MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE: LIVE BAIT (TV)
Summary
One in this series of adventure dramas about the exploits of the Impossible Missions Force. The IMF is given the task of protecting Orin Selby, an American agent working undercover in the intelligence agency of an unnamed foreign power. The agency’s chief of internal security, Helmut Kellerman, suspects that Selby is a double-agent. He has recently captured an American courier codenamed “Marceau,” who has knowledge of Selby’s true identity and allegiance since he helped Selby establish his “defection.” Marceau has not yet revealed any information to Kellerman, but it is only a matter of time before he does. Part of their plan is to involve Lieutenant Albert Brocke, Kellerman’s aide who was placed in Selby’s apparatus in order to report on his activities to Kellerman. Jim proposes rescuing Marceau in order to protect Selby, and they intend to employ a cigarette lighter that dispenses knockout gas as well as a canister of liquid nitrogen in order to aid them in this task. Selby attempts to go over Kellerman’s head and contacts their country’s investigative intelligence unit, but Kellerman has Selby’s office bugged and does not feel threatened. Rollin visits Selby in the guise of a government investigator, and Selby surreptitiously points out Kellerman’s bug. They discuss Kellerman and Marceau, and Kellerman takes the opportunity to walk in on them. Rollin puts off a formal investigation and asks Kellerman to meet him in his hotel room in an hour. Selby pretends to make a phone call to the government to check on Rollin’s identity and pretends that it checks out, allaying Kellerman’s suspicions when he listens in. Meanwhile, Kellerman tortures and interrogates Marceau, who has yet to reveal any valuable information. Afterwards Kellerman meets with Rollin to discuss his suspicions towards Selby. Unbeknownst to him, he is secretly being monitored and filmed by Jim and Barney. Rollin gives Kellerman 24 hours to prove his claims against Selby, or Marceau will be transferred back to Selby’s custody. Kellerman then hatches a scheme: he believes that Selby has already contacted American agents to try to recapture Marceau, and intends to set a trap for them. The plan is to spread misinformation about where Marceau is being held via Brocke, and that the Americans will likely try to get to Brocke through his girlfriend, an actress named Stephanie. Upon Kellerman’s departure, Barney films Jim in the chair where Rollin was sitting, intending to edit Jim into the film in place of Rollin. The dialogue makes it seem as though Jim has kidnapped Stephanie. Kellerman instructs Brocke to plant blueprints to the facility where Marceau is being held in Selby’s office, hoping that the Americans will intercept these plans. Cinnamon spies on Brocke as he visits Stephanie to ask her to get out of town for a few days until Selby is exposed. He hopes that Kellerman will promote him for his assistance, and he convinces Stephanie to go along with it. Jim poses as a government agent and arrests Stephanie after Brocke leaves, all the while being followed and photographed by Kellerman’s men. Cinnamon deliberately crashes her bicycle into Brocke’s car, making it look like an accident. He offers to bring her to a doctor while Kellerman’s men photograph them as well. Kellerman meets with Rollin and shows him the photographs of Jim and Cinnamon, convinced that they are American agents and that the accident was actually part of a prearranged meeting. He is confident that his plan is unfolding as he envisioned it. Jim keeps an unconscious Stephanie in his hotel room as he plants a forged passport and currency into the lining of her jacket. Cinnamon drops off a parcel which is quickly intercepted by Kellerman’s agent; the decorations are actually a strip of magnetic tape, and Kellerman orders that a copy be made and a man follow whoever comes to pick up the package. They follow Jim, seemingly confirming Kellerman’s suspicions about him. The tape contains a recording claiming that Stephanie and Brocke have been captured, and that Brocke has given them the blueprints. Kellerman explains to Rollin that the blueprints are completely inaccurate, and that they will facilitate his trap for the Americans. Stephanie awakens and Jim and Barney secretly project the edited footage of Jim and Kellerman onto a screen outside her door. She peeks in and sees what appears to be Kellerman and Jim apparently discussing using her as blackmail against Brocke, and Kellerman notes that Brocke is “an expendable pawn.” She manages to escape out the window as Jim and Barney secretly look on. Kellerman tells Brocke to plant the fake blueprints in Selby’s office. Stephanie calls Brocke and tells him that she was kidnapped, and that Kellerman is responsible. Based on what she saw, she believes that Kellerman is actually the double-agent, and Brocke comes to believe this as well. Brocke secretly meets with Selby and they muffle Kellerman’s bug. He tells Selby about Kellerman’s apparent collusion with the Americans, and asks for Selby’s help in exposing him. However, Selby indicates that he doesn’t trust Brocke due to his sudden shift in loyalties, and advises him to flee the country before Kellerman finds out. Kellerman shows Rollin the facility where Marceau is being kept and explains the specifics of his trap. He also shows him the customized cell where Marceau is being kept, and explains that any attempt to free Marceau from his chains will detonate an anti-personnel mine beneath the cell, destroying both Marceau and his attempted rescuer. Rollin informs Jim of this news and they prepare accordingly. Kellerman discovers that Brocke and Stephanie are fleeing the country and orders them to be arrested before they can escape. Jim, Cinnamon, and Barney ready their equipment, still being watched by Kellerman’s men. Kellerman discovers this and orders the facility to be put on alert. Brocke and Stephanie are brought before Kellerman, and he and Rollin question them. Brocke tries to tell Rollin that Kellerman is a double-agent, but Rollin reveals the hidden passport and money in Stephanie’s jacket. Under duress, Stephanie claims that Brocke is actually the traitor, and she is sent to be released. Rollin secretly heads into the facility basement and activates the lighter in a ventilation duct, spreading knockout gas throughout the entire facility. The IMF move in to rescue Marceau, protected from the gas’s effects due to special capsules. Barney uses liquid nitrogen to freeze the detonator affixed to Marceau’s chains, thus disabling it and allowing them to free him. Jim and Barney drag Kellerman down to the cell as Marceau is being led out, and Rollin gives Brocke the antidote to the gas, pretending to wake up alongside him. He leads Brocke downstairs and makes it appear that Kellerman released Marceau and is a traitor. Rollin leaves Brocke to deal with Kellerman, promising to return him to his position in Selby’s apparatus. Rollin leaves and Brocke shoots Kellerman dead as he wakes up. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: February 23, 1969 10:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:50:24
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:66407
- GENRE: Drama, action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1966-1973
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Bruce Geller … Executive Producer, Created by
- Stanley Kallis … Producer
- Barry Crane … Associate Producer
- Stuart Hagmann … Director
- James D. Buchanan … Writer
- Ronald Austin … Writer
- Michael Adams … Writer
- Richard Markowitz … Music by
- Lalo Schifrin … Theme Music by
- Peter Graves … Cast, James Phelps
- Martin Landau … Cast, Rollin Hand
- Barbara Bain … Cast, Cinnamon Carter
- Greg Morris … Cast, Barney Collier
- Peter Lupus … Cast, Willy Armitage
- Anthony Zerbe … Cast, Col. Helmut Kellerman
- Martin Sheen … Cast, Lt. Albert Brocke
- Diana Ewing … Cast, Stephanie
- Edmund Gilbert … Cast, Marceau
- Bert Holland … Cast, Doctor
- Dick Dial … Cast, Bauer
- John Crawford … Cast, Orin Selby