In A World...Where Six Diplomats Were Held Hostage...Hollywood Helped Plan A Daring Escape.
October 12, 2011 5:57 AM Subscribe
In 1979, when Iranian students initially siezed the American Embassy in Tehran, six diplomats were working in an outbuilding and managed to escape, fleeing to the Canadian embassy for refuge. Canada offered to smuggle the trapped Americans out of Iran using faked Canadian passports. However, they told the CIA, they'd need a cover story. CIA operative Tony Mendez, an infiltration expert, had an unusual idea -- form a fake Hollywood production company and say the six were location scouts for an upcoming sci-fi film.
Mendez had contacts in Hollywood, including John Chambers, Oscar-winning makeup artist for Planet of the Apes, and Bob Sidell, a special effects artist; he asked both to join him in setting up a fake production company, "Studio Six". Chambers knew of a project they could claim as theirs: Lord of Light, a recently-abandoned project set on a desert planet. Chambers also had access to the storyboards and concept sketchwork (which had been done by none other than comic book artist Jack Kirby), including notes on a potential future theme park based on the film. Mendez, Chambers, and Sidell renamed the film "Argo", took out a full-page "coming Soon!" ad in Variety and even drew up a fake poster for the film.
Mendez then flew to Iran to meet with his "advance team" -- slipping the diplomats their faked Canadian passports and briefing them on the cover story -- while Chambers and Sidell manned the "Studio Six" office in Hollywood trying to fend off questions from curious entertainment reporters and maintaining appearances. Mendez and the diplomats -- whom Mendez had told to dress in open-necked shirts and gaudy silver jewelry, like "Hollywood guys" -- safely left Tehran in late January, 1980.
When news of the "Canadian Caper" finally broke, there was a flurry of gratitude from the US, with billboards reading "Thank you, Canada!" turning up across the United States for a time. A joint Canadian/American TV movie dramatized the event in 1981, and Ben Affleck is set to play Mendez in an upcoming feature film.
Mendez had contacts in Hollywood, including John Chambers, Oscar-winning makeup artist for Planet of the Apes, and Bob Sidell, a special effects artist; he asked both to join him in setting up a fake production company, "Studio Six". Chambers knew of a project they could claim as theirs: Lord of Light, a recently-abandoned project set on a desert planet. Chambers also had access to the storyboards and concept sketchwork (which had been done by none other than comic book artist Jack Kirby), including notes on a potential future theme park based on the film. Mendez, Chambers, and Sidell renamed the film "Argo", took out a full-page "coming Soon!" ad in Variety and even drew up a fake poster for the film.
Mendez then flew to Iran to meet with his "advance team" -- slipping the diplomats their faked Canadian passports and briefing them on the cover story -- while Chambers and Sidell manned the "Studio Six" office in Hollywood trying to fend off questions from curious entertainment reporters and maintaining appearances. Mendez and the diplomats -- whom Mendez had told to dress in open-necked shirts and gaudy silver jewelry, like "Hollywood guys" -- safely left Tehran in late January, 1980.
When news of the "Canadian Caper" finally broke, there was a flurry of gratitude from the US, with billboards reading "Thank you, Canada!" turning up across the United States for a time. A joint Canadian/American TV movie dramatized the event in 1981, and Ben Affleck is set to play Mendez in an upcoming feature film.
This post was deleted for the following reason: Double. :( -- taz
He was also featured on Errol Morris's short-lived IFC show "First Person."
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 6:08 AM on October 12, 2011
posted by (Arsenio) Hall and (Warren) Oates at 6:08 AM on October 12, 2011
Arrrrgh! I SWEAR I searched for a previously.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:09 AM on October 12, 2011
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 6:09 AM on October 12, 2011
Don't depend on the site search.
"iran hostage" for mefi posts finds nothing, whereas it's the first thing on google.
posted by zamboni at 6:13 AM on October 12, 2011
"iran hostage" for mefi posts finds nothing, whereas it's the first thing on google.
posted by zamboni at 6:13 AM on October 12, 2011
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posted by zamboni at 6:07 AM on October 12, 2011