Magic in the Mission:Impossible TV Series

[brianarudolph]

I was reminded of this by the posts in the America's Got Talent 2016 auditions thread.

I recently started watching the Mission: Impossible TV series courtesy of Amazon Prime. I was too young when the episodes with Steven Hill as Dan Briggs (the leader of the IMF before Peter Graves' Jim Phelps took over) were broadcast so they are all "new" to me.

What I've found somewhat surprising/shocking is how much magic has already appeared in the dozen or so episodes I've watched - as well as how much magic exposure. Martin Landau's frequent guest starring as Rollin Hand (a character who is an acclaimed actor, a master of disguise/makeup artist, escape artist, and a magician) obviously contributes to this.

The one that got me the most (so far?!) was in the two-part episode titled Old Man Out (yes "old", not "odd"), where the IMF team is tasked with rescuing an aging religious leader/protestor imprisoned by a totalitarian regime before they can execute him. IMF toddles up in the park next to the prison under the guise of a small traveling circus troupe. As part of their daily shows, Mr. Briggs and Cinnamon Carter (a top fashion model character played regularly by Barbara Bain) do a two-person mind reading act ... and at the beginning of the show (when they show the team preparing for their mission) they actually expose the operation of the act.

Never realized that such exposure went so "far" back, especially on a prominent television show. The only other exposure I remember was in the episode Now You See Him of Columbo where the brilliant Jack Cassidy plays a magician literally trying to get away with murder. At one point Columbo visits a magic shop where Thayer David (playing the shopkeeper) shows Columbo the "gaff in a head act" - a secret transmitter.

[observer]

Check out Leonard Nimoy as team member "The Great Paris", especially the 3-part episode "The Falcon" (season 4).

[Ian Kendall]

There was one in a casino where Tony Giorgio played a bust out dealer (as I recall).

[Brad Henderson]

Ha. as I read the well punctuated topic heading I thought would be about an Unlikely television project featuring conjuring Jesuit priests in Southern California pre 1800

[Tom Sawyer]

I remember at least one discussion of the show in Genii magazine, back in the olden days (probably the late 1960s). William Read Woodfield was one of the show's movers and shakers during the early years. However, internet sources indicate that Woodfield did not write the "Old Men Out" episode.

[I.M. Magician]

If I recall correctly, it was the policy of the show to reveal how the characters did the things that took place in order to reach their mission. That was one of the methods the show used to make it so interesting.

Therefore, revealing some secrets of magic/mentalism was necessary to be true to the show's format. We shouldn't take it personally.

[AJM]

I've just had the 1960's on the phone - they want Mission:Impossible and The Rifleman back.

Andrew

[Riversky]

In all the episodes, the Mission was to create an illusion to make the Impossible appear possible.

[Philippe Billot]

I remember an episode in which all the cards are blank and they can "project (?)" every card or change every card but there is a pseudo explanation