"Mission: Impossible" The Town (1968)

User Rating:

9.4/10   

Director:

Michael O'Herlihy

Writers:

Sy Salkowitz (written by)
Bruce Geller (creator)

TV Series:

"Mission: Impossible" (1966)

Original Air Date:

18 February 1968 (Season 2, Episode 21)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Jim Phelps is kidnapped by townspeople after learning they are part of an assassination network. The...

Plot Keywords:

Clock Watcher | Mission | Deception | Misdirection | Dictatorship

Cast

Peter Graves	...	James Phelps
Martin Landau	...	Rollin Hand
Barbara Bain	...	Cinnamon Carter
Greg Morris	...	Barney Collier
Peter Lupus	...	Willy Armitage
Will Geer	...	Doc
Eddie Ryder	...	Williams
Brioni Farrell	...	January
Robert Pickering	...	Marty
Robyn Millan	...	Gina
William O'Connell	...	Instructor
Dee Carroll	...	Liz
Gregg Palmer	...	Deputy
George Perina	...	Mosnyevov
Glen Gordon	...	Desk Clerk (as Glen C. Gordon)

Runtime:

60 min

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Television

Trivia:

In a rare instance, the episode does not start with Phelps receiving an assignment via a recording. Instead, he stumbles into an assignment while on vacation.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The mask Rollin makes of the doctor's face has a smooth upper lip even though the original mold was made with the doctor's mustache intact.

One of the most unusual and best of the IMF series

A great departure from the usual opening, and you expect to see Jim going somewhere to pick up his new mission. Instead he stumbles upon an international assassination plot and becomes a prisoner of the ringleader and his band of merry followers. This one generates great tension all the way through and some nice surprises. The only quibble I have with it is the perfunctory way the IMF deals with the bad guys' plot. I think the producers could easily have turned this into a fantastic two-parter. Even so, this is probably the best episode of the second season, perhaps of the entire series. Grandpa Walton, Will Geer, as a villainous doctor really steals the show. A real must see for any action/adventure fan.