Mission: Impossible (Original TV Series)

[DB537]

Nov. 9 UPDATE: If any of my image links are missing or you can't see them after the recent forum update, please reply in the thread and I'll upload them again. When I have more time, I will eventually add all of my files into this first post so that it's easier to find.

I've been doing a lot of research on the M:I dossier photos since Magnoli has started a run of the leather IMF folders.

Below I have copied and pasted all the information that I've gathered so far. The series is available in HD on Amazon and CBS All Access if anyone with paid access would like to try to get some better screencaps of the harder to find photos. My internet is so slow that it's not really suitable for HD streaming because of all the lagging and skipping. I believe that there are enough different somewhat close-up shots of most of the other main character photos (and even some of the other rejects), that they could all be remade in a decent resolution with some work.

The photo holders are confirmed to be 9.5 inches wide including the border, and are probably 14 to 15 inches in height. This was based on measurements of a newspaper clipping in one of the holders that I was able to match to measurements of an identical element from a prop newspaper in my collection, and a standard size business card that was included with a guest agent's photo. The silver tape or trim around the borders is approximately 0.4 inches wide. All of the regular photographs such as the one of Geller below are standard size 8" x 10" photos.

I found the alternate Bruce Geller 'reject' photo which they used in season 2 episode 7. It seems to be the only photograph of him that even exists online.



I also found a decent resolution image of one of the original dossier photos of Barney.


I also have a very high resolution reprint of one of Rollin's yellow border photo variants that was used a lot in season 1 and 2. This one is 8" wide but might be longer than 10".



I also found another one of the Rollin photos.



Here's the ELITE prop magazine cover text for Cinnamon's early photo. The magazine covers are slightly larger than the 8x10 photos.
The top 'Elite' is a vector tracing taken from a straightened screencap, and the bottom is from the retyped modern version of the typeface as a font.



This is the text for one of the alternate covers:

Here is the text for Paris' photo



One of Willy's photos. Not the best resolution, but good enough to use since it looked blurry most of the time on screen.


https://www.therpf.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=847515&d=1538966160
I have updated the Hartford Repertory Company graphic with the full resolution version of the logo which I found on an unrelated prop from another production. I have also found the exact border design that was used for their full page, but I haven't had time to create a full size version of it yet.




https://www.therpf.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=847515&d=1538966160

 

[AZSneed]

Thanks for posting the props, I'm a fan since it was on in the 60's and 70's.

 

[DB537]

Collier Electronics Brochure. Photo is from an HD screencap, but probably could still be improved.

View attachment 849099

EDIT 10/16: Replaced seal/logo with more accurate design which seems to be based on a piece of the US Air Force seal.

 

[DB537]

The M:I Television Scores soundtrack set has this photo of Geller.
It's not the same one used for his photo in the show, but it's similar.

View attachment 848430

 

[DB537]

From season 3, episode 11 "The Freeze": The fake magazine cover with Phelps as 'Dr. Ward Kingsley'.

 

[AZSneed]

Thanks for the cover and good timing, in December, 50 years old.

 

[DB537]

2023 UPDATE: I have found the original fingerprints for the Terry Targo wanted poster, and also improved a few other details.

I have also updated Barney's Collier Electronics brochure (in post #3 above) with a photo taken from an HD screencap. It could probably still be improved. I also found what I believe to be the source of the logo/seal at the bottom of the brochure. I think it's a piece of the US Air Force seal.

 

[DB537]

I've tried to complete Barney's letter, but it can't be filled in with information about him in any way that it still makes sense. There's too much visible text that is clearly from an unrelated letter, so there's no way fill in the blanks to make it look like a letter of recommendation or anything similar. In other episodes, I've noticed that they used unmodified blank television studio contracts as prop documents, and that passport photos are embossed with old discarded corporate seals from businesses.

These are details that were never meant to be seen clearly in the 1960s era of small screen standard definition TVs. I can make the date and address on the Air Force letter match, but everything else will have to be replaced to make any sense at all. I'll also post a blank version of the letter if anyone else wants to give it a try, but it will be difficult unless you're trying to fill in the generic details already present.

EDIT: Here is my version of Barney's letter. I made it a letter of recommendation based on bits and pieces of real documents I found online and heavily edited sections of his character's Wikipedia description. If you want to try to make your own with the blank version, the font is 'Underwood Champion' and is the closest match I could find.



EDIT 10/18: I checked some other episodes with the Air Force letter and the address at the top is not abbreviated as I had assumed it would be.
I have corrected the mistake.

 

[DB537]

I have updated the Hartford Repertory Company graphic with the full resolution version of the logo which I found on an unrelated prop from another production. I have also found the exact border design that was used for their full page, but I haven't had time to create a full size version of it yet.

 

[DB537]

Air Force letter has been updated to correct an error in the address.

 

[DB537]

Cinnamon's Elite magazine cover. The photo was very difficult to work with even using the best closeup screencap available.
I had to deal with a lot of film grain and color correction issues. It's good enough for me until a better reference image turns up.

 

[DB537]

I have found the blue border element that was used around the outside edge of the Nimoy/Paris photo. I will update this post tonight with more info. I should also have the weightlifting photo of Willy done by then.

Here is the completed Hartford Repertory Company sheet. It had different photos added in different arrangements every time it was shown. Because of this I have left the photos off and you can customize it however you prefer.
Size is 8" x 10".

 

[AZSneed]

I appreciate all of your researching and work on the props, and then sharing them, thanks.

 

[dbuck]

Here’s a slightly sharper Willy photo, I have never gotten around to taking the signature out.

Have these from about five years ago when I was working on this. It was far too difficult back then without HD.

 

[DB537]

Willy's 'new world record' magazine page:



I'll eventually post a back side to the page so that it's more realistic, but I want to finish the rest of the IMF photos first.

In the 'Want To Buy' section I have made an offer to pay anyone with access to Amazon Prime or CBS All Access who
can take HD screencaps from the dossier scenes in 7 specific episodes so that I can finish the other alternate photos.

 

[dbuck]

Willy's 'new world record' magazine page:

View attachment 849630

I'll eventually post a back side to the page so that it's more realistic, but I want to finish the rest of the IMF photos first.

In the 'Want To Buy' section I have made an offer to pay anyone with access to Amazon Prime or CBS All Access who
can take HD screencaps from the dossier scenes in 7 specific episodes so that I can finish the other alternate photos.

List the eps, I can’t guarantee anything myself but at least we know what to look for.

 

[DB537]

List the eps, I can’t guarantee anything myself but at least we know what to look for.

Here is a list of the episodes. I just scanned through a bunch of intros really quickly, so it's possible that some of the other episodes might have better shots.

S3 E2 The Contender, S3 E23 The Vault, S3 E25 The Interrogator, S4 E3 The Controller, S4 E9 Robot, S4 E14 The Falcon, S4 E17 Chico

The Contender has the boxing magazine cover with Richy Lemoine. At least one or two of the S3 episodes have the 2 other magazine covers for Cinnamon, the red letter Rollin photo, and also the final versions of the photos of Barney and Willy. The last two are included in my list mainly because they include the dossier photos of the falcon and Chico the dog, which I thought would be a good addition. There are a couple of good shots of Paris and a few other guest agents in the S4 episodes as well.

They stopped doing the dossier scenes at the end of S4, so there are no new photos after that.

Some of the shots will be repeats of previous ones, but I can pick out the best ones.

 

[DB537]

I found a better full version of the alternate Geller photo that was used in the TV scores soundtrack set.

It's not the exact same one that was used on screen, but it's clearly from the same photo shoot and looks similar.

I had to do a little work on it because it's scanned from a photo in a book, but it should print ok.

 

[DB537]

Here's the 2nd magazine cover for Cinnamon. I don't know if I'll do the 3rd one. It's definitely more complex, so I don't know if I'd be able to get a good result.



I think Paris only ever had the one photo, (EDIT: I'm wrong about that. He had a second photo that was used a few times.) and I still need to make that one, along with the last 2 photos of Barney and Willy. I'll work on some of the other guest agent photos when all the regulars are finished.

 

[DB537]

Thanks to @Clutch, I now have HD screencaps for the remaining dossier photos, and will finish the rest of those soon.

Here are Barney's last 2 photos. The first one is a cleaned up version of that decent resolution scan I found online, and the other one is a composite of about 4 different HD screencaps I put together. Both photos should be 8x10.



Here's a screencap of the Paris photo. It's straight enough to estimate the dimensions of the photo portion and the length of the holder based on the width. You can't see all of the bottom, but you can see the top edge of the silver tape. I've already calculated that the width of these holders including silver tape would have to be approx. 9.5 inches, with the silver tape being approx. 0.4 inches wide by itself. If someone can help me figure out the total length of the holder and the exact dimensions of the Nimoy photo, I should be able to complete it tonight. The border trim detailing around his photo will have to be added individually one segment at a time in Illustrator, so it will be a lot easier to get all the proportions right if we can determine the photo size.

View attachment 850070