India, Nov. 4 -- On November 4, 1979, a group of militant Iranian students stormed the US embassy in Tehran. Sixty-six Americans were dragged hostage, setting off a very tense and drawn-out 444-day standoff. But six US diplomats managed to escape capture and went into hiding in the homes of Canadian embassy officers. Their story would later become one of the most daring and creative rescue missions in CIA history.

While Washington was desperately searching for a way to rescue them, CIA officer Tony Mendez came up with an unusual plan: he'd tell the world that the 6 Americans were just a film crew from Hollywood. Mendez, an expert in disguises and covert operations, teamed up with John Chambers, a Hollywood makeup artist who had himself w...