The Man Who Knew Too Much

Media:	DVD
Directed by:	Alfred Hitchcock
Starring:	James Stewart, Doris Day
Release date:	06 March, 2001
List price:	~~$19.98~~
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The Man Who Knew Too Much

Average rating: Stars

Minus Doris Day This Would Be Classic

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I suppose if you were to pick anyone to remake the classic Alfred Hitchcock film The Man Who Knew Too Much Hitchock himself would not a bad choice. And that is just what the master of suspense did in 1956. In fact this version feels more like an extended, director's cut than a remake. The story is essentially the same. Ben (James Stewart) and Jo MacKenna(Doris Day)are vacationing in French Morocco with their son (Christopher Olson). They are quickly caught up in international intrigue and must try to stop an unknown diplomats assassination and keep their son from being harmed.

While the original stays mainly indoors keeping its action to a few set pieces. In this new version Hitchcock thrills in taking his characters, and the audience, to wild, colorful places around the world. It begins in Northern Africa and here we see many lovely shots of the country side. The action moves to London where there numerous shots inside enormous, gorgeous buildings like the Royal Albert Hall.

The opening credit sequence is beautifully done. Hitchock shoots a half orchestra playing the opening music. It takes a few moments to realize that the typical orchestrated number you are hearing over the credits is visibly being played by real people on the picture. This inventive bit is promptly ruined by an uninteresting title card played over the cymbalist.

I own the original 1934 version and recently watched it. There are many debates raging over the internet on which version is superior. Frankly, I find both version to be lacking. The original was paced quicker but suffered from several jolts in plot which created some confusion and no sympathy for the protagonists. The newer version tries to help this out by giving us over long and unmoving scenes in which the protagonists try to stretch out their characters. Jimmy Stewart does a marvelous job as usual, but Dorris Day is annoying in nearly every scene. She is pretty and plays the part of a normal, cheerful American girl, but she grits my teeth while she's on the screen. Maybe I'm just not a fan. In a scene towards the end she sings "Que Sera Sera" and to my ears it sounds like she's howling the number. One could argue that she is singing loudly for a plot purpose, but I would say it would serve the movie better if it was pretty and not harsh. In an interesting bit of trivia Ms. Day apparently didn't like the song to the point of nearly refusing to record it. It turned out to be her biggest hit, and won the Oscar that year.

There is an ingenious bit of film making in the latter 3/4ths of the movie filmed in the Royal Albert Hall. There is some 12 minutes when not a word of dialogue is spoken and the only sound heard is the music played by the orchestra. It is a beautifully crafted scene that builds tension like a bullet.

There are several plot elements that make me ill at ease. The Scotland Yard seems terribly inept. We are made to believe that these detectives are willing to allow the MacKenna's to run around the streets of London trying to solve the crime by themselves even though Mr. MacKenna knows important details about the assassination of an important diplomat. Why would an assassin use a small pistol to kill the diplomat from a long distance? After the assassination attempt why is everyone allowed to run free? There are other questions and inaptitude that go unanswered except to allow a movie to tie up loose ends quickly and move the plot along.

Hitchcock was a master at manipulating audiences. He is in fine form throughout this movie quickly moving the viewer through the scenery with a good bit of humor and suspense. This is not a bad movie by any stretch. There is a great deal to enjoy as a carefree audience member and for anyone interested in the craft and art of film. However, it is far from Hitchcock's greatest film, and I find its flaws to be more disappointing considering the masterful hands that created it.
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The Man Who Knew Too Much - James Stewart, Doris Day

Immense fun but the original is better

This is Hitchcock's own remake of his own 1934 original. The English Lawrences and their cute daughter Betty have become the American McKennas and their cute (well, actually rather irritating) son Hank. The early scenes in St Moritz have been shifted to Marrakesh and, like the film as a whole, slowed down considerably from their original rather breathless pace. There are some new features: an appealingly sinister English couple, the Draytons, who win and then betray the McKennas trust; a lovely red herring scene at a taxidermists where a tiger's stuffed head dominates the foreground much of the splendidly creepy photography. James Stewart as Ben McKenna is certainly more memorable than Leslie Banks in the original but I far preferred Edna Best's feisty Mrs Lawrence to Doris Day's lacklustre counterpart here. And there is of course no replacing Peter Lorre. This is great fun and well worth seeing. It's a lot slicker and glossier than the slightly creaky original but for sheer enjoyability I think the original wins hands down.

James Stewart, Doris Day - The Man Who Knew Too Much

One of Hitchcock's best!!!

James Stewart and Doris Day star in this very entertaining and suspenseful thriller from Alfred Hitchcock that is a remake of his 1934 film with Peter Lorre.

James Stewart plays Ben MacKenna, a Doctor from Indianapolis and Doris Day plays Jo Mackenna who are on vacation on Marrakech ,Morocco after spending a special Doctor's meeting in London. They have a boy called Hank MacKenna ,played by Christopher Olsen who for a young age, acts pretty well in the movie. They take a bus to Marrakech, when by accident ,their son Hank accidentaly removes the veil of a Muslim woman whose husband is very upset.

As you may know Muslim woman wear veils on their faces because they don't have as much rights as they do men, and they are seen as mostly servants in these countries.
An arabic man called Louis Bernard who sees the situation, intervenes and explains to the man that it was an accident.
As a sign of gratitude, Ben and Jo invite Mr. Bernard for dinner and become friends with him.

On their vacation of Marrakech, Ben and Jo meet an elderly couple called the Drayton's who seem like nice people. Afterwards they offer to babysit Hank while Ben and Jo go to the outdoor markets. As Ben and JO are on the outdoor markets, they witness a crime in progress. A man stabbed in the back comes to Ben and as Ben looks closer at this man , he says that it is his good friend Louis Bernard.

Before Louis dies, he whispers into Ben's ear "A stateman's shall be killed, you must go to London to Ambrose Chappel". Soon the Marrakech/French police question Ben and Ben learns that his friend Louis is actually an FBI agent who was investigating an attempt to kill the Prime Minister.

The FBI aren't very helpful as they think Ben knows more than he's letting on. As Ben and Jo go home they learn that the Drayton's have left their hotel and Hank
is nowhere to be found.

As Ben becomes worried (who wouldn't be after their son gets kidnapped) he gets a phone call from the Drayton's saying that Hank is ok,but that he should keep
his mouth shut if he ever wants to see his son again.

Instead of telling the police/FBI about this turn of events Ben and Jo go to London and try to find out where they're son is on they're on.

Relying back to what Louis told him before Ben and Jo search for Ambrose Chappel.

In a comical scene, Ben thinks he has found Chappel but it is not. In fact with the help of Josephine's friend ,he learns that Chappel is a church not a person.

Ben goes to the church and just as he gets close to getting his son, he is knocked out senseless. Without giving the good parts of the movie (there is plenty), Hitchcock being the "Master of Suspense", provides
so many twists and turns that you never know what's going to happen until the end of the film.

The movie itself is best well known for Doris Day's singing of "Que Sera, Sera" which won the Academy Award for best song in this picture and elevated Doris Day
into not only a good actress but a good singer as well.

The DVD is full of bonuses:

Biographies of Doris Day, James Stewart and Alfred Hitchcock.

Trailers for other Hitchcock classics like "The Birds", "Rope", "Rear Window"
and many more in widescreen format.

A documentary on the making of the movie.

Probably the best, personal production photographs during the making of the film, accompanied by tunes of the film.

There is even a DVD Rom for DVD players for the pc, which include more bonuses including sound clips and more interactive menus.

A nicely done DVD by Universal Pictures.