Reviews (2)

this episode
This video has two episodes that are highly ranked of my favorite episodes. The seal is my second favorite. BUY THIS DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tense, as usual
Of the two episodes in this video, the best is The Seal. It is always great to watch the IMF in action. In The Seal, an ancient and sacred seal has been stolen from an obscure country and in the interest of obtaining their favor in the Cold War, it is the team's duty to return the seal.

While this is an earlier episode, you can tell the show was hitting its stride. All the elements are there: timed sequences, the fake accents, a magician, hiding in equipment to gain entrances, fake ids and what is always best - watching the team psych out their prey.

I do not recall having seen this episode and I was surprisingly tense watching this show...there is so much going on and you know there is always the unexpected surprise. This show had everything including a trained cat! Don't miss it. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Noteworthy Entry for the Mission: Impossible Collector
THE CONTROLLERS is the first entry in Mission: Impossible's fourth season and features a semi-plausible plot and a somewhat larger cast than the previous seasons. In the two-part episode, the IMF must prevent a scientist from unleashing a mind-controlling drug. THE CONTROLLERS is a good edition to the post-Bain/Landau Mission: Impossible T.V. series, but there is a chemistry that seems to be missing. From a technical standpoint, the series stands out as the first appearance of Dina Merrill as Meredyth and a post-Star Trek Leonard Nimoy as Paris. An enjoyable edition to the series. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

best cult series
i think the bunker is a excellent episode which has a lot going for it.It is a Playdon adventure, personally my favorite writer Bain and Landau are excellent,the only thing that got me was the masks.having two on at the same time is a bit implausible.Otherwise a great episode a must-see for all mission fans!

FINE EPISODE FROM SERIES THAT BROKE THE MOLD
Mission: Impossible is the TV series that broke the mold and proved that an exciting show that doesn't insult the intelligence of the audience can still be very popular. During the 1960's when MI first appeared, most action-adventure series contained a large helping of car chases, fist fights and shoot-outs. Although, in the first season's episodes, we still see some elements of these things, by the second season they had pretty much disappeared and the emphasis became on out-thinking the enemy. It even got to the point that if someone had to be "liquidated", the IMF maneuvered the bad guys into doing it themselves (another major motivation for reducing the amount of violence in the show was the climate of disorder in the United States during this period including the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr, widespread opposition to the War in Vietnam plus the rioting in the major urban areas of the US caused by the racial unrest of the time). Another factor in the success of the series is the music which has become legendary that was written or inspired by Lalo Shifrin. Many scenes consisted of Barney connecting up wires or tinkering with some mechanical device and yet, the musical background kept up the tension and prevented the scene from becoming boring. The two-part episode on this tape was written by Paul Playdon who wrote some of the best stories for the series. There are plenty of clever gadgets and escape-proof prisons plus the presence of a hired assassin from a third country whom the IMF is not in control of to keep any MI fan occupied for two hours. The only reason I gave the story only 4 stars instead of 5 was because of the use of masks (someone even wears two masks at one time!) which I find rather implausible, but it is great entertainment in any event. I hope that more episodes will become available for purchase in the future!

IMF team has to rescue scientist and his wife. Undetected.
A scientist is held captive. He is to perfect the missile. Only the scientist knows what to do. If he is not to do it. His wife will be executed. Also in sub-plot. A assassin is hired to kill the scientist so he can not finish his work. The IMF team has a gaget that might work. Wil they rescue the scientist in time. END ... Read more

Reviews (8)

In Spanish too
I feel happy that tv series that I watched many years ago . Now I can get them in DVD, but these serios were no popular just in USA in other countries of Latin America was popular too. It should be make in Spanish too or with subtitles in several languages. Thanks

When's the DVD coming out????
I see all of these other old school TV shows coming out on DVD. Mission: Impossible was a great show and deserves its spot for a DVD release for each season.

Impossible to Match
I saw many of the Mission Impossible series as a teenager. I also read the original paperback book when it came out which was made as Vol. #7. Steven Hill playing Daniell Briggs (the first season)and Peter Graves ( all subsequent seasons) as Jim Phelps both play excellent as the genius mastermind Team leader of the Impossible Mission Force (IMF) a top American government group virtually unknown to the rest of the top secret agencies. During his college days Dan or Jim majored in psychology at a top west coast university and was a chess champion. The rest of the IMF is composed of the beautiful model and Fem Fatale, Cinnamon Carter played by Barbara Bain is excellent. The academy award winner, Martin Landau who eventually married Barbara plays Rollin Hand, the magician and master of disguise. Black actor, Greg Morris does a superb job as Barney Collier, electronics genius with a prestigious background. The strong man or weight lifting world record holder, William (Willie) Armitage played by Peter Lupus is the brawn on the Team. he certainly looked the part also. Together the IMF carries out missions against impossible odds to rescue people, con enemy states, and change the courses of governments for the betterment of the free world especially without causing wars. This first volume is excellent in introducing this Team of specialists with exciting and intruiging plots and ways the IMF thwarts and bamboozles the opponent in the pilot and also in the second story called the Photographer which Anthony Zerbe stars. All of the Mission Impossible series are excellent and demonstrates how things can be accomplished through nonviolent methods also. The CIA actually did accomplish some similiar things which are now becoming declassified. This show was one of my favorite TV shows in the sixties and early seventies. You will enjoy them as well!!

Introducing you to the Cold War and the IMF Team
"Mission Impossible" originally ran from 1966 and 1973, telling tales of the Impossible Mission Force, a group of highly specialized government agents who were usually involved in disrupting the activities of small foreign powers trying to mess with the United States and the Free World. The group leader, Daniel Briggs (Steven Hill) in the first season and Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) for the rest of the show's run, put together the team and developed the complex plan to pull off the impossible mission; Cinnamon Carter (Barbara Bain) was the the beautiful female member of the team, Rollin Hand (Martin Landau) the master of disguise, Barney Collier (Greg Morris) was the electronics expert, and William Armitage (Peter Lupus) the muscle.

This first tape in the "Mission Impossible" series has the pilot and a choice episode from the show's second season. In the pilot episode (9/17/66), Wally Cox plays a safecracker who has to sneak into the vault of a hotel to steal a couple of nuclear warheads from a military dictator. This was the only episode of the show written by series creator Bruce Geller. This is not a classic episode per se, but it clearly sets the template for the entire series. "The Photographer" (12/17/67), written by two of the show's most productive writers, William Read Woodfield and Allan Balter, deals with biological warfare. Enemy agents intend to spread pneumonic plague and a top photographer (Anthony Zerbe) is the key contact. The IMF fakes a nuclear attack on New York to get the key to the code. Yes, there is a large degree of irony in watching this particular episode today, but remember what things were like in the Sixties. "The Photographer" is a classic MI episode and along with the pilot makes this an excellent tape to have for fans of the series.

Final Note: For my money the title sequence for this show is definitely one of the ten best ever, not just because of Lalo Schifrin's memorable theme music but because of the way shots from the episode were mixed in with the burning fuse and shots of the cast. You always saw enough to get interested in what was to happen, but they never let the cat out of the bag enough to ruin the episode.

Mission: Impossible, Vol. 1
I Thought that these two episodes were two of the best. One the first episode had Steven Hill starring who I think in some cases is better at the part than Peter Graves is. Two the second episode had a clever set up. But I won't explain it to you I want you to see it for youself. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Exchange
There are two episodes on this tape. The Mercenaries and The Exchange. The Exchange is a major and exciting departure for M.I. It is the only episode where an MI agent is captured (Cinnamon) at the beginning. The entire show is based on an exciting and creative "rescue".

This is a show that the creator (Bruce Gellar) did not want to make. Later this became one of his favorite shows. Phelps is clearly pained by Cinnamons capture and the rescue is a "cold war" stroke of genius. A must see!!

The Mercenaries
I renember of watching "The Mercenaries" for the first time. I consider it one of the bets MI episodes ever! It was very inteligent.

I have the picture of the villian (with a Fidel Castro looking) shooting Rollin when he fiunds ot that Rollin is an IMF agent.

The golden stealing scene was really well planed and really well done (I hear that the golden bars whre Ice Creams tablets). I read in a megazine that this scene became very famous.

It was always good to see IMF on action. In my opinion, "The Mercenaries is the second best episode of MI's season 3. It only looses for "The Mind of Staphan Miklos". ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Put this show on DVD
This entire series needs to be put on DVD soon and with many special features! I loved this show since I was a kid. The original TV show blows the movies away ... BIG TIME.

SLP Recording really ruins video quality !
Good video. Poor delivery.

I was really annoyed by the fact that the video producers decided to shave pennies off of their costs by recoding in SLP (Super Long Play) mode.

Fantastic plots sold here
Want to bend your mind a bit? Let the IMF do it with these two as Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) matches wits with hyperintelligent secret agent Stefan Miklos (Steve Ihnat in one of his best performances ever) as Phelps seeks to destroy a spy ring that has penetrated American intelligence by leading the enemy's most accomplished thinker through turn after turn to completely dupe him in the process. When your brain stops hurting with the dense plot and amazing attention to logical detail, try the even more phenomenal "Live Bait" where Phelps and the IMF must keep American spy Orin Selby (John Crawford) by being unmasked by enemy security chief Helmut Kellerman (Anthony Zerbe in another fine guest role). Watch for the great subplot with Kellerman's faithless assistant Brock (Martin Sheen) and his scheming girlfriend (Diana Ewing). Buy this video *now*.

A Must-See
Two of the most intelligent and elegantly-wrtten episodes of the all-time great, "Graves-and the Landaus season" Mission: Impossible. If you haven't seen these two, you haven't watched Mission: Impossible at all. Don't miss them. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

IMF
Your Mission Jim Should You Decide to Accept It!

2 Thumbs Up!

The Council
This originally aired as a two part show. The theme is organized crime which later became a repeated theme as the show aged and budgets got tighter. This, however, was in the early years with a big budget and MAJOR excitment. Cinnamon plays a cosmetologist doing a plastic surgery job in front of a host of "bad guys". The show is riviting with an unforgetable finale. If you're an MI fan this is a must see!

THE ORIGINAL SPY MASTERPIECE IN ALL IT'S GLORY!
I am a big fan of this series and have been for many years. With this volume having some of the best episodes of the series. The gadgets and all the action and great storylines that never seemed to go over the top of the viewer's crediablity. The remake of The original "MISSION IMPOSSIBLE" t.v series wasn't that good i don't think it could ever come close to the remarkable sucess of it's predecessor. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The "Hand " That Robbed The Crib
One of the finest exhibitions of plotting, stealth, pinpoint timing, acting, writing, and oh yeah, true IMF coincidences,
few fans will want to leave their seats during this two parter!

The plan is to free a cardinal bishop from a high security prison which has never been victim to a prison escape. Martin Landau's interaction with the frail cardinal took on a
somewhat father son quality. Mary Ann Mobley was brilliant
as the trapeeze artist. She and Barbara Bain worked their seductive magic in an effort to stall and divert the guards attention. The fine performances by Greg Morris as the clown and Peter Lupus punctuate the episodes. And of course, no 1st season episode would be considered a
classic without the great Steven Hill. His ability to slide
from total involvement to complete anonymity is a gift
that was occasionally explored but never eclipsed by Peter Graves. This episode along with Operation Rogosh and Ransom leaves you with a marvelous and wistful taste of
what could have been of Mission had Steven Hill stayed on.
Fine television viewing right to the finish!!

Shows with Guest Stars
The episodes are wonderful. But I'd like to know who is guest starring on ea. tape before purchasing.

The Ultimate First Season Mission: Impossible Episodes
OLD MAN OUT is arguably the best two-parter in MISSION's long history, and definitely stands out among the rarely-seen first season episodes. OLD MAN OUT finds the IMF in all their mindbending glory, attempting to liberate ailing political prisoner Cardinal Vossek (Cyril Delevanti) from an impregnable fortress. Although not as sophisticated as later shows, the episode does feature outstanding performances by Martin Landau, Barbara Bain and guest star Mary Ann Mobely. It also features some of the best character interaction in the series. OLD MAN OUT, more than any other show, makes the IMF appear comprised of human beings as opposed to the deadly clockwork machines they later became.

The Ultimate First Season Mission: Impossible Episodes
This two-parter from MISSION's first season is arguably the best of '66-'67. OLD MAN OUT parts one and two showcase the IMF in all their mindbending glory as they set out to free political prisoner Cardinal Vossek (Cyril Delevanti) from an impregnable jail. To free Vossek, the IMF must pose as a travelling carnival troupe which takes up residence outside the prison walls. Although not as sophisticated as some of the later episodes, OLD MAN OUT does feature outstanding performances by Marin Landau, Barbara Bain and guest star May Ann Mobely. Character interaction is also at an all-time high, as in this episode more than any other, the characters appear more human as opposed to the clockwork machines they later became. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Operation Rogosz-The Episode the Made the Series
Operation Rogosz (oh-come on, he's supposed to be Hungarian-spell it right!) was the fourth episode of Mission Impossible, and in my opinion, it was the one that made the series what it became. In the first season, there were still a lot of "action" scenes, shoot-outs, car chases and fist fights, but this episode doesn't have any of that, which is why it is so good. MI, at its best is all about psyching the enemy out and brain is more important than brawn. Fritz Weaver puts in a great performance as the consummately evil Imre Rogosz. Combining this with a very impressive job of directing by Leonard Horn and some very special camera work, we see a very intense and exciting story. One thing that is different about this episode from later ones in the series is that we see light-hearted banter between the members of the IM Force. It was apparently believed by the later writers that this might detract from the tension of the story, but on the other hand, it makes the members of the IMF more "human" and believable. I leave it to the viewer to decide which is a better approach.
One other factor that makes the story so compelling is that it is about bacteriological warfare, a subject that is unfortunately very relevant today. Get this video and see the good guys win.

"Operation Rogosh" on video--finally!
The great "Operation Rogosh" episode of "Mission: Impossible" featured the series' first time-displacement scam, with an environment completely recreated from scratch and a mission that, to be successful, had to be completed within a strict time-frame. To one extent or another, this first-year installment set the tone for the rest of the series, and after 37 years, "Rogosh" is still fresh, and still a model of staging and editing.

Director Leonard Horn was a veteran of the sci-fi classic "The Outer Limits" ("The Man Who Was Never Born," etc.), as was writer Jerome Ross ("The Man with the Power"). Other "Limits" tie-ins include directors Lee H. Katzin and Paul Stanley, as well as co-producer Alan Balter.

The second episode on the video, "The Train," is more gimmick-reliant but quite entertaining, with one especially nerve-wracking moment. To quote an early reviewer of "Mission: Impossible," fine stuff!

Two classic episodes
Two classic episodes for a great price -- "Operation Rogosh" features a genocidal saboteur (Fritz Weaver) convinced three years has elapsed, he's on trial for his life -- and all he can remember to prove his innocence is to tell "his accusers" of the "last" great operation he was trying to pull off in America. Great psychological drama and a real cliffhanger ending. "The Train" also features some fun technology, including a IMF-rigged train crash that never was, a faked heart murmur with a microphone, and great acting from villain William Windom. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A down and out knockout !!
The IMF delve into the sports world by thwarting an underworld attempt to rig boxing (and all) sporting events.

This episode makes very effective use of Barney portraying Richie Lemoyne, a boxer who burned his hands during a rescue. Lemoyne, who is now retired, promises to help the IMF if he is guaranteed to win a fight in clean, legitimate fashion.

Rollin, with the help of Willy and Robert Conrad, operates as a trainer preparing Barney for the big fight. Cinnamon works her feminine wiles to seduce and overthrow mob ringleader Charles Buckman. Graves gets a bookie job with
Buckman who finds that HE'S the one in a real fix!

A Great story, typical of many during the Landau/Bain years of the series. The acting is good, and the fighting scenes are passable. Watch for Sugar Ray Robinson as he gives the word "hitman" a new meaning. One of the finer domestic cases the Mission force tackled. Lord knows they would be too few and far between after 1969.

A Knockout Mission!
A fantastic and atypical Mission: Impossible.

This volume puts Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) and his team up against a corrupt boxing promoter, Charles Buckman ,who's working with organized crime to collect huge payoffs on his rigged fights.

This two part episode plays like a movie and gives the team some unusual challenges. First they enlist the help of non-agent Richy Lemoine an ex-boxer who will only help if the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) can defeat Buckman's champion without any of their usual dirty tricks. Second, the mission takes place over an extended period of time. Third, IMF agent Barney takes center stage, usually we see him doing behind the scenes work like crawling through tunnels and breaking into safes. Fourth, real life boxing great Sugar Ray Robinson guest stars as Buckman's ruthless hit man

Here on more than any other episode we get to see the team take it's time to develop the perfect frame. Richy and Rollin (Academy Award winner Martin Landau) put Barney through intensive training with help from boxing enthusiast Robert Conrad (in a cameo). Jim get's a job at a bookie joint. Meanwhile, Cinnamon (Barbara Bain) charms her way into the boxing promoter's love life in a sub-plot that will turn around and stab him in the back when he least expects it!

I highly recommend this tape to all fans of classic TV. It's a real gem. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For completists only
These two episodes are definitely the lesser entries of M:I's merely average seventh season. Instead of fun episodes like "Two Thousand" and "Break!" Paramount instead chose one average and one dismal episode -- "Puppet" has a strong cast (including villain Roddy McDowall, and backup scum Val Avery and John Larch) but a fairly slow plot and little visual style or gadgetry. "The Pendulum" only has some nice exteriors and sets to recommend it (Dean Stockwell's performance is particularly beneath his talent). Nevertheless, this is probably the only way a Mission completist can buy these episodes on tape, so if you're a collector, pick it up. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Interesting Episodes
The first episode is one of the classics of these great series. Interestingly enough, when the series was revived in 1988 with Peter Graves again starring as the IMF leader, the episode was an almost exact remake of the first episode on this video. Frankly, I thought the remake was better mainly because Robert Conrad plays a better "good guy" than the "bad guy" he is in this episode.
The second episode with William Shatner is not as good. One reason is because Mission: Impossible coincided with the War in Vietnam and after the War became extrememly controversial, it was announced that the producers of the show would no longer do stories about the IMF overthrowing evil governments and leaders in foreign countries (not politically correct in 1970's America!) which was a high percentage of their episodes, but from now on would rather would focus on the fight against organized crime. Since now all the resources of the IMF, which had previously been able to defeat the intellegence forces and even armies of bad foreign regimes would now be focused on bringing down one or few bad guys, it almost makes you feel sorry for these evildoers because they don't stand a chance! That is the case in this episode. However, there is no such thing as a "bad" episode of Mission: Impossible so it is still very entertaining.

Some good, some bad
'The Killer' starts out promising, but more than the usual amount of implausible ruses start to pile up. Leonard Nimoy as Paris is not into his disguise role yet. It is one of the few episodes that show how vast the IM network is.
Cocaine is a good show. Linda Day George seemed to play her roles a little too shallow. Maybe I was spoiled by Barbara Bain and Leslie Nielsen

Robert Conrad and William Shatner as the bad guys!
The first episode on the tape is the fifth-season classic, "The Killer," starring Robert Conrad as a hired assasin who carries out his assignments in a totally improvised fashion, leaving the IMF scrambling every second of the way in their mission to discover the identity of his boss. The customization of a hotel in a matter of minutes is the highlight of this episode, an excellent rehash of "Operation Rogosh" (volume 8). The second show, "Cocaine," stars William Shatner as a drug-smuggling assistant taken in by an IMF cocaine-manufacturing machine that, naturally, doesn't quite work to specifications. An enjoyable and complicated mission highlighted by an unusually effective Shatner as the heavy, Barabara ("Ironside") Anderson as a drug addict, and Peter Lupus as the instructive, bespectacled chemist who makes the "cocaine." Great fun. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Robert Wagner Fan
YES! Please DO make a new movie -- AND PLEASE release the entire series! It Takes a Thief is my all-time favorite TV show and Robert Wagner is STILL my favorite actor! I, too, would buy every single one!

I second that movie idea
Yes there should be a major motion picture based on "It Takes A Thief," but I suggest Rob Lowe as his son. Would also buy a DVD collection of every episode.

RW as Alexander Mundy - It Takes a Thief
And it would take an exceptional talent to one up Wagner in this pilot for the excellent series that followed. I enjoyed Fred Astaire playing Wagners dad in the tv series. The fabulous 60's. It Takes a Thief will go down as one of the best tv series of that golden era. Saw RW on the Larry King show recently. He still looks fantastic at 72! Hey RW, how about a 2002 version of "The return of Alexander Mundy." Is the actor who played Noah Baine still around? Great series. I loved it.

Great series
That was a great series, they have released other series on DVD that were not as popular at the time but so far not this one.
I wonder what they are waiting for.

My favorite TV show of all time
I don't know why I love this series but I do. As with a previous reviewer, I would love to own Magnificent Thief on DVD and I would purchase the entire series on DVD as well. I have all episodes on VHS and watch them over and over. Some of the best episodes are "Takes one to know one" and Turnabout. Love this stuff. Maybe we should write to Universal and start bugging them to get this series out on DVD. Anyway, this "made for TV" movie set the stage for the short lived series (1968-1970) and I want more. Maybe Wagner should do another movie as Alex Mundy only 30 years later with Tom Cruise as his son following in his footsteps. Tom is optional. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Joan sacrifices her personal life to save her daughter!
Contrary to the write-up on the box of this movie, it is excellent. Joan looks wonderful in this presentation. Her daughter, who is confined to the homestead because of illness (mental), is watched over lovingly and carefully by Joan Crawford. Her love for her daughter is obvious in the movie, and the manner the movie is made keeps you wondering what is up until the excellent denoument. This movie was also released as "Della." It was part of a television series that did not make it. It really shows a lovely Joan Crawford near the end of her career. It is well worth your time to watch. ... Read more