What is the real story behind Argo?
Ex-CIA agent Tony Mendez, who inspired the Oscar-winning film Argo, has died at the age of 78. He had been suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. At the CIA, Mendez specialised in disguises, forgery and rescues.
Was there really an Argo movie?
Production. Argo is based on the “Canadian Caper” that took place during the Iran hostage crisis in 1979 and 1980. Chris Terrio wrote the screenplay based on Joshuah Bearman’s 2007 article “How the CIA Used a Fake Sci-Fi Flick to Rescue Americans from Tehran,” which was published in Wired.
What does Argo mean in the movie?
In real life, make-up artist John Chambers (played by John Goodman) came up with the title “Argo” because he loved knock-knock jokes. In the film, the title becomes an off-color joke.
What were they burning in Argo?
93–94: Intercut: Tehran waking up, Mendez getting ready to burn fake Canadian passports of the 6 — changes his mind, calls O’Donnell, says he’s taking the 6 out.
What happened to the Iranian hostages?
Hostages or their families have received only a small portion from a special fund that administrators now say is out of money. There will be no payments for 2022. It’s now more than 40 years since their release. The group of surviving hostages is down to 35, and the losses are coming faster now.
What was the importance of the ending in Argo?
Despite their escape, there are still 52 other American hostages being held, so Canada takes full responsibility for the rescue mission. That means that even though Mendez and Chambers were awarded an Intelligence Star by the United States government for their efforts, the award must stay confidential.
Was the end of Argo true?
With their fake identities as a film crew, the diplomats and Mendez were supposed to simply take a flight out of Iran. And as outrageous as it sounds, that is how it happened in reality. While the basic plot and premise of the movie seem accurate, though, some details were certainly not.