Alfred Hitchcock's Torn Curtain (1966)

Alfred Hitchcock described the following sequence to Truffaut during their interviews. The sequence was to come as an interlude during Michael Armstrong’s journey from East Berlin to Leipzig, where he is expecting to work with Professor Lindt. The scene comes not long after the famous scene in which Armstrong and the Peasant Woman murder Gromek. On route to Leipzig, Armstrong asks Manfred when they will stop to eat, and Manfred suggests they stop at a nearby steel factory, since, “In our country the best restaurants are the workers’ canteens.”

123. INT. FACTORY CANTEEN

Workers are settling in at long refectory tables. Armstrong, Manfred and Sarah enter the canteen and are met by the MANAGER, who wears a civilian suit with some sort of medal on his lapel. He wears pepple-dash spectacles and has the face of a fanatic. He greets Manfred fervently as an old friend, pumping his hand an gabbling away in German:

MANAGER

Karl! Mein alter Freund!

MANFRED

Otto! Ich hab dicch seit den Ersten Mai Feiern nicht mehr geshen.

MANAGER

Das war ein Tag, was? Und wie geht’s in Leipzig?

MANFRED

Alles in bester Ordnung. Ich hab Dir einen Besuch mitgebracht. Der beruehmte Professor Armstrong und seine Assistentin.

MANAGER

Ah, die Amerikaner. Hab’ schon ueber sie gelesen.

Manfred is delighted by his reception. He performs the introductions.

MANFRED

Herr Gunter – Professor Armstrong and Miss Sherman.

The Manager looks at Sarah and speaks to Manfred, in German:

MANAGER

Meiner Meinung nach, ist Fraulein Sherman viel zu huebsch fuer ‘ne Wissenschaftlerin.

MANFRED

(smiling, to Sarah)
Herr Gunter thinks you are very pretty to be a scientist.

SARAH

(to the Manager)
Danke!

MANAGER

(in stilted English)
That is very well. How do you do?
(to Armstrong)
How do you do? Come. Sit down. You will see we feed our workers well.

CUT TO:

124 NEW SHOT

Manfred, the Manager, Sarah and Armstrong sit across from workers, male and female. All are eating a meal of sauerbraten, dumplings and red cabbage. There is a great hubbub of talk. The Manager and Manfred chat eagerly to each other, in German, catching up on their friendship:

MANAGER (German)

My wife has been in Russia now for several weeks, she is inspecting conditions in factories similar to this one.

MANFRED (German)

Perhaps you should now tell our comrades about Professor Armstrong.

Over the above dialogue, Armstrong sneaks an exchange with Sarah.

ARMSTRONG

So you’ve settled for a diet of red cabbage and sauerbraten?

SARAH

(trying to be light)
Seems like it. I wonder if they market low-calorie dumplings?

ARMSTRONG

How did they talk you into it?

SARAH

I’d more incentive than you. I’m in love with a defector.

At this point the Manager rises and raps his glass with a teaspoon for attention. The Manager begins to speak, in German:

MANAGER (German)

Comrades! Most of you know my friend, Professor Karl Manfred. I now have the pleasure of introducing to you Professor Michael Armstrong and Miss Sarah Sherman. Professor Armstrong is a very distinguished American scientist and Miss Sherman is his assistant. They have left the United States because they were unhappy working for the American warmongers and they have come here to work for the peace-loving democracies. Professor Armstrong and Miss Sherman are not the only Americans who feel this way. There are many others and I particularly wish to mention the steel workers of Pittsburg. They too desire peace but are the tools of war-crazed capitalists. It is these same capitalists who wish to gain domination of the entire world and they will stop at nothing to further their wicked aims – even at the cost of plunging the world into total war. However, the will of the peace-loving democracies will prevail. The tide of prosperity has turned in our favor. All of our people are working. Productivity will continue to rise. A thousand years of peace to the workers’ democracies.

As the Manager speaks the above, all eyes are on Armstrong and Sarah. Manfred leans over and whispers to Armstrong and Sarah.

MANFRED

He’s explaining to the comrades who you are. He’s telling them that you were unhappy working for the American warmongers and that you have come here to work for the peace-living democracies.

As the Manager continues, Armstrong glances uneasily at Sarah who sits listening with a fixed, forced smile. Manfred continues with his loose translation.

MANFRED

A reference to the steel workers of Pittsburgh. They too desire peace but are the tools of war-crazed capitalists.

125 ARMSTRONG’S POINT OF VIEW

Roving down the smiling faces of the workers across the table. Then we come to an oil-stained, smiling, familiar face of a MAN grinning broadly, like a Cheshire cat. While he is bald, as Gromek was not, and seems older, his face is unmistakably that of Gromek.

126 CLOSEUP – ARMSTRONG

His face is drained. He has just seen a ghost.

127 BACK TO SCENE

The Manager sits down and the workers applaud.

MANFRED

(still translating)
“Productivity will continue to rise. A thousand years of peace to the workers’ democracies”. Now you must reply.

The workers have all risen to their feet and are applauding slowly and in unison. But the only thing that Armstrong sees is the smiling face of Gromek. Manfred sees that something is wrong with Armstrong.

MANFRED

(agitated)
It is the custom to say a few words.

SARAH

Michael!

He does not react to her. She turns back to Manfred who is very concerned for the proprieties of the occasion.

MANFRED

They expect a reply.

MANAGER (German)

And now, comrades, our distinguished lady scientist will say a few words to you.

MANFRED

He says you! He says you!

Manfred takes Sarah’s elbow and assists her to her feet. She rises reluctantly. As Sarah speaks, the Manager translates:

SARAH

I would just like to say that – on behalf of Professor Armstrong and myself – that we are very moved by your welcome.

Feeling that a few platitudes are necessary, she continues, hating her own performance:

SARAH

We are very happy to be in the peoples’ democracy. We too want peace. Once again. thank you all.

Sarah sits. Again the workers applaud. The Man who looks like Gromek rises. The CAMERA PANS with him as he comes round the tabe and approaches Armstrong. He has never stopped grinning. He takes Armstrong’s hand.

GROMEK’S BROTHER

Gromek!

Armstrong draws back in alarm and bewilderment, looking from Gromek’s Brother to Manfred who has risen to interpret.

MANFRED

(puzzled)
Gromek?

GROMEK’S BROTHER (German)

Yes, I am his brother. I am foreman of the fitting shop.

127A CLOSEUP – ARMSTRONG’S FACE

wondering what is going on.

127B BACK TO SCENE

GROMEK’S BROTHER (German)

My brother wrote to me that he had been chosen as guite to Professor Armstrong. It is a great honor for him.

MANFRED

(to Armstrong)
It is a small world. This is Gromek’s brother. He has been saying what an honor it is for Gromek to be your guide. Gromek wrote to him about you.

Gromek’s Brother has pulled a wallet out of his pocket. He takes out some photographs and thrusts them under Armstrong’s nose.

GROMEK’S BROTHER (German)

Here is a picture of both of us. We spent a holiday together last year. This is my brother with his children.

MANFRED

He is showing you a picture of Gromek’s children.

Armstrong stares at the photograph and is obviously disturbed. Manfred notices this. Gromek’s Brother turns to Manfred.

GROMEK’S BROTHER (German)

You will be seeing my brother again?

MANFRED (German)

Yes. Tonight, in Leipzig.

GROMEK’S BROTHER (German)

I’d like to send him a present.

With Armstrong we see Gromek’s Brother move away and cross to a commissary counter.

MANFRED

(to Armstrong)
There is something he wants you to take to his brother.

127C OMITTED

127D ARMSTRONG’S POINT OF VIEW

Gromek’s Brother is negotiating with a CANTEEN ASSISTANT.

MANFRED (o.c.)

It is quite a surprise, meeting him here.

The Canteen Assistant hands Gromek’s Brother a piece of sausage and a carving knife. Gromek’s Brother brandishes the knife. We ZOOM IN as he cuts the sausage. The knife is exactly like the knife that the Peasant Woman stuck in Gromek’s neck.

128 CLOSEUP – ARMSTRONG’S FACE

He recoils at the sight. His face is drained.

129 CLOSEUP – THE KNIFE

as it chops into the sausage.

130 CLOSEUP – MANFRED’S FACE

as he looks curiously, first at Armstrong, then across at the canteen counter, and then back to Armstrong.

131 MED. SHOT – THE GROUP

Gromek’s Brother lays aside the knife and wraps the sausage. Armstrong’s eyes are still glued on the knife. Manfred is watching Armstrong. Gromek’s Brother crosses toward them and hands the sausage in its paper wrapping to Armstrong.

GROMEK’S BROTHER (German)

Blutwurst. It is my brother’s favorite sausage. Perhaps you will give it to him when you see him.

He proffers the sausage to Armstrong.

MANFRED

It is his brother’s favorite sausage. He wants you to give it to Gromek.

Armstrong takes the sausage.

132-134 OMITTED

135 CLOSEUP – ARMSTRONG’S HAND

holding the wrapped sausage.

The sequence is reminiscent of Alice’s “morning after” in Blackmail, when she sits at the breakfast table and her father asks her to slice some bread while the neighbor prattles on about the murder. The knife is just like the one she stabbed the artist with the night before. Hitchcock said he had difficulty with Paul Newman in the scene, and that the crew objected to Gromek’s brother being made-up so differently. Hitchcock explained, “That’s idiotic. If you turn Gromek Two into the spitting image of Gromek One, the public will just think they’re seeing the same man!” Frankly, I’d have kept the factory sequence, and found a way to drop the scene with Countess Kuchinska.

.

.