"Torn Curtain" Mistake?

[Ira Ratner]

I'm sure many of you watched the non-stop Paul Newman marathons last week since his death, and I'm embarrassed to say that I saw "Hud" and "Torn Curtain" for the very first time.

 

There's a scene in the latter where the East German secret service guy is tailing him in the museum, and Hitchcock uses loud, echoing footsteps to incredible effect. You see Newman, but not really his pursuer.

 

Anyway, I can swear I noticed a second or two where you heard the bad guys footsteps (off camera), but you could clearly see Newman walking and his steps DIDN'T resonate.

 

Am I nuts here? Anyone have a copy on DVD to check?

Edited October 18, 2008 by Ira Ratner

[Rod Otaviano]

There's a scene in the latter where the East German secret service guy is tailing him in the museum, and Hitchcock uses loud, echoing footsteps to incredible effect. You see Newman, but not really his pursuer.

 

Anyway, I can swear I noticed a second or two where you heard the bad guys footsteps (off camera), but you could clearly see Newman walking and his steps DIDN'T resonate.

 

Am I nuts here? Anyone have a copy on DVD to check?

 

Yeah, as you said, just for a second or two. It's long shot on Newman leaving one of the halls of the museum. You just hear the German guy's footsteps as if he was right behind the camera. It's a nice effect. There's a slightly similar sequence in "The Man who knew too much" (the one from 1956), where James Stewart is "being followed" by that taxidermist from Ambrose Chappell. You don't see the taxidermist at first, but you can hear his footsteps grow louder as Stewart's become barely audible.