Mission Impossible (1966) s02e20 Episode Script

The Counterfeiter

Good afternoon, Mr.
Phelps.
Raymond Halder, owner of a chain of clinics, is also the head of the largest drug counterfeiting ring in the U.
S.
He is behind the sale of millions of dollars worth of drugs that not only are useless, but often kill.
A new drug, Dilatrin, developed by Gant Pharmaceuticals, which could have saved thousands of victims of primary vascular disease, has been ineffective because Halder has flooded the market with worthless fakes.
Gant is about to reissue the drug in a different form in an attempt to beat the counterfeit problem.
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to stop Halder before the new Dilatrin is put on the market.
As always, should you or any of your IM Force be caught or killed, the secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.
This tape will self-destruct in five seconds.
Good luck, Jim.
The room suddenly started spinning.
That's the whole idea.
The ultrasonic waves penetrate to the inner ear.
This causes temporary vertigo.
One of the symptoms of primary vascular disease.
- Right, doctor? - That's right.
Vertigo, headaches, high blood pressure.
Usually, the headaches come first.
These frames are identical to the ones that Halder wears.
Only the lenses have been altered slightly.
Well, that will take care of his headaches.
What about his blood pressure reading? Well, even though he's lost his licence, he was a trained physician.
Still keeps a medical bag in the trunk of his car.
All we have to do is get to that bag and make some slight adjustments.
Doctor, what about the laser? I think it'll give you just what you want, gentlemen.
By the way, I was wondering, since the government knows all about Halder's counterfeiting the drugs, why don't they just arrest him? Under the present laws, most they can get him on is a misdemeanour.
They've investigated him thoroughly, been over his tax returns.
Halder Clinics reports every dime of income.
When I direct the laser beam into the two balloons, it will pass harmlessly through the clear balloon and break the red inner balloon.
In a human being, it will pass through the skin and rupture the subdermal blood vessel.
Will there be any permanent damage? No more than a simple bruise or nosebleed.
Shut them down! Kill the dies.
We're not making any more Dilatrin for a while.
- Why not? - Gant's pulling them off the market.
They're gonna issue a new tablet the first of the month.
I should get the details at a briefing they're holding this afternoon.
We'll switch to 400,000-unit penicillin tablets.
I'll get them right at it.
Harry, clear your counter.
All right, stay right where you are, everybody.
Federal Drug Control.
Move away from there.
All right, you're all under arrest.
The building and everything in it is impounded as evidence.
You drug control people can't arrest anybody.
That's right.
But this is Detective Sergeant Lowther of the city police.
He can.
- All right, let's go.
Everybody, let's go.
- Now, just a minute.
Hold it, mister.
Whatever you got to say, you say it from there.
The only thing I want to say is that I don't know anything about this.
Then what are you doing here? I'm Raymond Halder of the Halder Clinics.
My associate and I were here buying drugs.
Counterfeit drugs? Oh, no.
We buy drugs here because they're less expensive.
Yes, that's right.
They're just here looking for a bargain.
They don't know anything.
All right, you two can go.
You know, if these people were trying to sell me counterfeit drugs, I owe you my thanks and the thanks of my patients at the Halder Clinics.
I want to see you in your office, Mr.
Halder.
Three o'clock this afternoon.
Okay, everybody, let's go.
Stick around.
Keep an eye on the equipment.
- I got a funny feeling about this.
- Right.
Ladies and gentlemen, I'm Charles Gant, president of Gant Pharmaceuticals.
As you all know, our drug Dilatrin has been so widely counterfeited we have no choice but to withdraw it from the market.
However, I think we have devised a plan that will enable us to reissue the drug and, at the same time, greatly reduce the possibility of counterfeiting.
Miss Katherine Borden of our drug security section has worked out the details.
I shall ask her to explain them to you.
This is the current Dilatrin tablet with which we're all familiar.
This is a drawing of what the new tablet is going to look like.
You will notice we have not coloured in the tablet.
We intend to change the colour, as well as the identifying trademark, every 30 days.
These changes will be announced to you by our representatives only.
Try to make your initial purchase just enough to cover that 30-day period.
This should allow us to stay one step ahead of any drug counterfeiters who might attempt to duplicate the tablet.
Working out just fine.
I just have to focus this stylus.
The window.
Therefore, we suggest that you return all the Dilatrin you have in stock to us.
As a point of information, we've discovered that the counterfeits tend to crumble very easily.
Are there any questions? I'm Raymond Halder, Halder Clinics.
We have millions of your Dilatrin tablets on hand.
Will we be reimbursed when we turn them in? Obviously, Mr.
Halder, we can't do that.
It's costing us a great deal already just to redesign the tablet and change the colour every month.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, if there are any further questions, I'll be very glad to answer them.
Excuse me.
Excuse me.
- Mr.
Halder.
- Yes? Perhaps I could help you determine if the Dilatrin you have in your clinics is counterfeit or real.
It might save you the cost of replacing the entire supply.
- You would do that? - I would, yes.
Why didn't I think of something like this before? With someone like you on the staff of Halder Clinics, we could eliminate the problem of counterfeit drugs once and for all.
You would check each shipment before we accept it.
That would be an excellent idea if you could afford it.
Double your present salary.
Don't give me your answer right away.
Give me a chance to sell you on Halder Clinics.
How about having dinner with me tonight? Mr.
Halder, I'm really very happy with my present job.
At least hear me out.
Even if you don't wanna make the change, you've lost nothing and you've had a good dinner.
All right, 8:00.
Mr.
Halder, as I see it, there are two ways to go.
I can keep on hounding you.
I can keep hitting you with misdemeanours.
I can $500 fine you to death.
Maybe I can even put you away in the county farm for 60 or 90 days.
Or I can let you operate.
Sort of live and let live, you know? Just out of curiosity, how high do you figure on living? I make 142.
50 a week working for the FDC.
If I could, say, double that, that'd be living enough.
How do I know I can trust you? It's not gonna cost you much to find out.
All right, you're on the payroll.
One more thing that has to be settled before we close this negotiation.
You know that cop that was with me this morning? He has to be taken care of too.
You're gonna shake me down for an extra buck, huh? How do I know he's in this? Take a look out your window.
What is it? You okay? I don't know.
Dizzy.
All right, he wants in.
- Who says I need him? - He does.
If I were you, I'd take his opinion pretty seriously.
What do you mean by that? He's a hard cop, Mr.
Halder.
He's tough.
You can't tell what he might do.
You know, you people in the drug business are vulnerable.
He might just take it into his head one day to pick you up for carrying the wrong kind of drugs.
The illegal kind.
He can do it, believe me.
Get him up here.
I figured you were trying to play big man and square a pinch for this lady, but this is something else.
Look, if you're trying to up the ante, why don't you just say so and get it over with? Now, take it easy, Halder.
If he gets what he wants from this Miss Borden, he stands to make a fortune, right? - That's right.
- So let him pay what it's worth.
Tell me one thing, can you do it? Yeah, I can do it, and it'll work.
People, well, they get kind of tight and clammy when you put the cuffs on and it starts pinching their wrists.
And how much? Ten big ones.
All right, you've got a deal.
Thanks a lot.
Just see to it that she's in your apartment by midnight.
I'll take it from there.
Eddie back yet? Send him in.
- What about the crew? - Usual, out on $250 bail.
Get them together and out to the warehouse.
We'll be back in business tonight.
The new Dilatrin? If we're not careful, we may be on the market with them ahead of Gant Pharmaceuticals.
- Wait for me here.
- Right, Mr.
Halder.
Here we are.
- Here, let me help you.
- Thank you.
Won't you sit down? Now, what can I get you? Scotch, brandy, coffee? Brandy would be lovely.
- There you are.
- Thank you.
Aren't you going to join me? I think I'll have a couple of aspirin first.
Then some brandy.
- Headache? - I've had it all day, not bad.
Excuse me a moment, please.
All right, Mac, move it.
Officer, I was told to wait right here.
Don't care what you were told.
You're in a no-parking zone.
- Now, come on, let's move it.
- All right, officer, I'll move it.
- This car belong to Halder? - Yeah, it's his car.
- See to it it stays where it is.
- Yes, sir.
And while you're at it, keep an eye on my car.
Right.
I'm flattered, Mr.
Halder, I really am, but I think I'd be happier staying at Gant Pharmaceuticals.
Who can that be at this hour? What do you want? - You Katherine Borden? - Yes.
You're under arrest.
Why? What am I supposed to have done? You're gonna play it dumb, is that it? All right.
Illegal possession, narcotics.
You Halder? Yes, Raymond Halder.
Miss Borden is a friend of mine.
You ought to be more careful who you invite into your house.
Look, I don't know what you're looking for.
I haven't done anything.
This must be some mistake.
Key to a rental locker.
Where is it? I've never seen that key before.
All right, let's go.
Go? Where? Central bus depot.
We're gonna take a look inside that locker.
- Just a minute - Look, mister, you're out of this.
Take my advice, you keep it that way, huh? This lady is a friend of mine.
If you're taking her anywhere, I'm going with you.
Suit yourself.
- This your car? - Yes.
Follow me.
- Need any help? - Everything's under control, thanks.
Amphetamines.
Must be a couple of thousand here.
I don't suppose you got a prescription for these, do you? - All right, let's go.
- Just a minute, officer.
May I speak to you privately for a moment? Yeah.
She doesn't know what's going on.
That's the whole idea, doc.
Make your move.
All right, take a couple of seconds.
And don't try anything.
What's going on? I don't understand what's going on.
Look, I don't know how those pills got in there and I don't care.
I only know he's willing to give you a break.
He'll forget the whole thing for $5,000.
Five thousand dollars? I don't have $5,000.
- Besides, I - I know where you can get it.
I have a friend who'd pay twice that to know what the new Dilatrin's gonna look like.
- I'll advance you the money.
- You can't mean that.
Look, you're in trouble.
Big trouble.
You could get up to five years for possession of those pills.
Look, I didn't put them in there.
I don't know anything about them.
Okay, even if you were able to convince the jury of that, the publicity would ruin you.
You'd be out of the drug business for good.
Now, my way I can't go your way, Mr.
Halder.
All right, that's it.
Let's go.
You'll never get away with this.
You planted those pills so that I'd have to pay you.
- Is that what you're gonna tell them? - You bet it is.
It's a good thing I got a witness.
All right, let's go.
This is Lowther.
I'm bringing in a 5-12.
Borden.
B-O-R-D-E-N.
First name Katherine.
You work at Gant Pharmaceuticals? She's a bigwig at Gant Pharmaceuticals.
Yeah, I think we ought to let the TV and press boys in on this.
Coming in right now.
Out.
I can still get you out of this.
All right, move away, we're pulling out.
Wait.
Mr.
Halder, it's gonna have to be your way.
Sergeant? I'll pay you back, Mr.
Halder.
I don't know how or when, but I'll pay you back.
Not somehow and not sometime.
You'll pay me back now.
And in the way we agreed.
That's it.
I want them delivered in batches of 10,000 as they come off the presses.
Yes, sir, Mr.
Halder.
Did she give you the changes for the next 12 months? Oh, yeah.
- Good.
Now let's look at the tablets.
- Right.
Well, the compression, texture and shape are fine.
I don't taste any medication at all.
What's in these tablets? The same thing we use in penicillin, digitalis, insulin, whatever we make.
Milk powder.
Let's see how the coating looks.
- Turn it on.
- Gene.
All right, turn it off.
They don't crumble.
Won't be able to tell them from the real thing.
All right, give it the full run.
All right, boys, let's get to work.
Eddie.
- Yeah, doc? - Get my bag out of my car.
Are you okay, boss? - Just get it, Eddie.
- Yeah.
I imagine I can leave, now that I've told your friend all he wanted to know.
You leave when I tell you to.
I kept my part of the bargain.
I'm due at work.
There's a phone there.
Call them and tell them you're not coming in.
Call them.
I said, call them.
Mr.
Fletcher, please.
Be careful what you say.
Mr.
Fletcher, this is Katherine Borden.
I'm sorry, I won't be in to work today.
No, no, just a little cold.
I will, thank you.
It won't be long now.
Now, doctor, it is important that you're absolutely certain that Halder has never been in this clinic before.
No, he's apparently interested only in the business end of medicine.
We've never laid eyes on him, except for those.
Here you are, doc.
- Pull that, tight.
- Yeah.
Do the arm.
- Hold that there.
- Yeah.
How bad is it, doc? Two hundred and fifty over 101.
What is it? Let me see.
Everything looks okay.
- Call an ambulance, quick.
- Sure, doc.
Get them back to work.
All right, you men, get back to whatever you were doing.
Try to stay calm.
Doc, the ambulance is on the way.
This emergency case is Raymond Halder.
One of his own clinics is around the corner on 16th Street.
Take him there.
Eddie, take care of her.
Make it look like an accident.
- Now may I go? - Sure, I'll take you.
No, I'd rather go alone.
You'll do what I tell you.
Drop it, Eddie.
He said, "Drop it.
" I know you were a physician once yourself, Mr.
Halder, so I'm not gonna beat around the bush.
The stroke was brought on by primary vascular disease.
It's not really that gloomy, Mr.
Halder.
Recently, a great deal of progress has been made in this area.
There's a pill that's been developed called Dilatrin.
With it, you'll probably live to be 90.
Without it, there's no hope.
There you are.
These are no good.
Of course they are.
The enteric coating is just dryer than usual, that's all.
They're no good, I tell you.
They're useless.
Call Gant Pharmaceuticals.
Get their new pill.
Now, easy, Halder.
Mr.
Halder, you must take these pills.
They're no good, I tell you.
They're counterfeit.
Nonsense.
Look at the trademark.
Here's the carton.
Gant's Dilatrin.
- They're counterfeit.
- Now, now, Mr.
Halder.
I know.
I made them.
Mr.
Halder, you must take these pills for your own good.
Stupid, I made and sold millions of them.
Probably every bottle you have in this clinic.
Now listen to me.
Call Gant, see? Get the new pill.
If I don't have the real thing, I'll die.
No, you're not going to die, Mr.
Halder.
See, you didn't really have a stroke.
And you don't need Dilatrin.
Barney? You figure that constitutes a confession, huh? You went to a lot of trouble to make a misdemeanour stick.
What is it? Five hundred dollars fine and six months in jail? That's just for making the drugs.
You confessed to selling them.
But your tax returns didn't show any income from those sales.
Which means, Mr.
Halder, you're gonna spend the next 20 years in a federal prison for tax fraud.

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