re: Best Movie Posters

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This trade advertisement for a science fiction film titled Argo appeared in the January 1980 issues of Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. It was created by the CIA as part of "The Canadian Caper," a joint mission to rescue six American diplomats during the 1979 Iran Hostage Crisis. CIA operative Tony Mendez established a fake production company called "Studio Six Productions" and used this advertisement to provide "backstopped" credibility for a team posing as a Canadian film crew scouting locations.

The "story by Teresa Harris" and the title Argo were repurposed from an unproduced script originally titled Lord of Light, an adaptation of the Roger Zelazny novel. By placing this ad in industry trade papers, the CIA ensured that if Iranian officials investigated the production, they would find professional documentation of the project.

On January 27, 1980, the six diplomats successfully departed Iran using fake Canadian passports and their film crew identities.

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