Torn Curtain (1966)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writer:

Brian Moore (written by)

Release Date:

14 July 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Suspense! Azione! Sorpresa! [Suspense! Action! Surprise!]

Plot:

An American scientist publicly defects to East Germany as part of a cloak and dagger mission to find the solution for a formula resin and then figuring out a plan to escape back to the West.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Germany | Leipzig | Defection | Europe

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Paul Newman	...	Professor Michael Armstrong
Julie Andrews	...	Sarah Sherman
Lila Kedrova	...	Countess Kuchinska
Hansjörg Felmy	...	Heinrich Gerhard (as Hansjoerg Felmy)
Tamara Toumanova	...	Ballerina
Ludwig Donath	...	Professor Gustav Lindt
Wolfgang Kieling	...	Hermann Gromek
Günter Strack	...	Professor Karl Manfred
David Opatoshu	...	Mr. Jacobi
Gisela Fischer	...	Dr. Koska
Mort Mills	...	Farmer
Carolyn Conwell	...	Farmer's Wife
Arthur Gould-Porter	...	Freddy - the Bookseller
Gloria Gorvin	...	Fräulein Mann

Runtime:

128 min | Germany:126 min | France:126 min | Netherlands:118 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | Swedish | Norwegian

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

France:U | Spain:18 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Germany:12 (re-rated) (video) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Peru:14 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG | West Germany:16 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:15 (video rating)

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Hitchcock wanted to cast Eva Marie Saint, whom he had previously directed in North by Northwest (1959) starring Cary Grant. The studio forced him to cast Julie Andrews in the female lead.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the farmhouse scene when Professor Armstrong is fighting with Gromek, Gromek is choking Professor Armstrong but Armstrong shows no signs of it, i.e. bruising, in later scenes.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Professor Karl Manfred: Are they ever going to get the heating fixed?
Norwegian crewman: They are working at it, Professor. Perhaps some of you scientists would like to give us a helping hand!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Plotting 'Family Plot' (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32

not too bad

Being a huge fan of Hitchcock, Julie Andrews, and Paul Newman, I should hate this movie because none of them were particularly fond of it. With that said, you know what's going to follow: I don't hate it. It's not my favorite movie, or the best work from any of those three great talents, but it's actually pretty good. I love how we find out things in this movie as Sarah (Julie's character) finds them out, particularly about the "real" reason Michael (Paul's character and Sarah's assistant/fiance) is in East Germany. It has all the suspense of Hitchcock's best films and even though you're pretty sure what's going to happen at the end, just knowing that Hitchcock directed it makes you question until the end. Could have gotten by just fine without Julie's bushy hairdo, but for a chance to gaze into Paul Newman's eyes I'll take what I must. The chemistry between the two stars isn't like hers with Christopher Plummer or his with Joanne Woodward, but it's not a total fizzle either. They're believably in love, and if they weren't, the movie wouldn't work since Sarah would have much less of a reason to care about what happens to Michael. That is the driving force of the movie, and it works. Again, not the best, but not the worst way to spend a few hours either.