Alfred Hitchcock and Paul Newman Clashed on the Set of ‘Torn Curtain’ After the ‘Psycho’ Director Commented on Newman’s Salary

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most influential and inspiring directors of all time. Responsible for groundbreaking horror classics like Psycho and Rear Window, Hitchcock received acclaim from critics and fans for his unique style and brilliant storyline twists. One of Hitchcock’s most underrated classics is Torn Curtain.

The 1966 film features performances from beloved movie stars Julie Andrews and Paul Newman. While the movie is well-regarded today, the set of Torn Curtain was notoriously tense. Newman and Hitchcock butted heads over everything from the shooting script to Newman’s affinity for method acting.

Alfred Hitchcock reportedly did not want to hire Paul Newman for ‘Torn Curtain’

By the mid-’60s, Hitchcock was known as the “Master of Suspense,” thanks to the overwhelming success of his film Psycho. However, when the acclaimed director started work on Torn Curtain, he encountered several difficulties. After discovering that the stars he wanted to cast were unavailable, Hitchcock was pressured into hiring Paul Newman and Julie Andrews for the leading roles.

According to IMDb, Hitchcock believed their salaries of $750,000 each absorbed too much of the film’s $5 million budget. The acclaimed director was so salty about the actors’ salaries, in fact, that he would never again hire stars who required such large paychecks.

Additionally, IMDb notes that Hitchcock considered Torn Curtain’s shooting schedule too narrow. Reportedly, Andrews’ busy schedule cramped the ideal production schedule.

Paul Newman and Alfred Hitchcock reportedly clashed on the set of ‘Torn Curtain’

Reportedly, Newman and Hitchcock didn’t get along. IMDb alleges that the veteran director was unhappy with Newman’s questioning of the script and his character’s motives. Newman, a fan of method acting, offended the director with his questions. This led Hitchcock to tell Newman that the “motivation is your salary” when Newman asked him about his character’s motivations in one specific scene.

Additionally, Hitchcock was unhappy with the chemistry between Newman and Andrews. He completed several major rewrites while shooting Torn Curtain. He also took a hands-off approach when it came to the dialogue. Andrews later admitted Hitchcock told her and Newman to “say anything you like.”

Ultimately, Torn Curtain told the story of an American scientist, played by Newman, who sets up an elaborate ruse in which he appears to defect to East Germany during the Cold War.

‘Torn Curtain’ is now considered to be a cinema classic

Newman and Hitchcock did not hit it off. But Andrews didn’t have any bad things to say about working with the film icon. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, The Sound of Music star opened up about the experience of making Torn Curtain. Andrews admitted that Hitchcock taught her a lot about camera angles and the art of filmmaking. She also acknowledged the director’s notorious fondness for blonde leading ladies.

Andrews also said she didn’t experience any of Hitchcock’s demanding nature, revealing, “He loved to lead you into suddenly being surprised about something or shocked about something or laughing with relief from tension. He was slightly manipulative of audiences in that way, but it was certainly a masterclass. He knew exactly what he wanted.”

Andrews and Newman might not have known it at the time. But they were making a movie that, while it isn’t one of Hitchcock’s best-known films, would eventually become known as an entertaining classic.

Torn Curtain still stands as a good example of Hitchcock’s brilliance behind the camera. With lots of witty, brilliant moments, there’s much to draw the eye in this classic spy thriller.