Torn Curtain (1966)

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.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writer:

Brian Moore

Stars:

Paul Newman, Julie Andrews, Lila Kedrova

2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Paul Newman	...	Professor Michael Armstrong
Julie Andrews	...	Sarah Sherman
Lila Kedrova	...	Countess Kuchinska
Hansjörg Felmy	...	Heinrich Gerhard (as Hansjoerg Felmy)
Tamara Toumanova	...	Ballerina
Wolfgang Kieling	...	Hermann Gromek
Ludwig Donath	...	Professor Gustav Lindt
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

Storyline

Professor Michael Armstrong is heading to Stockholm to attend a physics conference accompanied by his assistant-fiancée Sarah Sherman. Once arrived however, Michael informs her that he may be staying for awhile and she should return home. She follows him and realizes he's actually heading to East Germany, behind the Iron Curtain. She follows him there and is shocked when he announces that he's defecting to the East after the US government canceled his research project. In fact, Michael is there to obtain information from a renowned East German scientist. Once the information is obtained, he and Sarah now have to make their way back to the West.

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Plot Keywords:

scientist | germany | iron curtain | defection | europe | 

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Taglines:

It tears you apart with suspense!

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Genres:

Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German Swedish Norwegian

Release Date:

July 1966 (UK)

Also Known As:

Cortina rasgada

Filming Locations:

Berlin, Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

128 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The Swedish actor Jan Malmsjö (who had a small uncredited role as photographer in the final scenes in Helsingborg harbour and customs) found that a lot of signs were not written in correct Swedish so he helped the film crew to correct them.

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Goofs

When Gromek's motorbike is unearthed, the chrome is shiny, without any soil on it.

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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!

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Connections

Referenced in Conspiracy Theory (1997)

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Soundtracks

"The Emperor Waltz (Kaiserwalzer, Op. 437)"
(1889) (uncredited)
Music by Johann Strauß
Played at the restaurant

User Reviews

Film with potential falls short.

This film looks as if it had potential but seems to miss the mark. The story of an American scientist (Paul Newman) who is supposedly defecting to East Germany is engaging and is now dated. Newman's performance is capable. Julie Andrews who plays Newman's wife is mediocre at best - there just isnt much of a character to develop here. As far as a Hitchcock signature on the movie

• the death of the policeman, "Grommek" is the highlight of the movie. The

films turns into a harrowing escape adventure from East Germany. Finally, the things that disappointed me are the vastly cheap rear-projection that was used in making this film. And finally, the decision to scrap Bernard Herrmann's score and replace it was another composer could have made the film more exciting.