Paul Newman, Julie Andrews and Lila Kedrova in the Alfred Hitchcock film ‘Torn Curtain’

As the United States just celebrated its national birthday over the weekend, a look into some Cold War intrigue from 55 summers ago feels like a respectable look. Alfred Hitchcock‘s film Torn Curtain (1966) serves up drama, romance and a political thriller born of the notion that an American scientist appears to defect behind the Iron Curtain into what was then East Germany.

(From left, Günter Strack as Professor Karl Manfred, Julie Andrews as Sarah Sherman and Paul Newman as Professor Michael Armstrong in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Torn Curtain).

Paul Newman stars as the American rocket scientist named Professor Michael Armstrong, traveling to a conference in Copenhagen, Denmark. Armstrong’s assistant and fiancée, Sarah Sherman as portrayed by Julie Andrews, accompanies Armstrong, following him on a flight to East Berlin, East Germany that ostensibly was a trip to Stockholm, Sweden until Sherman became wise to the ruse. It is with the belief that Armstrong will defect that Professor Karl Manfred, as portrayed by Günter Strack, meets with Sherman and Armstrong.

(From left, Paul Newman as Professor Michael Armstrong, Carolyn Conwell as the farmer’s wife and Wolfgang Kieling as Hermann Gromek in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Torn Curtain).

Suspicions abound regarding the true and suspected intentions of Michael Armstrong, both in the relationship with Sarah Sherman and with the endgame that Armstrong is playing. Armstrong visits with a farmer, as portrayed Mort Mills, as finds himself needing assistance when Hermann Gromek and the farmer’s wife intervene with Armstrong. The intrigue grows immensely in these scenes, with Wolfgang Kieling and Carolyn Conwell portraying these respective roles.

(From left, Ludwig Donath as Professor Gustav Lindt and Paul Newman as Professor Michael Armstrong in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Torn Curtain).

The game Michael Armstrong aims to continue playing in East Germany is making contact with East German rocket scientist Professor Gustav Lindt, as portrayed by Ludwig Donath. Somebody I’ll not mention clearly has been aiming to obstruct the contact between scientists, with a romantic appeal through Sherman for Armstrong still very much on her mind. Transportation considerations coupled with the instincts of Lindt and the circle aimed at protecting East German secrets pressure Armstrong to perform.

(From left, Lila Kedrova as Countess Kuchinska, Julie Andrews as Sarah Sherman and Paul Newman as Professor Michael Armstrong in the Alfred Hitchcock movie Torn Curtain).

It’s a secret effort to foil further efforts to satisfy the penetration of the Iron Curtain, with full scale intrigue introducing Countess Kuhinska, Mr. Jacobi, a lead ballerina and others working at cross purposes to bring about justice. Kuhinska, Jacobi and the ballerina are portrayed by Lila Kedrova, David Opatoshu and Tamara Toumanova, respectively. Who stays and who goes? Do characters who’ve earned or stretched our sympathies live? Does anyone defect? Whose espionage secrets are revealed?

(From left, director Alfred Hitchcock, actress Julie Andrews and actor Paul Newman on set of the Alfred Hitchcock movie Torn Curtain).

The notion that Alfred Hitchcock movies primarily focuses strictly on the macabre is proven false with Torn Curtain. That romance, human motivation and/or political intrigue can be done well comes across as proven true for me with this flick. There is much that recommends Torn Curtain for the serious fan of Alfred Hitchcock. There simply are issues of pacing and missing romantic chemistry between Newman and Andrews that suggest less than top marks. I give Torn Curtain as presented by Alfred Hitchcock 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Wednesday, July 7, 2021