Argo Page #17

255 FLASHBACK - INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE - NIGHT 255

MENDEZ:

It.’s manned by Revolutionaries.

Most of them were educated in the

U.S. or Europe.

BOB ANDERS:

Or Canada?

MENDEZ:

They know how many .‘T.’s are in

Toronto.

256 INT. WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF OFFICE - NIGHT (PRESENT) 256

Jordan is in a meeting with two staffers, his feet up on

the desk. His secretary opens the door without knocking,

hurries to Jordan, whispers something in his ear. He

immediately grabs the phone.

JORDAN:

Hello?

O.’DONNELL (V.O.)

Jack O.’Donnell from C.I.

JORDAN:

Wait -- WHO -- ?

O.’DONNELL (V.O.)

Tehran Houseguest operation is

ready NOW. We don.’t have the

President.’s go-ahead. They are

going to be captured.

Jordan stands up with the phone.

JORDAN:

(yelling out his

door)

DAVID! Pick up!

257 INT. KOMITEH HQ - MORNING 257

The office we visited earlier. A YOUNG KOMITEH comes up

the stairs again. This time, he.’s RUNNING.

ARGO - Final 99.

(CONTINUED)

KHALKALI, the fiery guy who came to the residence, along

with two YOUNG KOMITEH compare (one who delivered the

pictures):
on one side, copies of re-assembled

diplomatic photographs of Americans from the embassy --

like the ones of the Houseguests we saw early in the film

-- and, on the other side, the candid photographs from

the bazaar.

258 INT. CIA - THE PIT - NIGHT 258

LAMONT:

Telex on Flash.

The telex begins to print, line by line...

EYES ONLY -- OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

-- HOLLYWOOD OPTION APPROVED -- GOOD LUCK. (*Carter

White House telex, 1/29/1980.)

O.’DONNELL

Copy D.S.! Confirm the tickets!

GO!

259 INT. SWISSAIR COUNTER (MEHRABAD) - MORNING 259

Mendez.’s and the Houseguests.’ passports sit on the

counter.

SWISSAIR REP:

I.’m sorry, sir. I don.’t have

those reservations...

SWISSAIR REP looks at some green text on her screen, hits

another button.

SWISSAIR REP:

My apologies. They just came

through.

She hits another button and tickets start to print.

260 INT. CIA - THE PIT - NIGHT 260

MALINOV:

(to O.’Donnell)

Swissair says they.’ve picked up

the tickets.

O.’DONNELL

Get the L.A. office -- tell them

to be ready in case they call.

ARGO - Final 100.

257 CONTINUED:
257

(CONTINUED)

MALINOV:

We told them to shut that down!

He RUNS toward a phone --

261 INT. MEHRABAD AIRPORT - FIRST CHECKPOINT - MORNING 261

The PASSPORT OFFICIAL is looking at the Canadian

passports of the six and waving them through. Mendez has

already passed. Everyone except Kathy Stafford.

The Passport Official looks at Kathy, who is doing her

best to look friendly and casual. Then he looks at

Kathy.’s passport, in which she looks stern and angry.

Kathy Stafford smoothes down her hair, frowns like she *

does in the passport photo. The Passport Official half

smiles and waves her through. They.’ve all cleared the

first checkpoint.

262 INT. KOMITEH HQ - MORNING 262

Khalkali comes upon a diplomatic photograph of a man with

glasses.

He starts to leaf through the photographs from the

bazaar.

QUICK CUT TO:

263 EXT. BAZAAR - POV OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD PHOTOGRAPHER 263

- DAY

Mark Lijek being photographed at the bazaar the previous

day.

QUICK CUT BACK TO:

264 INT. KOMITEH HQ - MORNING 264

KHALKALI --

looks at the black and white still of Mark Lijek,

compares it to his diplomatic picture, the first portrait

we saw of Mark toward the beginning of the film. MATCH.

Khalkali stands up. SHOUTS in Farsi to another Komiteh --

ARGO - Final 101.

260 CONTINUED:
260

265 INT. MEHRABAD AIRPORT - SECOND CHECKPOINT - MORNING 265

Bob Anders stands in front of a rough-voiced IMMIGRATION

OFFICER. He.’s holding Bob Anders.’ YELLOW IMMIGRATION

FORM and leafing through a file of hundreds of WHITE

IMMIGRATION FORMS, the duplicates. Without success.

IMMIGRATION OFFICER #2

(in Farsi; to Officer

#1, re:
his own

white pile)

Nothing.

IMMIGRATION OFFICER

(to Bob Anders)

When did you say you arrived in

Iran?

BOB ANDERS:

Two days ago.

IMMIGRATION OFFICER

What was the purpose of your

visit?

BOB ANDERS:

We were looking at locations to

make a film. I.’m the director.

Immigration Officer pauses and looks up. Looks at the

six other faces. He looks every bit as confrontational

as Tony acted in rehearsal.

BOB ANDERS:

(very calm)

We have a letter from the Minister

of Culture ... *

The Immigration Officer gestures for the letter. Bob

takes the letter inviting them on their location scout

out of a folder. Tony, barely perceptibly, nods.

266 INT. KOMITEH HQ - MORNING 266

Khalkali is now speaking with MORADI, an older Komiteh

official. They speak Farsi and it.’s untranslated, but we

get it. He is showing the photograph of Mark Lijek from

the bazaar and comparing it to the U.S. diplomatic

photograph.

Moradi picks up the phone as Khalkali heads out.

ARGO - Final 102.

267 INT. MEHRABAD AIRPORT - SECOND CHECKPOINT - MORNING 267

Immigration Officer is conferring with Immigration

Officer #2 as they look at the letter from the Minister

of Culture. The Houseguests and Mendez wait.

Finally, Immigration Officer #2 shrugs.

IMMIGRATION OFFICER

Okay -- Yes -- Okay --

He waves them through. Second checkpoint done.

268 INT. CIA - THE PIT - NIGHT 268

Malinov, a phone to his ear. Ringing.

MALINOV:

C.’mon c.’mon c.’mon --

269 INT. ARGO PRODUCTION OFFICE - NIGHT 269

The phone in the office rings. No one is there.

270 EXT. WARNER BROS. STUDIOS - NIGHT 270

Siegel and Chambers are walking back to the Argo office.

They are within sight of the Argo bungalow, but a P.A. *

steps in front of them.

P.A.

(a stage whisper)

I.’m sorry, we.’re shooting.

He motions for them to wait. A movie -- it looks like a

police procedural -- is shooting on the lot between them

and the office.

271 INT. AIRPORT GATE - MORNING 271

ANNOUNCEMENT (V.O.)

Swissair announces general

boarding for Flight 363 to Zurich.

Passengers, mostly European businessmen, get up and

approach the gate.

ARGO - Final 103.

272 INT. MEHRABAD AIRPORT - THIRD CHECKPOINT - MORNING 272

Mendez checks in with the Houseguests with his eyes.

They are now in sight of the airport gates. And here are

six Komiteh. Young men -- none more than 33 or so --

holding automatic weapons.

They have created their own checkpoint. It looks recent,

A SCREENED-OFF AREA WITH TABLES.

KOMITEH #1

Passports.

He looks at the Canadian passports and then almost

immediately speaks.

KOMITEH #1

You come.

He directs Mendez and the Houseguests into the screenedoff

area. Speaks in Farsi to another Komiteh.

273 INT. CIA - THE PIT - NIGHT 273

LAMONT:

(holding the phone)

Purser.’s telling Swissair they.’re

not on the plane.

O.’DONNELL

They should have boarded already.

MALINOV:

(on another phone)

Still no answer in L.A.

274 INT. MEHRABAD AIRPORT - THIRD CHECKPOINT - MORNING 274

MARK LIJEK:

A film.

Mark mimes turning the rotor of a movie camera. Komiteh

#1 doesn.’t understand.

AZIZI (O.S.)

Sit down.

A young man with a beard -- AZIZI, late 20s -- arriving

on the scene, speaking in Farsi to the others and then in

very good American English. He looks at the six and the

face he singles out is Joe Stafford.’s.

ARGO - Final 104.

(CONTINUED)

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