I know the reviews are mixed on this episode. But consider that the technology of the 1960's was very limited. There are a number of TV and movie projects coming out of this decade that used "wooden dummies " to represent monsters or sinister human beings. It was new and kinda cool back then. If you are willing to forgive the obvious creepiness and fakeness of that dummy, this episode has some phenomenal scenes. The scene where Rollin breaks into the meeting as "Martin Borman" has been recognized as a show stopping entrance. It steals the whole episode and makes Friedrich Rudd appear as the ultimate "dummy". There is no way Rudd can salvage his evil scheme after that. The plot is ingenious. If only the technology of the year 2022 were available for this episode....
5 Reviews
A page ripped from the Twilight Zone !
jamesleroi11 July 2022
Warning: Spoilers
After using a dummy (literally!) as a prop for a supposed nazi leader , the IMF had Rollin dress and play the role of the nazi , much to the shock and surprise of the mastermind behind the plot . What ensues is pure twist of fate espionage at its corny best !
Nazi theme is repeated from earlier episode
CCsito15 April 2013
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILER ALERT
This episode repeats the Nazi theme used five episodes ago ("The Legacy") where this time a group of elder Nazi men come together to bring about a Fourth Reich. The IMF team's mission is to stop the ring leader behind the plot. They replace two of the expected German attendees with Dan and Cinammon. The group is told that Martin Boarmann is alive and well and being attended to by the ring leader of the gathering. Dan then tries to get to Martin, but discovers that it is just a ruse by the ring leader to take power on his own. The mission then takes a different direction when they add Rollin to impersonate Martin Boarmann. The plot flow that culminates in the demise of the ring leader is a bit inconsistent.
This episode repeats the Nazi theme used five episodes ago ("The Legacy") where this time a group of elder Nazi men come together to bring about a Fourth Reich. The IMF team's mission is to stop the ring leader behind the plot. They replace two of the expected German attendees with Dan and Cinammon. The group is told that Martin Boarmann is alive and well and being attended to by the ring leader of the gathering. Dan then tries to get to Martin, but discovers that it is just a ruse by the ring leader to take power on his own. The mission then takes a different direction when they add Rollin to impersonate Martin Boarmann. The plot flow that culminates in the demise of the ring leader is a bit inconsistent.
READY TO CATCH THE MYSTERIOUS NAZI!
tcchelsey10 September 2023
With acclaimed writer Mann Rubin behind this episode, you know it's going to be good. That said, I do agree with the last few reviewers the tech aspects (and obviously a tv budget) cut into the story, though it nevertheless is intriguing and was quite controversial in its day. Mann was one of the best writers for both movies and tv, prior films included the cult thriller WARNING SHOT, starring David Janssen.
The intriguing storyline again deals with Nazis, a theme all of us kids couldn't get enough of at the time. There's also some historical relevence to this episode. A few years prior to this story (1965), international police were closing in on the whereabouts of one of the top missing Nazi leaders, Martin Bormann. A retired postal clerk said he was paid to bury two bodies of Nazi officers at the close of WWII. Was it real -- or just another subterfuge to cloud his actual whereabouts.
This story picks up from there. The IMF team has a chance to apprehend Bormann, once the personal secretary to Hitler and his successor. International actor Gunner Hellstrom plays Rudd, a Nazi who is trying to create a new Nazi army and is in contact with Bormann! The only debit here is that Bormann appears to be a wax dummy (again the tech issues), however it's still rather creepy the way its all done. Watch carefully.
Also in the cast is Ben Wright, as Kleinster, a master of dialects who appeared in such classics as the SOUND OF MUSIC and MY FAIR LADY. Veteran heavy Gene Roth plays another desperate Nazi, and very convincingly.
Director Richard Benedict gets the best out of this cast, who also handled many episodes of HAWAII FIVE O. Benedict was also an actor for many years, usually playing tough guys in both comedies and dramas.
***On a factual note. Many years after this episode, in the early 70s, Bormann's body was in fact found and it was determined he committed suicide, a spineless coward, unable to face prosecutors.
Recommended for us real tough on crime history buffs, from SEASON 1, EPISODE 20 remastered Paramount dvd box set.
The intriguing storyline again deals with Nazis, a theme all of us kids couldn't get enough of at the time. There's also some historical relevence to this episode. A few years prior to this story (1965), international police were closing in on the whereabouts of one of the top missing Nazi leaders, Martin Bormann. A retired postal clerk said he was paid to bury two bodies of Nazi officers at the close of WWII. Was it real -- or just another subterfuge to cloud his actual whereabouts.
This story picks up from there. The IMF team has a chance to apprehend Bormann, once the personal secretary to Hitler and his successor. International actor Gunner Hellstrom plays Rudd, a Nazi who is trying to create a new Nazi army and is in contact with Bormann! The only debit here is that Bormann appears to be a wax dummy (again the tech issues), however it's still rather creepy the way its all done. Watch carefully.
Also in the cast is Ben Wright, as Kleinster, a master of dialects who appeared in such classics as the SOUND OF MUSIC and MY FAIR LADY. Veteran heavy Gene Roth plays another desperate Nazi, and very convincingly.
Director Richard Benedict gets the best out of this cast, who also handled many episodes of HAWAII FIVE O. Benedict was also an actor for many years, usually playing tough guys in both comedies and dramas.
***On a factual note. Many years after this episode, in the early 70s, Bormann's body was in fact found and it was determined he committed suicide, a spineless coward, unable to face prosecutors.
Recommended for us real tough on crime history buffs, from SEASON 1, EPISODE 20 remastered Paramount dvd box set.
More Nazis! But this time they're really stupid!
planktonrules6 February 2014
Only a few episodes, in "The Legacy", the IM Force battled a group of Nazis trying to create the Fourth Reich. Here in "The Legend" the same Nazi theme is revisited. You wonder why the Nazis in both episodes didn't just pool their resources! If you want to easily keep track of which one is which, remember that "The Legend" is the stupid one! While I have not yet finished re-watching all of season one, I would venture to say with relative certainty that "The Legend" is the worst episode of an otherwise excellent first season. The plot is dumb but the execution is just pathetic.
It seems that in 1967, folks still were unaware of the whereabouts of Martin Bormann--one of the highest ranking Nazis who could not be accounted for at that time (he was dead but his body wasn't yet discovered). A man named Friedrich Rudd claims to be the caretaker for Bormann and has invited a small group of aging high-ranking Nazis to come and hear Bormann declare a new Germany to be led by him. Here is the problem--Rudd OBVIOUSLY does not have Bormann and his attempt is just pathetic. This 'Bormann' is clearly a dummy and even though he's seen from behind a veil (which is pretty lame), it's obvious his lips aren't moving. So, when Dan Briggs (who is disguised as one of the old Nazi geezers) discovers this by sneaking into Bormann's room, it's only a surprise to the blind viewers. None of this makes any sense and the show is just stupid--totally stupid because of this gimmick. It's a tiny bit better when Rollin arrives and claims HE is Bormann--but by then it's just too late. Limp, stupid and an insult to the audience.
Charlie McCarthy would have been a more realistic Bormann--and at least he would have been funny as well!
It seems that in 1967, folks still were unaware of the whereabouts of Martin Bormann--one of the highest ranking Nazis who could not be accounted for at that time (he was dead but his body wasn't yet discovered). A man named Friedrich Rudd claims to be the caretaker for Bormann and has invited a small group of aging high-ranking Nazis to come and hear Bormann declare a new Germany to be led by him. Here is the problem--Rudd OBVIOUSLY does not have Bormann and his attempt is just pathetic. This 'Bormann' is clearly a dummy and even though he's seen from behind a veil (which is pretty lame), it's obvious his lips aren't moving. So, when Dan Briggs (who is disguised as one of the old Nazi geezers) discovers this by sneaking into Bormann's room, it's only a surprise to the blind viewers. None of this makes any sense and the show is just stupid--totally stupid because of this gimmick. It's a tiny bit better when Rollin arrives and claims HE is Bormann--but by then it's just too late. Limp, stupid and an insult to the audience.
Charlie McCarthy would have been a more realistic Bormann--and at least he would have been funny as well!
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