The early to mid-1970s were a period of malaise for much of the United States. The end of the Vietnam War, a recession, the energy crisis, rising crime rates, and Watergate were all on everyone's mind. New York City was a particularly rough town at the time, and movies reflected the grittier sentiment with titles like
Serpico,
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, and
Dog Day Afternoon.
Among these was the spy thriller
Three Days of the Condor, based on the book
Six Days of the Condor by James Grady. Aside from the number of days, the movie also changed the location of much of the action, moving the characters from Washington, D.C. to New York. The location change took advantage of New York's particular attitude, but also allowed for much of the action to take place in and around the recently-completed towers of the World Trade Center. These included street-level views, some rare shots inside the offices with their distinct narrow windows, and the above shot of the lobby of the North Tower (seen at about two-thirds of the way through the movie).
