Three Days of the Condor

Three Days of the Condor (1975) is a stand-out thriller among the great crop of movies made in the “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” era of filmmaking in the late 1960s and the 1970s. It stars Robert Redford as a CIA operative (codename “Condor”) working in a branch of the agency that researches foreign books that might contain hidden codes and messages.

After Redford steps out to get lunch, he returns to the office to find all of his coworkers murdered. The movie unfolds over three days as Redford tries to find safety and to get the truth about why his department was wiped out. He can trust no one, especially his bosses at the CIA.

Redford was at the height of his star power at the time, and this movie was a tight and smart vehicle for him in the spirit of other terrific 1970s paranoia thrillers like Klute, Marathon Man and All the President’s Men, which Redford also starred in.

The movie also features a chilly Max Von Sydow as the assassin and a great performance by Faye Dunaway. Directed by the legendary Sydney Pollack, Three Days of the Condor is a fabulous movie.

And on a style note… Redford’s iconic wardrobe in the movie includes the definitive pea coat, an incredible herringbone tweed jacket (with a red lining) and a pretty persuasive argument for boot cut jeans.

A scene from the film. Remember pay phones?

Redford in his herringbone tweed and bootcut jeans.

Redford in the final scene on W. 43rd St. in Times Square.

Redford in the definitive peacoat on location with former CIA director Richard Helms, who served as a consultant on the film.

Fabulous alternative poster created by artist Jay Shaw.