Customer Reviews

The Best of Mission Impossible, Volume 1 [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"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.

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-I understand that Steven would have continued with the series but because of his religious convictions he was not able to fulfill the long work schedules) 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!!

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.

This was and is still a great show with a great cast. With all the other old TV shows making it to DVD, they need to start releasing season sets of this spectacular show.

Great Series , Great Cast, Great Stories along the lines of 007 I remember watching this growing up and wondering if I could ever get the set, I have grown older and I still enjoy the series. Lets Get It Out on DVD ASAP, Thanks

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!!

It was wonderful to see these two episodes that were first shown over 30 years ago. Anthony Zerbe is a splendid actor as he proved it by doing other guest shots and villians in other IM episodes. It seemed that the pilot didn't have too many sophisticated gadgets as later mission episodes did. Watch for the blooper in Pilot. Just before Briggs, Rollin disguised as "Dominguez", and Willy break into the general's quarters, Cinnamon is seeing wheeling her invalid husband around the hotel lobby. Since Barney is crawling around the hotel's vents and Terry (Wally Cox) is in the storage case, who is the old man in the wheelchair? Two good episodes nonetheless.

This is the best of the Mission Impossible videos that I have seen. Both plots seem to be better thought out than many of the others. Wally Cox (the voice of Underdog) is great. When he got hurt, I could feel the pain. The second one is not a typical MI, but very good.

Really enjoyed watching this, think it's better if you've seen the series when you were younger. It's also better on a large screen. Would really like to see it on DVD.

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.

I had seen 'The Photographer' many years ago and it was the episode which secured my interest in Mission: Impossible. Fans like me will enjoy the trip down memory lane, but bear in mind the episode on the tape is slightly edited. I distinctly remember Cinnamon Carter (Barbara Bain) painting a backdrop, a scene which is missing. Even the scene where Jim Phelps (Peter Graves) retrieves the tape has been edited down-the original had him drive down the street first, while this tape shows him exit the car, having already found a parking spot. However, the story has survived intact and it remains one of the finest M:I episodes filmed. The pilot, in color, is perhaps not as polished as Season 2 and 3 episodes, but what became trademark elements are emerging. Two episodes worth getting.