The Invaders 1.09

Quantity: Unknown

A small airplane crashes into a mountain side. There are no bodies found in the wreckage but there is a mysterious cylinder which seems to be weightless. The cylinder is sent to Sperrick Laboratories.

A delivery vehicle is stopped on its way to Sperrick Laboratories by two Invaders, disguised as security guards. They kill the driver and start to search the vehicle when they are interrupted by real security guards from Sperrick. The Invaders get into a shoot out with the real guards. One invader and both security guards are killed. The other runs off into the hills as more security guards show up.

David Vincent shows up at Sperrick Laboratories. He talks to A. J. Richards, the man who runs the place, and convinces him to set a trap for whoever was after the cylinder. Richards reluctantly agrees. A copy of the cylinder is made and sent to Cleveland. The Invaders watch from a distance as the box containing the cylinder is sent but they don't attempt to steal it. Vincent is kicked out of Sperrick Laboratories for creating a nuisance. 

Vincent is attacked by Harry Swain, one of the security guards. Swain is convinced that Vincent is one of the Invaders. Vincent convinces him otherwise and then learns from Swain how he knew about the aliens. He agrees to work with Swain.

Vincent gets a visit from Diane Oberly, one of the technicians at Sperrick. She tells him that she thinks she is being watched. He convinces her to go back to the lab while he goes to meet with Swain, who was attacked by Invaders. Vincent suggests to Swain that they should steal the cylinder. Swain says he knows a man in New Orleans who can get the cylinder to the Pentagon, Colonel Griffith.

David and Swain break into Sperrick that night. Swain is so determined to get the cylinder that he shoots Mr. Richards and one of the other security guards. He gives David the cylinder after he gets it from Diane. He tells Vincent to make a run for it. Swain gets into a gun fight with other security guards in one of the labs and a fire breaks out. Swain is trapped in the lab.

David travels to New Orleans to deliver the cylinder to Colonel Griffith. Swain, who is also one of the Invaders, is also in Griffith's office. The cylinder contains the Invaders' invasion plans. Vincent pulls a gun and kills Griffith. Swain chases Vincent who retrieves the cylinder from a hiding spot. The two men fall into some water near a manmade waterfall. Swain winds up going over the waterfall but he survives long enough to make it to the cylinder. He disintegrates as he touches the cylinder which disintegrates with him.

Thoughts

James Whitmore played the part of Harry Swain. He has over 150 screen credits, according to IMDb. He also appeared in episode of The Twilight Zone and The Fugitive. He had a small but memorable part in The Shawshank Redemption.

Susan Strasberg played the part of Diane Oberly. She was the daughter of Lee Strasberg, director of the Actor's Studio. She had lots of television and movie credits but none that really jumped out at me.

William Talman played the part of Colonel Griffith. He was a regular on Perry Mason from 1957-1966 where he played Hamilton Berger. This episode of The Invaders was his next to last screen credit. He died the year after it was released.

I don't recall them naming the location of Sperrick Laboratories. Usually they do. The only real world location was New Orleans but according to IMDb the scenes that were set in New Orleans were actually shot in Los Angeles at the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial.

This was one of the better ones. There was a point in the episode where it seemed like either Harry Swain or Diane Oberly was one of the Invaders but I couldn't figure out which one it was. I think that's the first time I've seen that in this show.