The Man Who Knew Too Much

1956 "A little knowledge can be a deadly thing!"
7.4| 2h0m| PG| en| More Info
Released: 16 May 1956 Released
Producted By: Paramount Pictures
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A couple vacationing in Morocco with their young son accidentally stumble upon an assassination plot. When the child is kidnapped to ensure their silence, they have to take matters into their own hands to save him.

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Reviews

ada the leading man is my tpye
Interesteg What makes it different from others?
StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.
Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
streetlight2 Not sure what Hitchcock film is worse than this monstrosity. Dorris Day is miscast and the boy is obnoxious.
weezeralfalfa This Alfred Hitchcock suspense thriller has the unusual distinction, for this type of film, of including the song which won the Academy Award: "Que, Sera, Sera". It plays a small role in the screenplay. Doris Day(Jo McKenna) is asked to sing something at the London embassy reception for the Prime Minister(PM). She chooses "Que Sera, Sera" because she and her son , Hank,had sung it together recently. She was hoping Hank was upstairs and would recognize her voice. He did, and whistled in response. He was locked in a room with Lucy Drayton, who had kidnapped him while the McKennas were vacationing in Morocco. She and her husband Edward had taken the boy with them in their private plane, to England, to hopefully insure that Ben McKenna(Jimmy Stewart) wouldn't divulge what he had heard from the French intelligence agent Louis Bernard, as he lay dying from a knife in the back. What Ben remembered related to a plot to assassinate a foreign PM in London. Ben now knew too much for the comfort of the conspirators, but knew too little(was missing some pieces) to prevent the assassination. Throughout most of the film, the McKennas have the dual goals of getting Hank back safely, and trying to prevent the assassination by figuring out the missing pieces......When Hank is shown with the Draytons , he seems too calm, as if his situation wasn't anything to worry about. I fault the director for not making him seem upset and scared, screaming and fighting.....Also, we hear the conspirator leader(ambassador) tell the assassin to shoot the PM when the cymbals crash, during the symphony where the PM was taken. Jo(Doris) screams at full volume just before the cymbals crash, spooking the gunman, making him shoot slightly off target, hitting the PM's lower arm. I question how Jo learned about the cymbal signal. Would it have been better fpr her to scream well before the cymbal crash?......So, why did the Drayton's go to Morocco if the assassination was to be in London? Apparently, to pickup the assassin and fly him to London in their private plane. The assassin actually came to the McKenna's Morocco hotel room, thinking they were the Draytons. Jo saw him in the lobby of the symphony hall and they had a few words......This was actually the second film Hitchcock directed with the same title, though the screenplays apparently weren't that similar, and the first one was shot in B&W vs. the Technicolor of the present film. This was one of 4 films Stewart did for Hitchcock vs. the only such film for Doris, who did costar in the later Hitchcock-like thriller "Midnight Lace", which caused her mental anguish.
drella15 Was Hitchcock the prequel to Kubrick? Did you need a tractor to get him out of Shepperton Studios?OK, I understand Hitch needed rear-screen to avoid a trip to Marrakesh. But rear-screen even ruins 'North By Northwest'. Unless he sent the second-unit, Hitch was forced to leave his room for Cary Grant's scene vs the crop duster plane. Yet there are moments in that scene which were clearly shot in the studio.And I'd almost swear the scene when Grant & Saint reconnect while walking in the train station was done with rear-screen. Was Hitchcock too frugal to hire extras to play other passengers walking on the platform?It's a good thing Hitch wasn't a Formula One fan. Can you imagine rear-screen ruining the racing scenes in 'Grand Prix'?
PartialMovieViewer 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.