MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - # 87/88/89 The Falcon 1970

 

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Writer: Paul Playdon
Dir.: Reza S. Badiyi

Jim Phelps: Peter Graves
Paris: Leonard Nimoy
Dana Lambert: Lesley (Ann) Warren
Barney Collier: Greg Morris
Willy Armitage: Peter Lupus

Tracey: Lee Meriwether
Nicolai: Noel Harrison
Francesca: Diana Baker
General Ramon Sabattini: John Vernon
Prince Stephan: Joseph Reale
Bishop: Marcel Hillaire

 

General Sabattini holds the ruler of the country, Prince Stefan, locked up, claiming he died so that he can force the prince's fiancée, Francesca, to marry him instead. Not because he's interested in marrying her but in the throne which comes along. The momentary ruler is Nicolai, Francesca's cousin, whom Sabattini plans to kill. The IMF is to spoil the plot. 

Nicolai is very childish, playful and totally incapable of ruling. But he invited Zastro, the Magician (Paris) because he is intrigued by magic and collecting clocks. The Magician arrives at the wedding day with Madame Vinski, his mind reading assistant and Willy who's assisting him with all the equipment brought in inside big wooden boxes. Two of the boxes contain Barney and Sebastian, who is disguised to look like Zastro. And – of course – a falcon. Barney overcomes all security precautions because the falcon flies into the secured area starting the alarm. Barney breaks into the safe and substitutes the crown jewels with a replica. Paris instructs Francesca what to do after telling her what they are here for and gives her a gun. 

Since the wedding goes along with the crowning celebrations, the Bishop is on his way to the palace. They need time to replace Nicolai, so he is delayed – Willy cares for that. Meanwhile Paris and Tracey perform the show, Tracey announcing the numbers one in the audience wrote down, another one read them and confirms, proving her ability of mind reading. Paris makes coins appear out of nowhere and card tricks. The final element of the show consists of two separate big boxes. Nicolai is asked to volunteer to enter one, Zastro enters the other. While Zastro disguises as Nicolai, Nicolai is replaced by Sebastian, disguised as Zastro. The audience wonders how they could have swopped places without any connection between the boxes and Tracey predicts a catastrophe to happen soon. As the bishop arrives, the wedding ceremony begins and Francesca does as told: she shoots herself in front of the altar. Now Sabattini cannot receive the crown. 

Nicolai (Paris) cares that Francesca is buried right away in the family entombment. Barney rescues her just in time before the air is all used up. The two of them get away with Nicolai and Zastro (Sebastian) One of the main tasks is to free Stephan from a tight security tract. Therefore Jim tells Sabattini about the fake jewels. Sabattini checks on it and trusts Jim to find out from Stephan, the only one to know as Jim put it. Barney provides a "screen" showing Jim interrogating Stephan to satisfy the guards and to shield the real place where Stephan is kept (while Stephan is freed, the procedure unseen by the guards). As Mme. Vinski/Tracey finds out about a planned bomb attack aimed at Nicolai, she dashes to warn him, but she's late. Paris hardly survives the attack, but all IMFs manage to leave the place with the royal couple.