Robert Cleveland Johnson; ‘Mission: Impossible’ Voice

Robert Cleveland Johnson, 73, whose voice issued the weekly challenge on the television series “Mission: Impossible.” A native of Portland, Ore., Johnson was educated at Linfield College and Lewis and Clark College and became an accountant in the entertainment industry. But during service in the Army Air Corps during World War II, he began singing and announcing in variety shows. He had a long parallel career doing voice-overs and singing with the Roger Wagner Chorale and in background groups for such films as “Dr. Zhivago” and “Paint Your Wagon.” Johnson achieved his greatest notoriety during “Mission: Impossible’s” seven years on CBS and two on ABC, with the weekly litany: “Good morning, Mr. Phelps. Your mission, should you decide to accept it . . . “ He ended with the warning: “Should you or any member of the 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.” On Dec. 31 in Molokai, Hawaii, of heart failure.