Mission: Impossible - "The Diamond"

Original Air Date: February 4, 1967

Directed by: Robert Douglas

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains spoilers for this episode!

Synopsis: The team is assigned to retrieve the world’s largest diamond from Prime Minister Henrik Durvard (John Van Dreelen) who plans to sell the uncut gem in order to obtain more power.

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): Durvard owns a Siamese cat named Josephine who runs into the room as Durvard is talking to Cinnamon (Barbara Bain). Josephine joins them on the couch and Durvard pets her and talks to her lovingly.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine entering room

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine on couch with Henrik Durvard John Van Dreelen and Cinnamon Barbara Bain

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine crossing room and jumping on couch with Henrik Durvard John Van Dreelen and Cinnamon Barbara Bain animated gif

Cinnamon’s “associate” Rollin Hand (Martin Landau) enters the room and approaches Durvard to greet him. Durvard does not get up, explaining, “Josephine can not be disturbed.”

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine on couch with Henrik Durvard John Van Dreelen and Cinnamon Barbara Bain with Rollin Hand Martin Landau behind

Josephine stays in Durvard’s lap through the beginning of their following conversation.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine being held by Henrik Durvard John Van Dreelen

After Cinnamon and Hand leave, Durvard’s associate Henks (Woodrow Parfrey) enters with Josephine on his shoulder.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine on shoulder of Henks Woodrow Parfrey

Durvard takes the cat from him and they discuss their thoughts about their visitors.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine held by Henrik Durvard John Van Dreelen with Henks Woodrow Parfrey

Part of the team’s plan is to switch a diamond cut from the large stone with a fake one to convince Durvard they can duplicate diamonds. Barney Collier (Greg Morris) and Willy Armitage (Peter Lupus) are in charge of this theft. They use gas to put Durvard and his guard to sleep and then Collier uses a claw on a long pole to retrieve the diamond from Durvard’s pocket. But Josephine suddenly runs into the room.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine running into room

The Siamese cat jumps on Durvard on the bed, or rather is “catapulted” onto the actor by someone off screen.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine on sleeping Henrik Durvard John Van Dreelen in bed

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine thrown into bed with Durvard John Van Dreelen with Willy Armitage Peter Lupus listening animated gif

Collier is trying to put the fake diamond into the Durvard’s box only to have Josephine start playing with the claw, nuzzling it and knocking the faux gem to the floor.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine playing with diamond in extended claw

Josephine constantly interferes with Collier’s attempts to get a hold of the fake diamond, treating it all like some kind of game.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine playing with diamond in extended claw held by Barney Collier Greg Morris animated gif

Josephine follows the claw to the outlet hole and peers into the room where Collier and Armitage are working.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine following extended claw

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine looking through hole in wall

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine looking through hole in wall at Barney Collier Greg Morris and Willy Armitage Peter Lupus animated gif

The men end up putting more gas into the room to knock Josephine out so they can continue their work.

Mission: Impossible - The Diamond - Siamese cat Josephine lying on carpeted floor

It would appear that at least two different Siamese cat actors were used for the part (the one playing with the claw is a darker color). While we do not know the identity of the specific cat actors, they were very likely trained by Frank Inn who provided Orangey for another episode of this series.