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The Slave parts 1 and 2
posted by lima-2STAFFMOD on August 30, 2023 at 9:49 PM
After going to see “Sound of Freedom” recently, it jogged some memories of this two-part episode of Mission: Impossible. I just re-watched it. I was pleasantly surprised on many levels. It’s like the producers tried to see how many Star Trek TOS guest stars they could cram into one episode. Antoinette Bower, Percy Rodrigues, Warren Stevens, Joseph Ruskin, and the ubiquitous Sid Haig. Wow!
One of the many criticisms of M:I two-part episodes, like this one, are that they could have been trimmed down into a single episode. If you watch closely, many of the standard opening sequences are extended. The taped-instruction scene is prolonged to introduce the villains and explain the extensive and convoluted plot. Then in Jim Phelps’ apartment, he wanders around a bit, fixing himself a drink first, before opening his IMF folder. That hasn’t been seen before or since!
Then he carefully goes through ten photographs (count ‘em!) before selecting his six-person team. Including a guest agent Steve Franken in a serious role. Just four years after his last stint on Dobie Gillis as Chatsworth Osborne, Jr.
Then there is the extended team briefing with all the “good guys” present to give the viewer a hint of what is to come on the mission. It made me wonder how tightly edited these standard opening scenes were, in a simple, one-hour episode. I think this two-parter was justified.
Reply by cinna_mini_me
on August 31, 2023 at 3:08 PM
Ooh! Sound Of Freedom was such a good movie, wasn't it? I hadn't watched The Slave in several years but I can see how you made the connection, Lima. I'll have to re-watch it and look for those extended scenes. Was Bruce Geller among the photographs Peter Graves discarded? lol
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on September 23, 2023 at 12:45 AM
@lima-2: My boy the late, great Sid Haig is NOT "ubiquitous"! BTW, when was Sid on Star Trek TOS?
Reply by lima-2
on September 23, 2023 at 10:12 AM
Hello Maria! By your own account Sid Haig was ubiquitous: all over the place, seemingly at the same time, in 9 episodes of Mission: Impossible. All over the series!! :-P Not derogatory by any stretch of the imagination, but rather flattering, I think. Sid Haig appeared in Star Trek TOS: Return of the Archons season1, episode 21.
Reply by Jayhn1111
on September 26, 2023 at 4:14 PM
I think for the most part I loved the 2 parters. There was maybe one I was underwhelmed by but the episode escapes me at this point.
Reply by klondike6
on September 26, 2023 at 8:26 PM
Jayhn1111: I'm guessing that was Old Man Out from season 1, you spoke of. I think they shot so many extra scenes (as Lima mentioned) like Rollin doing a dry run on the steps he took to get the bishop out of his cell. "Production" didn't want to waste the film they already shot, so they turned it into a two-parter. That brings up another point about The Slave. Both Old Man Out and The Slave showed off Greg Morris' acting abilities. If I remember, he played several roles within his role of Barney Collier. He was a prison guard, a beggar, and even a slave on the block. Yikes! And at the end of Old Man Out, one was led to believe it was Steven Hill playing the calliope on the circus caravan as they drove through the frontier barrier. Only to find out it was Barney wiping off the white, clown-face make-up. Greg Morris must have had great sense of humor about the roles he played!
Reply by wonder2wonder
on September 26, 2023 at 8:49 PM
He sure did.
Reply by Jayhn1111
on September 26, 2023 at 10:25 PM
Old man out I was actually glad was a 2 parter. But that's just my personal preference because I love those type of episodes with prison escapes and things like that. I am going to have to take a look at the list of 2 parters and it'll probably come to me then.
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on September 27, 2023 at 5:48 PM
@lima-2: Sorry about that! I must have been in a lot of pain when I wrote that! My boy Sid Haig was in Classic Mission Impossible so much that he should have gotten reccuring cast member status. I'll have to check out that TOS episode. Rest In Peace, Mr. Haig. You are missed.
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on September 27, 2023 at 5:54 PM
@Jayhn1111: I rewatched Old Man Out the other day and in retrospect Mary Ann Mobley as Crystal was one of the best things about the episode. Her unrequited love for Dan, Her possible jealousy of Cinnamon (because Cinnamon spends more time with Dan than she does), Her artistry on the hire wire, and last but not least, Her catfights with Cinnamon! She was great!
Reply by lima-2
on September 27, 2023 at 6:02 PM
Thank you for returning to this thread Maria! No worries. I was afraid I had unintentionally insulted you. It should be me who apologizes. BTW Sid Haig had more appearances in Mission: Impossible than the other "recurring" cast member, Lee Merriweather, who only had 8! :-P Thank you and Jayhn 1111 for the memories of Old Man Out, too! :-D
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on September 27, 2023 at 6:09 PM
@lima-2: You're quite welcome! Fun Fact: Sid Haig played one of the Bond movie villian Blofeld's minions in Diamonds Are Forever. The man was everywhere!
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on September 27, 2023 at 6:14 PM
@cinna_mini_me: I always wondered if a photo of Bruce Geller was among the other photos of Impossible Missions Force Agents. Does anyone know if he was, and if so, what does he look like?
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on October 24, 2023 at 8:58 PM
I just saw Sid Haig a couple of days ago in an episode of a 1970's TV series called Police Story.
Reply by cinna_mini_me
on October 25, 2023 at 9:39 AM
Police Story?! I loved that show!! How were you able to watch it? I don't think it was ever released on video or streaming.
Reply by SecretaryIMF
on November 7, 2023 at 6:52 AM
@cinna_mini_me: It's on METV+ at 7:00am pst weekdays. I just happened to stumble across it a couple of weeks ago.