for all of us amateur artists.
All in all, a gem of an episode, especially acting, and a very original script. You'll also notice Briggs (Steven Hill) has another smaller part (he's supposedly in disguise), again due to religious beliefs that would not allow him to work after sunset. I think by this stage in the series, his days were numbered, and it's a shame because Hill was an excellent actor and missed when replaced by Peter Graves.
Francis Lederer, interestingly, around this time began teaching acting (could you imagine being in one of his classes), and made real estate history as he originally owned large chunks of land in the San Fernando Valley, including what is now Canoga Park, California, later sold to make way for homes, apartments and office buildings.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 26 remastered dvd box set Paramount.
Hang tight for some thrills. As the last reviewer noted, and I totally agree, this episode gets into the 60s drug culture, but very cleverly. It's all about a rare microchip that's hidden in a stash of sugarcubes --laced with LSD? This is over the top stuff. Francis Lederer portrays Senko, perhaps one of the most creepiest of villains to appear on the series. This guy is sadistic, and the one the team has to bring down ASAP.
Lederer began his long career in Germany before coming to Hollywood in the 30s. He specialized in a variety of roles, but came off best as villains.
Memorable as Count Dracula in the RETURN OF DRACULA (1957), and you can see a bit of that evil character in this episode. Watch that film if you have a chance as he comes off as a modern-day Bela Lugosi.
This classic episode has some of the best MISSION IMPOSSIBLE tricks of the trade. Rollin sits in a strait jacket in a padded cell, of course at the mercy and glee of Senko, but ingeniously escapes (and returns) to switch drug injections in the next room! He is armed with one of those miraculous M. I. tools that can widen the jail cell bars. Watch this fabulous scene, also for the way he gets out and back in the jacket. Excellent direction on the part of Joe Pevney.
Greg Morris and Peter Lupus are also working, cutting through a brick wall, which is always fun to watch, but --yes -- you can see the real fake bricks!
Similar stuff I spotted at times on MANNIX, also shot at Paramount. Top honors going to the scene where another one of those incredible rubber masks is applied and Senko (now unconscious) is in deep trouble, without giving too much away.
Those miticulously made fake masks were always a highlight, and the detailed application of the fakeup makeup. What a trip, especially for all of us amateur artists.
All in all, a gem of an episode, especially acting, and a very original script. You'll also notice Briggs (Steven Hill) has another smaller part (he's supposedly in disguise), again due to religious beliefs that would not allow him to work after sunset. I think by this stage in the series, his days were numbered, and it's a shame because Hill was an excellent actor and missed when replaced by Peter Graves.
Francis Lederer, interestingly, around this time began teaching acting (could you imagine being in one of his classes), and made real estate history as he originally owned large chunks of land in the San Fernando Valley, including what is now Canoga Park, California, later sold to make way for homes, apartments and office buildings.
SEASON 1 EPISODE 26 remastered dvd box set Paramount.