MISSION IMPOSSIBLE - "The Contender Part 2" (1968)

 

I wasn't originally going to do this write up on Part 2 of "The Contender," but I still wanted to watch it, and when I did, I felt like I had no choice for a couple of reasons, so that's why this Saturday Night Special is what it is!

 

Barney, doing his best impersonation of the boxer Richy Lemoine is finally ready to show off his skills!

 

Sugar Ray Robinson as henchman Wesley is enjoying the demonstration quite a bit!

 

The team has secretly installed a device that will guarantee Barney's victory. This is the control panel!

 

And this baby is full of something that will bring his opponent literally to his knees.

 

When the fighter goes to use the spit bowl, he gets a big hit of whatever was in that vial.

 

Barney's opponent is quickly disposed of and then the chump of a champ Ernie Staczek sucker punches Barney outside the ring! Robert (The Silencers, Dimension 5, The Dirty Dozen) Phillips plays Staczek!

 

 

Charles Buckman has a pretty cool ride.

 

Here's where they started to lose me. How is it that Barbara Bain as Cinnamon Carter is able to get close to big shot Buckman without him ever trying to get her into bed. Something tells me that's what he would have done on the very first day he met her, but somehow weeks go by, and he's satisfied with just her companionship. It just doesn't work that way.

 

Wesley puts the squeeze on Rollin Hand!

 

And here's when space and time get scrambled to unbelievable proportions. Barney wins one fight after another which appears to happen in a matter of days. Sure, back in the day, fighters fought a lot more often than they do today, but still, five bouts is going to at least have to span a few months or even a few years time.

 

Barney as Richy Lemoine moves up through the ranks at an incredible pace!

 

Barney wins one fight after another and now it's time for his big pay day!

 

The time has come for Staczek and Barney as Lemoine to duke it out once and for all.

 

Now is when the real trouble begins! Buckman tells Barney that he needs to throw the upcoming championship match with Staczek, something that Barney is not real comfortable with, but the reason they've gone to all this trouble in the first place.

 

Great shot of the action through the eyes of the real Richy Lemoine.

 

In this great shot of a clinch, Staczek asks Barney what the Hell he's doing. How come he's fighting back so hard, and not going down!

 

Buckman tells Wesley that he's pretty sure they have a problem that he's going to need to deal with! He then gives Wesley a thumbtack, and Wesley is able to get it into Staczek's glove. It does cut Barney, but not badly enough to stop the fight!

 

Despite all that, Barney closes the deal, and Buckman and his associates are not happy!

 

Sweet dreams Staczek!

 

After the fight, and back in the locker room, they switch Barney and Richy back out, and nobody notices it's not quite the same guy! That's really expecting a lot out of the gullible audience, but then it was an impossible mission, so what else is new?