The Man Who Knew Too Much-1956
Director Alfred Hitchcock
Starring James Stewart, Doris Day
Top 100 Films #38
Scott’s Review #176
Reviewed September 26, 2014
Grade: A
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a classic Alfred Hitchcock film from 1956 starring James Stewart and Doris Day, who share tremendous chemistry.
They play a successful married couple- Ben and Jo McKenna, he a Doctor, she a well-known singer, who travels on a lovely trip to Morocco, with their young son Hank in tow.
They are a traditional American family on vacation abroad that the viewer trusts and believes in from the onset of the film.
Suddenly, they are approached by a Frenchman named Louis Bernard, who seems a bit too curious about Ben and his work. Jo is immediately suspicious of the mysterious man and thus begins a series of events involving mistaken identity, an assassination attempt on England’s Prime Minister, and the couple traversing to London in an attempt to locate Hank, who has been kidnapped by criminals.
As with other Hitchcock films- think North by Northwest, the motivations of the assassins are unclear and one might argue, unnecessary. Why are they attempting to assassinate a political figure? Is there money to gain? Is there power to be obtained?
These questions are never answered- the film is not about that, but rather about Ben and Jo’s predicaments. The villains- primarily an innocent-seeming English couple and a sneering, rat-like assassin, are one-dimensional characters as their motivations are not revealed.
A remake of a 1934 version with the same title, but far superior, the film is a suspense/ political thriller.
Some interesting comparisons to other Hitchcock films released around the same time that I continue to notice with each passing viewing-
North by Northwest– the ordinary man falling into international intrigue and Vertigo– Jo is dressed in almost identical fashion to Madeleine/Judy- a classic, sophisticated grey suit with a pulled-up bun hairstyle; the musical scores are extremely similar- almost identical in instances; Vertigo’s bell tower is reminiscent of Ambrose Chappel in The Man Who Knew Too Much. Stewart’s Ben climbs up the bell tower in The Man Who Knew Too Much whereas in Vertigo is terrified of heights, let alone climbing.
These are fascinating tidbits to note for any Hitchcock fan.
Impressive to me is Doris Day’s performance, which is her greatest. Known for the lightweight, romantic comedy, and fluff roles, she turns in a wonderfully emotional and dramatic role and is quite effective in her own right.
The six-minute climactic final sequence, set at a musical concert at the Royal Albert Hall, is among the best in film history and uses no dialogue. This technique is jaw-dropping as one realizes just how much transpires within the six minutes, solely on physical activity and facial expressions alone- the entire plot of the film reaches a searing crescendo- quite literally.
Day is particularly strong in this sequence.
James Stewart, in his fourth turn in a Hitchcock film, is charismatic as always playing the everyman tangled in a web of deceit and espionage. He takes charge, but is identifying to the audience- he can be your friend or neighbor and we trust his character- he is a successful doctor after all.
The now-legendary song from the film “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” is an important part of the finale and remains with the audience in a happy yet terrifying way long after the curtain closes on the film.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) is exciting, suspenseful, interesting, and fun- just what a Hitchcock film should be.
Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Song-” Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” (won)