It Takes a Thief is an American action-adventure television series that aired on ABC for three seasons between 1968 and 1970. It stars Robert Wagner in his television debut as sophisticated thief Alexander Mundy, who works for the U.S. government in return for his release from prison. The program features the adventures of Mundy, a cat burglar, pickpocket, and thief who steals to finance his life as a polished playboy and sophisticate. He is serving time in San Jobel prison when the U.S. government's SIA (the fictional Secret Intelligence Agency) proposes a deal to Mundy: steal for the government in exchange for his freedom. Mundy is puzzled and asks, "Let me get this straight. You want me to steal?" In the main opening titles, his new SIA boss, Noah Bain, uses the catch phrase, "Oh, look, Al, I'm not asking you to spy. I'm just asking you to steal."
This is a list of episodes for the television series.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "A Thief Is a Thief" | Leslie Stevens | Roland Kibbee & Leslie Stevens | January 9, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Senta Berger, Raymond Burr, Leslie Nielsen, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Wally Cox, Les Crane, James Drury, Doug McClure, Kurt Kasznar, Joe Louis, Susan Saint James, Michael Forest, Anita Eubank, Willi Koopman, Stuart Margolin and Donald Barry | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "It Takes One to Know One" | Leslie Stevens | Leslie Stevens | January 16, 1968 | |
| 3 | 3 | "When Boy Meets Girl" | Don Weis | Dean Hargrove | January 30, 1968 | |
| 4 | 4 | "A Very Warm Reception" | Don Weis | Leslie Stevens | February 6, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Simon Oakland, Katherine Crawford, Gavin MacLeod, Hagan Beggs, Stanley Waxman and Ilka Windish [1] | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "One Illegal Angel" | Leonard Horn | Stephen Kandel | February 13, 1968 | |
| 6 | 6 | "Totally by Design" | Michael Caffey | T : Dean Hargrove S/T : Alvin Sapinsley | February 20, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Tina Louise, John van Dreelen, Mari Blanchard, Ron Soble, Oscar Beregi, Jr. and Francine York [1] | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "When Thieves Fall In" | Don Weis | Leslie Stevens | February 27, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Susan Saint James, Mario Alcade, Terry Jenkins, Ben Wright, Ben Astar, Cec Linder, Charlene Holt, Amzie Strickland and Lorna Thayer [1] | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "A Spot of Trouble" | Herschel Daugherty | S : Mort Zarcoff S/T : Gene L. Coon | March 5, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Katherine Crawford, William Campbell, Cliff Osmond, Joan Patrick and Barbara Rhoades | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "When Good Friends Get Together" | Lee H. Katzin | Dean Hargrove | March 12, 1968 | |
| 10 | 10 | "Birds of a Feather" | Don Weis | Glen A. Larson | March 19, 1968 | |
| 11 | 11 | "To Steal a Battleship" | Michael Caffey | Jerry Devine | March 26, 1968 | |
| 12 | 12 | "Turnabout" | Don Weis | S : Mort Zarcoff S/T : Gene L. Coon | April 2, 1968 | |
| 13 | 13 | "The Radomir Miniature" | Michael Caffey | Stephen Kandel | April 9, 1968 | |
| 14 | 14 | "Locked in the Cradle of the Keep" | Leonard Horn | Dick Nelson | April 16, 1968 | |
| 15 | 15 | "A Matter of Royal Larceny" | Michael Caffey | Tony Barrett | April 23, 1968 | |
| 16 | 16 | "The Lay of the Land" | Don Weis | T : Alvin R. Friedman S/T : Richard Collins | April 30, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Hermione Gingold; Sheila Larken (introducing); Larry D. Mann, Stuart Margolin, Helen Funai, Cathy Lee Crosby [1] | ||||||
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 | 1 | "One Night on Soledade" | Don Weis | Alan Caillou | September 24, 1968 | |
| 18 | 2 | "A Sour Note" | Don Weis | S : Mort Zarcoff S/T : Gene L. Coon | October 1, 1968 | |
| 19 | 3 | "The Bill Is in Committee" | Don Weis | Elroy Schwartz | October 8, 1968 | |
| 20 | 4 | "The Thingamabob Heist" | Jack Arnold | Burt Styler | October 15, 1968 | |
| 21 | 5 | "Get Me to the Revolution on Time" | Leonard Horn | Paul Tuckahoe & Glen A. Larson | October 22, 1968 | |
| 22 | 6 | "The Packager" | Leonard Horn | Leonard Stadd | October 29, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Alex Dreier and Lee Meredith | ||||||
| 23 | 7 | "Hans Across the Border: Part 1" | Don Weis | Glen A. Larson | November 12, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Joseph Cotten, Pamela Austin and Willi Koopmann | ||||||
| 24 | 8 | "Hans Across the Border: Part 2" | Don Weis | Glen A. Larson | November 19, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Joseph Cotten, Pamela Austin and Willi Koopmann | ||||||
| 25 | 9 | "A Case of Red Turnips" | Don Weis | Mort Zarcoff | November 26, 1968 | |
Guest star: Noel Harrison | ||||||
| 26 | 10 | "The Galloping Skin Game" | Michael Caffey | S : Leigh Chapman S/T : Gene L. Coon | December 3, 1968 | |
| 27 | 11 | "Glass Riddle" | George Tyne | B.W. Sandefur | December 17, 1968 | |
Guest stars: Mrs. Robert Wagner (Marion Marshall) and Jason Evers | ||||||
| 28 | 12 | "To Catch a Roaring Lion" | Marc Daniels | Robert Malcolm Young | December 31, 1968 | |
| 29 | 13 | "Guess Who's Coming to Rio?" | Bruce Kessler | Glen A. Larson | January 7, 1969 | |
| 30 | 14 | "The Artist Is For Framing" | Don Weis | Glen A. Larson & Marty Roth | January 21, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Paul Henreid and Gia Scala | ||||||
| 31 | 15 | "The Naked Billionaire" | Norman Foster | Stephen Kandel | January 28, 1969 | |
Guest star: Sally Kellerman | ||||||
| 32 | 16 | "A Matter of Grey Matter: Part 1" | Jack Arnold | T : Gene L. Coon S/T : Tony Barrett | February 4, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Joey Heatherton and Barry Williams | ||||||
| 33 | 17 | "A Matter of Grey Matter: Part 2" | Jack Arnold | T : Gene L. Coon S/T : Tony Barrett | February 11, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Joey Heatherton and Barry Williams | ||||||
| 34 | 18 | "Catspaw" | Jerry Hopper | T : Glen A. Larson S/T : Joel Kane | February 18, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Fernando Lamas and Sharon Acker | ||||||
| 35 | 19 | "Boom at the Top" | Paul Stanley | Glen A. Larson | February 25, 1969 | |
| 36 | 20 | "The Funeral Is on Mundy" | Allen Reisner | Steohen Kandel | March 11, 1969 | |
Guest star: Julie Newmar | ||||||
| 37 | 21 | "The Baranoff Time Table" | Michael O'Herlihy | T : Mort Zarcoff S/T : Carey Wilbur | March 18, 1969 | |
Guest star: Jessica Walter | ||||||
| 38 | 22 | "Rock-Bye, Bye, Baby" | Semour Robbie | Mort Zarcoff | March 25, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Gavin MacLeod, Melodie Johnson, Edmond O'Brien | ||||||
| 39 | 23 | "The Family" | Joseph Sargent | T : David P. Harmon S/T : K. C. Alison | April 1, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Geraldine Brooks, Carla Borelli | ||||||
| 40 | 24 | "38-23-36" | Tony Leader | Elroy Schwartz | April 8, 1969 | |
Guest star: Nancy Kovack | ||||||
| 41 | 25 | "The Great Chess Gambit" | Jeannot Szwarc | Glen A. Larson & Bruce Belland | April 15, 1969 | |
| 42 | 26 | "Mad in Japan" | George Tyne | Mort Zarcoff | April 22, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Sharon Acker, Alex Dreier | ||||||
Malachi Throne was no longer a regular cast member by this time, and his Noah Bain was no longer a regular character; Edward Binns's Wallie Powers had become Alexander Mundy's boss.
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 1 | "Saturday Night in Venice" | Jack Arnold | Stephen Kandel | September 25, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Delia Boccardo and John Russell | ||||||
| 44 | 2 | "Who'll Bid Two Million Dollars?" | Jeannot Szwarc | Robert I. Holt | October 2, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Edward Binns, Nicoletta Machiavelli and Paola Pitagora Peter Sellers (special guest star) | ||||||
| 45 | 3 | "The Beautiful People" | Jeannot Szwarc | Glen A. Larson | October 9, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Teri Garr and John Van Dreelen | ||||||
| 46 | 4 | "The Great Casino Caper" | Jack Arnold | Glen A. Larson | October 16, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Fred Astaire and Adolfo Celi | ||||||
| 47 | 5 | "Flowers from Alexander" | Bruce Kessler | Glen A. Larson | October 23, 1969 | |
Guest star: Senta Berger | ||||||
| 48 | 6 | "The Blue, Blue Danube" | Bruce Kessler | Oscar Brodney | October 30, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Martine Beswick and John Russell | ||||||
| 49 | 7 | "The Three Virgins of Rome" | Jack Arnold | Glen A. Larson | November 6, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Karin Dor and Edmund Purdom | ||||||
| 50 | 8 | "Payoff in the Piazza" | Gerd Oswald | Oscar Brodney | November 13, 1969 | |
Guest stars: David Opatoshu, Rudy Solari, Carla Borelli and John Russell | ||||||
| 51 | 9 | "The King of Thieves" | Bruce Kessler | Glen A. Larson | November 20, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Martha Hyer, Edward Binns and Lionel Stander | ||||||
| 52 | 10 | "A Friend in Deed" | Bruce Kessler | B.W. Sandefur | November 27, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Henry Silva, Frankie Avalon, Thomas Gomez and John Russell | ||||||
| 53 | 11 | "The Second Time Around" | Gerd Oswald | Glen A. Larson | December 4, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Adolfo Celi, Edward Binns and Alice Ghostley | ||||||
| 54 | 12 | "The Old Who Came in from the Spy" | Gerd Oswald | S : Jeannot Szwarc S/T : Sy Salkowitz | December 11, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Elsa Lanchester, Edward Binns, Francis Lederer and Richard Haydn | ||||||
| 55 | 13 | "To Lure a Man" | Barry Shear | Sy Salkowitz | December 18, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Wilfrid Hyde-White and Tina Sinatra | ||||||
| 56 | 14 | "The Scorpio Drop" | Robert Gist | William Bast | December 25, 1969 | |
Guest stars: Gale Sondergaard and Eduard Franz | ||||||
| 57 | 15 | "Nice Girls Marry Stockbrokers" | Barry Shear | S : Byron Twiggs T : Norman Hudis | January 12, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Michele Carey and Geoffrey Holder | ||||||
| 58 | 16 | "The Steal-Driving Man" | Glen A. Larson | Glen A. Larson | January 19, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Dick Smothers, Felicia Farr, Edward Binns and Mario Andretti | ||||||
| 59 | 17 | "Touch of Magic" | Gerd Oswald | Oscar Brodney | January 26, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Bette Davis and Edward Binns | ||||||
| 60 | 18 | "Fortune City" | Barry Shear | Sy Salkowitz | February 2, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Stefanie Powers and Timothy Carey | ||||||
| 61 | 19 | "Situation Red" | Joseph Sargent | Glen A. Larson | February 9, 1970 | |
Guest star: Earl Holliman | ||||||
| 62 | 20 | "To Sing a Song of Murder" | Barry Shear | Norman Hudis | February 23, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Joseph Cotten, Will Kuluva and Beah Richards Special appearance by: The 5th Dimension | ||||||
| 63 | 21 | "The Suzie Simone Caper" | Don Taylor | T : Oscar Brodney S/T : William Bast | March 2, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Susan Saint James and Edward Binns | ||||||
| 64 | 22 | "An Evening with Alister Mundy" | Jack Arnold | Glen A. Larson | March 9, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Edward Binns, Francesco Mule and Gavin MacLeod | ||||||
| 65 | 23 | "Beyond a Treasonable Doubt" | Barry Shear | Norman Hudis | March 16, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Ahna Capri and Joseph Cotten Cesar Romero (special guest star) | ||||||
| 66 | 24 | "Project X" | Jack Arnold | Glen A. Larson | March 23, 1970 | |
Guest stars: Tina Sinatra, Kate Woodville, Edward Binns Wally Cox (special guest star) | ||||||