The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Simply Perfect

A brilliant film that helped define a genre

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

It's well known that Alfred Hitchcock had a penchant for casting icy blondes as his leading ladies, but it's often forgotten Doris Day was once one of them. In The Man Who Knew Too Much, the pronunciation of which was forever immortalized by Robert Osbourne, she's married to James Stewart, another of Hitchcock's favorites. In a rare dramatic turn, Doris shows her hidden talents. There's a famous and heart-wrenching scene that's nearly impossible to watch without a tissue handy. Doris and Jimmy's son has been kidnapped, and Doris is having a meltdown. James injects her with a sedative because he's a doctor and believes that's the best way to help her, and she hysterically cries until she passes out. While Doris usually gets all the acting praise from this movie, it's probably because everyone expects James Stewart to be great in a Hitchcock film. But let's not forget he was the other actor in that difficult scene, watching and deciding how to help his wife. He's wonderful in this movie, but if you know and love him like the rest of the country, it's not really a surprise.The Man Who Knew Too Much isn't the most famous Alfred Hitchcock movie out there, but it's absolutely worth watching. It has Doris's quintessential song "Que Sera Sera" and she also credits it with spawning her lifelong devotion to animals. Plus, it's pretty suspenseful, a necessity in a Hitchcock movie. There are exotic locations, good-looking leading actors, murder, and intrigue. What else do you want?

Director: ALFRED HITCHCOCK. Screenplay: John Michael Hayes. In VistaVision and Technicolor. Photography: Robert Burks. Film editor: George Tomasini. Music: Bernard Herrmann. "Storm Cloud Cantata" by Arthur Benjamin and D.B. Wyndham Lewis. Songs by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Art directors: Hal Pereira, Henry Bumstead. Set decorators: Sam Comer, Arthur Krams. Costumes designed by Edith Head. Make-up: Wally Westmore. Assistant director: Howard Joslin. Sound recording: Paul Franz, Gene Garvin. Associate producer: Herbert Coleman. Producer: Alfred Hitchcock. Universal DVD rates 9/10.Copyright 1955, renewed 1983 by Samuel, Inc. New York opening at the Paramount: 16 May 1956. U.K. release: 30 July 1956. Australian release: 3 August 1956. Sydney run at the Prince Edward (9 weeks). 120 minutes.SYNOPSIS: In order to ensure the parents' silence, spies kidnap a child.COMMENT: Which version do you prefer? I'm going to make myself unpopular by saluting the 1934 film which—once the action moves to London—has an alarmingly gritty feel to it, a realistic atmosphere that transcends all the otherwise transparent plot devices to make the story chillingly suspenseful. I'm inclined to echo the ecstatic reviews accorded "The Man" by the New York press of March, 1935. The movie is short, sharp, cogent, powerful, with stand-out performances from Edna Best, Peter Lorre, Frank Vosper, Cicely Oates, Henry Oscar, and in a brief part (and his only English-language movie), Pierre Fresnay. Oddly, Hitch has no cameo in this version, but executive producer Balcon is briefly on-screen instead. He's the patron wearing glasses sitting behind the intended victim at Albert Hall. By contrast, this re-make often seems overblown and oddly, equally synthetic in its opening scenes. Although it runs much longer than the original, it has less action and its villains simply don't stand comparison, despite the sterling efforts of Miles and de Banzie.Carelessly dubbed Gelin and obvious padding with Mowbray and Brooke are likewise big drawbacks. However, this version does build to a more extended, more potent Albert Hall climax, and also revels in superior production values.

I am a big fan of Hitchcock but this is far from his best work (Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Psycho, Rebecca, The Lady Vanishes, 39 Steps, Foreign Correspondent, Young and Innocent and Notorious).It has some interesting sequences, such as the murder of a spy in a crowded square but not before he passes a message to Dr McKenna (Stewart); the Draytons' unexpected abduction of Hank; the doctor medicating his wife so she is not too taken aback by her son's abduction; Day singing "Que sera, sera"; and the nicely wrapped up and humorous ending, in contrast with the rather dull dialogue that pervades the entire film (Dr McKenna saying that his son can spell difficult words but stumbles with a word like dog, is a really corny attempt at humor).I found the famous Albert Hall sequence a damp squib. The orchestra plays for too long a not very interesting musical piece, and the would-be killer turning his gun at the moment of shooting requires far too much suspension of disbelief (not to mention that no human eyes, not even Day's beautiful blue eyes, could spot a gun protruding from behind dark curtains some quite considerable distance away, in a crowded Albert Hall).The original, 1934 version, also did not amount to much, with only Peter Lorre's darkly menacing voice standing out in my memory, but the 1956 version is much too long by at least 20 minutes and, frankly, I have never understood why Hitch went back to such turgid material. Worse than this only Stage Fright, Topaz and Under Capricorn. A distinctly average 5/10.

Where do I start: When I was just a little boy, I asked my mother what will I watch? Will it be scary, will it be funny…and here is what she said to me. Watch, "The Man Who Knew Too Much – Too Much", the flick was directed by Hitchcock and the ending will scare the pants off. But it did not – did not…yet…still ended up being loads of fun. Ah well - what will be will be. Meh – I can do this so long and then I lose track. Two of my favorite stars tackle this masterpiece head-on, escorting it to the big screen; delivering a spine-tingling white-knuckle ride of a masterpiece. I have always liked James Stewart and Doris is – well – just plain outstanding. For some, "Que Sera Sera," might have been over-sung, but I didn't think so. She has such a beautiful voice, and this was designed for her songbird voice. OK – enough babble. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. As in all the Alfred Hitchcock productions I have seen, this does not disappoint. The acting is superb and the directing is ahead of its time. I highly recommend this thriller to everyone.