Learn About, The Man Who Knew Too Much
About, The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1934 suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and released by Gaumont British. It was one of the most successful and critically acclaimed films of Hitchcock’s British period. 1
Hitchcock remade the film in 1956 for Paramount Pictures, the only one of his films that he ever remade. The two films are however very different in tone, in setting, and in many plot details. 2
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The Man Who Knew Too Much is a breathless escapade which, considering the infancy of sound film, was far ahead of its time. Hitchcock devised a comic episode leading up to it. The humour is direct, slapstick, and obvious, but it is cut short by a bullet plunging into the chest of Pierre Fresnay. The Man Who Knew Too Much lacks grace and rhythm between the suspense and the jokes, and Hitchcock concedes that the film was the creation of a “talented amateur.” The critics differed, however, and the film has garnered unanimous praise as one of the best British films and best thrillers ever. 3
This is the original, British-made movie from 1934 and is now in the public domain. After coming to the United States, Alfred Hitchcock produced a remake of this movie in 1956 starring James (Jimmy) Stewart and Doris Day. The remake remains under copyright. 4
The next day, outdoors in a busy Marrakesh marketplace, the McKennas are shocked to witness the assassination of a man who turns out to be Bernard in disguise. Before dying, he whispers into Ben McKenna’s ear a terrible secret: that someone’s life is in danger. The Draytons, not nearly as innocent as they seem, kidnap the boy Hank in order to be able to pressure Dr. McKenna into not telling the local police what he has learned. 5
After following a number of leads, McKenna tracks the kidnappers to a church, where Drayton is posing as the minister. Ben learns that the Draytons are involved in a plot to assassinate a European head of state during a symphony orchestra concert at the Royal Albert Hall. 6
Ben and Jo separately track the killer to the concert, where he is to shoot the dignitary at the exact moment of time when the orchestra’s music features a loud and climactic cymbal crash. At the moment of truth, Jo screams. The sudden unexpected sound causes the assassin to misfire. Ben chases the assassin, who falls to his death from the balcony of the theater. 7
Now it would be really interesting to think which is the real basis of ‘The Man who knew too much’. For this accounts that sort of “personality transformation” which occurs mainly on Mrs McKenna, but which affects directly her husband’s behavior: the at the beginning moderate Jo Conway is turned into an histeric, obsessive and almost egoistic woman as Hank disappears. This has got a direct influence on Dr.McKenna, who seems to become unsure and irreflexive as the movie developes. 8
Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo is a signature occurrence in most of his films. In The Man Who Knew Too Much he can be seen (25 minutes into the film) watching acrobats in the Moroccan marketplace, with his back to the camera, just before the spy is killed. 9
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Tags: alfred hitchcock, best thrillers, british films, british period, doris day, escapade, infancy, jimmy stewart, kidnappers, mckenna, mckennas, paramount pictures, period 1, pierre fresnay, plot details, s, sound film, suspense film, talented amateur, two films, unanimous praise
Tags: alfred hitchcock, best thrillers, british films, british period, doris day, escapade, infancy, jimmy stewart, kidnappers, mckenna, mckennas, paramount pictures, period 1, pierre fresnay, plot details, s, sound film, suspense film, talented amateur, two films, unanimous praise