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The Man Who Knew Too Much

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The "Master of Suspense", Alfred Hitchcock, hits another bullseye with his 1956 production of "The Man Who Knew Too Much". Purists have been known to complain that they prefer Hitchcock's original 1934 version of the story to the lavish, widescreen, color version starring James Stewart and Doris Day, but if viewed side by side, both films stand on their own as classic Hitchcock.

The 1956 "Man" unfolds like a beautiful book, methodically, deliberately, and compellingly. Stewart plays an American doctor and Day is his wife, a retired singer. They are vacationing with their young son, Hank, in Morocco, when they become embroiled in an International incident involving a planned assasination. Their son is kidnapped and taken to London. Day and Stewart follow, where they attempt to get some answers and to locate their son, on their own, without the help offered by Scotland Yard. The film reaches it's exciting climax during a concert at Albert Hall in which Day suddenly realizes what is about to occur.

Without giving away some of the intricate plot twists and turns, "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is like a breathtaking ride on a state of the art rollercoaster. You cannot help but get caught up in the plight of Stewart and Day.

James Stewart and Doris Day seem like a real married couple, so easy and comfortable is their onscreen chemistry. They banter and interact convincingly but there is also a strong indication that there may be some tensions lurking beneath the outer veneer. Both actors play their roles with expertise and Day, in particular, shows range and versatility in her performance, being especially memorable in the justly celebrated Albert Hall scene and in an earlier scene when Stewart informs her that their son has been kidnapped. The growing realization as to what he is telling her is reflected in Day's facial reactions.

Hitchcock has once again assembled a first-rate cast of supporting players including his long time musical collaborator, Bernard Herrmann, who appears onscreen for the first time, playing himself while conducting an original piece of music during the Albert Hall sequence. The team of Livingston and Evans composed a song for Day to sing to her son as part of the plot. The tune, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be"(Que Sera, Sera), became a megahit, selling millions of records, winning an Oscar as best song and becoming one of Day's signature tunes. It plays an intricate role in the storyline, being introduced naturally and being reprised as part of the picture's denouement.

The queues that formed at box-offices all over the world when "The Man Who Knew Too Much" opened in the summer of 1956, were a tribute to the talents of Hitchcock, Day, and Stewart, and to the public's continuing fascination with quality entertainment. To this day, the film remains one of Hitchcock's best films from his 1950's period. A movie that is well worth viewing.

Alfred Hitchcock's second version of one of his favorite stories is one of the best, most dramatic suspense films of all. It stars James Stewart and Doris Day as an American couple vacationing in Morocco whose young son is kidnapped to insure their silence when they discover an assassination plot. Moving his film from Africa to England, Hitchcock dazzles American eyes with beautiful and exotic locales while employing his trademark policy of allowing the viewers to know more than the characters know in order to keep suspense at its height. Boy, does that work! I have seen the film more than a dozen times and still can't stay off the edge of the seat. One of the greatest casting coups in Hitchcock history has Doris Day playing the anguished mother and wife of the man who knew too much, and although the story's title names the man, it is the wife's story all the way. She is the emotional center of the story; it is her intuitions, her suspicions, her deductions that propel the narrative, and Doris Day plays the part to a fare-thee-well offering a performance which sizzles through a gamut of emotions from the lighthearted fun of dueting with her little boy (to the by now standard, "Whatever Will Be Will Be") to the anguish of having to decide to try to stop the assassination even though it may cost her son's life. Day never makes a false move; her hysteria on learning of her son's kidnapping is a masterpiece of acting control and her anguish during the concert in the Albert Hall where the assassination is to take place is palpable to the viewer even though it is communicated only visually. This film is perfect Hitchcock and an extraordinary revelation of Doris Day to those who know her only as a comedienne. I might add that when Queen Elizabeth knighted Sir Alfred, he chose the Albert Hall sequence from this film to be the capstone of the film excerpts presented at the ceremony.

This review refers to the Widescreen DVD(Universal) edition of "The Man Who Knew Too Much"(1955)...

A masterpiece is reworked an updated by Hitch, the result?... another masterpiece! "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a magnificent remake of his earlier work from the 30's(The Man Who Knew Too Much). It stars Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart as parents desperate to get their child back from kidnappers, but must also prevent an assassination. Whew!, who else could handle that?

The film is pure Hitch. The edge of your seat suspense, the trademark staircase scene, the brillant camera angles, and all the special touches that make it definitive Hitch. The famous scene at the Albert Hall concert is one of the most chilling in film history. No matter how often it's viewed, your heart is in your throat waiting for the clash of those cymbals. Hitch has that way of always making the viewer want to warn the characters that something sinister is about to take place. You want to yell.."Now Doris..NOW!"

Doris sings her beautiful rendition of "Que Sera, Sera"(a wonderful treat), and the exotic location of French Morocco and Bernard Hermann's score also add greatly to this fine thriller.

Looking for Hitch: ... taking in the sights in Morocco. Be careful Hitch!... there's going to be a murder!

Universal has made a beautiful transfer of this classic and cherished work. It is presented in the original widescreen and the colors are brillant.The sound is in DD2.0(MONO), and is good but could be better in stereo. The DVD includes a documentary "The Making Of The Man Who Knew Too Much". There are captions in English and subtitles in Spanish. It may be viewed in English, French, and Spanish.

The film is perfection. Only the master himself could have made it even better then the original classic.

A must have for your Hitch collection....enjoy...Laurie

Here's the original with 3 other early greats:Alfred Hitchcock: 4 Tales of the Macabre - Secret Agent / The Lady Vanishes / The Man Who Knew Too Much / Sabotage

recommended reading:
Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized and Illustrated Look Inside the C

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is another of those classic Hitchcock thrillers. It has all the ingredients: a suspenseful plot, first-class acting, dramatic scenes, even great locations and an award-winning song by Doris Day. Day is a weepy as a woman should be whose child has been kidnapped by terrorists. Perhaps it's because the assasins seem, when all is said and done, a little less ruthless than they ought to be.

Still, this is an excellent movie. The scene in the Royal Albert Hall, leading up to the assasination attempt, is justifiably famous and a great example of Hitchcock's ability to draw out a key scene for maximum dramatic impact. He had truly mastered his craft by this point in his career.

I always enjoy Alfred Hitchcock's work and when he casts actresses against their normal "type" the results are usually very pleasing. It is never more evident than in his casting "against type" of Doris Day in one of my favourite later films by this legendary director, "The Man Who Knew Too Much". Hitchcock's 1956 remake of his own 1934 feature was a way for him to right some of the supposed short falls that he felt remained in the original which he was never totally happy with. Here he has updated the story and while not his best work it makes an engrossing and thrilling film to watch with its many twists and turns and unexpected red herrings thrown in.

The casting of James Stewart and Doris Day in the leads was inspired and while some reviewers have complained about Doris Day being miscast in this role I believe she does an excellent job and in her career had often played women under a great deal of distress as seen in films like "Julie", and "Midnight Lace". "The Man Who Knew Too Much", relates the story of an American couple holidaying in Morocco after the doctor husband has attended a medical conference inParis. Once there they find themselves unknowingly involved in an elaborate assassination attempt to take place at a later date in London. Learning more than they want to about those involved, they find themselves the helpless targets of those wishing them to keep quiet about what they now know which results in their son being kidnapped and taken off to London to ensure the couples silence or else. The story climaxes in London where the two have gone in a desperate effort to uncover where their son is being held. The London sequences build to the climax to the story whereby it is revealed that the assassination attempt will take place during a performance at Royal Albert Hall and it becomes a race against time for the harrassed couple to save the targeted diplomat while still ensuring the safety of their captive son. The climax that takes place during the performance which is performed without any dialogue at all really is riverting Hitchcock at his very best and is one of Doris Day's finest moments as an actress.

The chemistry between James Stewart and Doris Day is wonderful and they make a very believable couple both in the beginning when they are ordinary tourists and then when the action shifts to where they find themselves hunting down the kidnappers and trying to foil the assassin. Doris indeed has a field day in the role as the anguished mother not knowing who she can trust, and her signature tune of "Que Sera Sera", also was especially created for this film. It figures importantly in the plot during the sequences when they are rescuing their son. Doris Day originally was very unimpressed with the lyrics of this song and wanted something else used in the story but as she admitted herself in her wonderful autobiography "Doris Day: Her Own Story", she was never more wrong about anything in her life and it not only became her signature tune but went on to win the Academy Award for best song that year.

The supporting cast help also to add weight to the dramatic proceedings and first and foremost the mysterious Drayton couple played by Brenda de Banzie and especially Bernard Miles are superb. Miles becomes a master of disguise throughtout the story turning from jovial tourist, to preacher, to accomplise to an assassin to great effect. It succeeds in keeping not only the worried parents but also us as the viewers wondering just who is to be trusted, what is actually real, and what will possibly happen next to surprise us. These twists and turns are the earmarks of a good thriller and here as the action accelerates Hitchcock does not disappoint us. Another strength in this story are the wonderful visuals provided by great on location photography in both Morocco and London. According to reports it was not an easy shoot for any members of the crew in particular during the Morocco sequences. The effort however was worth it as these locations add tremendously to the overall sense of mystery and danger in the story resulting in the interest in what is happening never letting up.

This Hitchcock thriller provides a very non-traditional role for Doris Day to tackle but it's one of her more appealing pieces of work in my opinion. Made just prior to her great success in the "bedroom comedies" such as the classic "Pillow Talk" it showed her dramatic talents like no other film has. If you love a good mystery with good acting, strong direction and eye popping locales then you can't go past Alfred Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much".

This is a unique Hitchcock masterpiece - it happened to an ordinary family (James Stewart, Doris Day and Christopher Olsen) on vacation in Morocco; its leading lady was a renowned singer; the movie was thus blessed with a beautiful, unforgettable and Oscar-winning theme song "Whatever will be, will be".

In addition to the guaranteed suspense and action, the focus on this ordinary family, rather than two lovers on the run or spy game etc., succeeded in adding a new dimension to the story, making it the warmest Hitchcock movie ever. The tension and pressure the parents endured when the young son was beseiged simply drew emotional resonance from the audience. James Stewart and Doris Day were the desperate mom and dad, exhausting all their options, employing every skill and trying to balance between national security and his son's safety. Each of them had an important role to play in defusing the spy's plot as well as rescuing their son.

One important and up-to-date note (so many travel abroad nowadays) the mom and dad learned from the whole incident - do not believe in first impression of strangers. What is perceived as wrong characters may after all be right and vice-versa.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is one of those rare occasions when the sequel surpasses the original. It is also one of those far rarer occasions when the film is remade by the director of the original. It's a remake of one of Alfred Hitchcock's earlier films, with the same title, released in 1934.

James Stewart and Doris Day play a couple vacationing in Morocco with their young son, played by Christopher Olsen. On their first day in Morocco, the couple meets the mysterious Louis Bernard (Daniel Gelin), of whom Day is immediately suspicious. One day later, while at the market, Bernard dies in Stewart's arms - but not before whispering him a message. The problem is that Stewart cannot tell the message to the police, because the assassins behind Bernard's murder have kidnapped his son and promised to kill him if Stewart speaks one word of the message to the authorities. So, unable to seek assistance from the police, Stewart and Day rush to London to find the man Bernard spoke of in his message. Hopefully, he can help them retrieve their son - that is, if they stay alive long enough to do so.

Stewart and Day have some fine on-screen chemistry, making them a believable couple. The script is well-written and thanks to Hitchcock's directing, the film is very suspenseful. Without a doubt the highlight of the film is a scene at an opera house, where Stewart and Day rush to stop an assassin from killing the Prime Minister. It's a masterfully directed, heart-pounding scene. What less would you expect from the Master of Suspense?

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" is not one of The Master's best, but nonetheless it's a masterful thriller that won't disappoint Hitchcock fans or any moviegoers looking for an exciting film.

HITCHCOCK CAMEO: Hitchcock appears in the marketplace, watching the acrobats with his back to the camera.

The 1956 Widescreen Color "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is a remake of Hitch's 1934 Standard Screen Black & White British version. (Hitch didn't come to the United States until 1939). As he stated, "the 1934 version was directed by an amateur and the 1956 version by a professional."

This was to be the second of 5 brilliant films made from 1954 - 1960. (the others are; Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959) & Psycho (1960)). This was Hitchcock at his best, in fact these last 4 were voted to AFI's (American Film Institute's) top 100 films in the last 100 years (1998). So you can see why "The Man Who Knew Too Much" was overlooked. A definite sleeper classic!!!

Summary: James Stewart, wife Doris Day and son are on a vacation in Morocco. They are accidently swept up in an assassination plot to occur in London. The assassin group kidnaps their son as insurance of their silence and hold him hostage. Doris Days rare dramatic role is outstanding and her singing the Oscar winning song, ("Que Sera, Sera") high light this brilliant spy thriller. Jimmy Stewarts natural acting ability (Hitchcocks favorite male actor) pulls off being Doris Days husband.

The Anamorphic Widescreen Color presentation is excellent. The "Making of - with Patricia Hitchocks (Hitch's daughter) comments is very interesting & informative.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" (1955) is Alfred Hitchcock's own remake of his 1934 thriller about a married couple (James Stewart and Doris Day) on vacation in Morocco where they got caught up in a nightmare that include murder, espionage, assassinations and the worst of all, kidnapping of their 10-years-old son. The movie which Hitchcock himself considered superior to the original is a great fun. Stewart and Day have a good chemistry together. The film is filled with the wonderful comical scenes and dialogues as well as the scenes of chilling suspense.

The inclusion of "Que Sera, Sera" proved to be a stroke of genius because rarely the song fits the content and plays such an important role in the movie like "Que Sera, Sera" did in "The Man Who Knew Too Much".

Hitchcock also treats us to the live music playing from Arthur Benjamin "Storm Cloud Cantata" for almost ten minutes while scene in London's Royal Albert Hall where the assassination of a very important politician was attempted takes place and both, the scene and the cantata are simply marvelous.

Alfred Hitchcock's remake of his own "The Man Who Knew Too Much" has much to recommend it. Although some may miss the swift pacing of the 1934 original, this version provides the viewer with the leisure to absorb the gorgeous Moroccan locations, and the opportunity to get further inside the lives of the desperate parents. Although Stewart gives a strong performance, Doris Day dominates the picture. Abandoning all her quirky, comic mannerisms, Day turns in startlingly grounded performance as the frightened mother. She never gave a stronger performance.

In all fairness, the film runs too long, and although the tension mounts and subsides at all the proper moments, the family's plight never fully engages the viewer. The famous Albert Hall sequence provides more than enough suspense, but, until the day I die, I will never accept that any theatre would allow a ticketless woman displaying severe signs of mental disturbance to stand in the rear of the auditorium during any performance- let alone one attended by a head of State.