Movies

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

'Canadian Caper' hero says Argo took liberties

By: Staff Writer

Posted: 02/16/2013 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Ken Taylor (CP)

TORONTO -- One of the central figures in the "Canadian Caper" during the Iranian hostage crisis says the movie Argo took a lot of creative liberties with reality.

Former ambassador Ken Taylor was characteristically diplomatic last night during a talk with Ryerson University students.

A jovial Taylor said the film was great in terms of sheer entertainment, but said Argo's screenwriter didn't know what he was talking about.

He took issue with a myriad of creative liberties that included the "black and white" portrayal of Iranian people, fabricated scenes and the suggestion he was little more than a meek observer to CIA heroics.

The 1979 crisis made a hero out of Taylor, who helped shelter several Americans who escaped the storming of the U.S. embassy until they could be whisked out of Iran.

Taylor says an upcoming documentary will present a more balanced picture of his role and the situation in Iran.

-- The Canadian Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 16, 2013 G2

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Movies

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.