Torn Curtain Page #2

Synopsis: Professor Michael Armstrong is heading to Copenhagen 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.
Genre: Thriller
Director(s): Alfred Hitchcock
Production: MCA Universal Home Video
  2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
67%
PG
Year:
1966
128 min
841 Views


Is that why you didn't want me

to come on this trip?

I did want you -

I thought we had an agreement.

To hell with the agreement.

You did everything you could

to stop me from coming.

The thing with Hengstrom just -

You never intended to give

a speech tonight, did you?

To hell with the speech!

Let somebody else give it.

Alright, what would you like me to do?

Cover the congress for me.

Take notes.

I'll be back in time for the wedding.

- In two months?

- Yeah.

- Or three?

- Yeah.

Oh, Michael, you certainly know

how to make a girl feel wanted.

Darling, I don't know what's got into you,

ever since the missile project was cancelled -

Yes, it was cancelled.

Now that was very important.

But I'm important to you.

Why can't I come to Stockholm?

Sarah, we'd never see each other.

You know, conferences, meetings?

But aren't I any use to you anymore?

- Well, if I wasn't gonna be so busy -

- But you're always busy.

Have I ever minded that?

Didn't you even stop to think I might enjoy it?

Oh, look, Michael, we could get an apartment.

I mean, I could look after you, shop, cook.

No. It just wouldn't work.

Well, that's that then.

Yeah.

Excuse me.

Well, it's definitely established.

Fifteen suitcases gone astray.

They could be anywhere.

I have an open ticket.

When's the next flight for New York?

I've known them to turn up

in Helsinki on that particular line.

Let's see what the day brings.

The Pan-Am flight left at noon, miss.

There is an SAS flight at 16:45.

Get me a seat on that.

I want to leave as soon as possible.

There's passenger Williamson's golf clubs.

We haven't seen those since Manchester.

What time does Armstrong's

flight leave for Stockholm?

Armstrong?

You gave him a ticket this morning.

Aren't golf clubs classified as hand luggage?

Not since the Warsaw Convention.

There we are. Armstrong. A single ticket.

It's not for Stockholm, miss.

It's the 16:
30 flight,

Romanian Airlines, East Berlin.

East Berlin?

But that's behind the Iron Curtain.

Yes, miss.

Young lady.

Excuse me.

What in hell's name are you doing here?

- Hello, Michael.

- Listen to me.

Now you stay away from me.

Don't talk to me.

When this plane lands,

you take the next one out!

Anywhere! Go home!

Do you understand?

- Wo ist Armstrong?

- Dort.

Professor Armstrong,

we will wait until the other

passengers are off the plane.

I thought she didn't know.

She doesn't know. She can't know.

She just followed me.

- Apparently.

- We can go now.

Hey, lady, step aside.

Hold it.

If you will pardon me,

I must introduce him to our vice minister.

Shall we go, please?

The vice minister wishes to welcome

to the German Democratic Republic,

a distinguished American nuclear scientist,

Professor Michael Armstrong.

Professor Armstrong has decided

to live and work for peace

in the Peoples' Democracies.

But can't I talk to him at all?

It is not advisable at present.

Do you have a visa, Miss Sherman?

Oh, they said I could

get one here for 24 hours.

I have told them you are here.

Let's see what can be done.

Gentlemen, there will be a press

conference later. Be patient.

Danke. This way.

- Professor.

- Hello.

You have survived our welcoming ceremony?

More or less.

Now we can relax.

Heinrich Gerard, state security.

Yes, the infamous state security.

I beg your pardon?

Excuse me. Sit down, please.

- No, thank you.

- Oh?

Cuban.

Your loss, our gain.

Well, Professor, did you have a good trip?

Oh, so-so.

Uh, this is Mr Gromek.

He will be your personal guide.

- Hello.

- Anything you need?

I lived many years in United States.

If he gives you any trouble, come to me.

I lived on 88th Street in New York.

Oh, good.

Well, here we are.

I hear you...

you brought a little excess baggage.

What?

Oh, yes.

A Sarah Louise Sherman.

Sarah Louise?

You should come to me for your information.

But... isn't it a little strange?

During all your conversations

with our agents in the United States,

you never mentioned that

you were bringing an assistant.

- I didn't know she was coming.

- Really?

I gave her that cover story,

the one about Stockholm,

but I must've botched it.

- Isn't she your fiance?

- Yes.

Then what did you intend her to do?

Go home, marry the boy next door,

or what?

I hoped, vaguely that

she'd understand my motives.

Maybe she wouldn't,

but I hoped she'd join me later.

She has joined you, sooner than later.

So it would appear.

Women.

Oh, boy.

Let's have her in, shall we?

Come in, please.

Miss Sherman, my name is Gerhard.

How do you do?

Won't you please sit down?

May I introduce the vice minister,

Mr Strauss.

- Guten Tag.

- And Mr Gromek.

Well, Miss Sherman,

what are we going to do with you?

What do you suggest?

Is she a good assistant?

Yes.

Is she a good fiance?

Yes.

Then it would be nice for you both

if she stayed here, no?

Well, that's up to Miss Sherman.

Well, Miss Sherman,

how would you like to live behind

what you call the Iron Curtain?

I- I don't know.

Do you want me to stay, Michael?

That's up to you, Sarah.

If you wish, I can call for a car

and you could be

in West Berlin in half an hour.

I don't know.

Look, could I talk to

Professor Armstrong alone?

By all means. There's ample time.

Why don't we all sleep on it?

Yes, I'd like to do that.

We mustn't keep the press waiting, Professor.

Perhaps Miss Sherman

would like to accompany us?

Is that necessary?

I think she should find it interesting.

Alright. Let's go.

Oh, leave those.

Mr Gromek will take care of them.

This way, Professor, please.

Professor Armstrong will now

read to you his statement in English.

There will be copies available

for you in English and in German.

Sir, is it true you're defecting

because Washington abandoned

your anti-missile program?

I'll explain that.

Professor, is that the anti-missile missile?

The one that's supposed to make

nuclear defense obsolete?

Yes, it is.

No questions.

Does that mean

that your plan is to hand over

your secret work to a communist country?

I have a statement, if you don't mind.

Professor?

Today...

in my country, the United States,

there are people in high places

who do not want to see

atomic war abolished.

Now, because of that,

a project that I was working on

for six years

was cancelled by my government.

Uh... that project is more important

than the considerations

of loyalty to any one country.

As a result of that, I, uh...

As a result of that, I, um...

I am offering my services

to your University of Leipzig,

hopefully to work with

Professor Gustav Lindt,

a leading authority in my field.

Together with Professor Lindt,

we will produce a defensive weapon

that will make, um...

all offensive nuclear weapons

obsolete,

and thereby

abolish the terror of nuclear wafrare.

- Thank you.

- One question, please.

That's all.

- Miss Sherman, goodbye.

- Goodbye.

- Professor.

- Fulein Sherman.

- Herr Professor. Auf Wiedersehen.

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Brian Moore

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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