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The Man Who Knew Too Much
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The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) More at IMDbPro »

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The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) -- A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering.
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) -- A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering.

Overview

User Rating:
7.5/10   15,697 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 39% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Alfred Hitchcock
Writers:
John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Charles Bennett (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Man Who Knew Too Much on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 June 1956 (USA) more
Tagline:
A little knowledge can be a deadly thing! more
Plot:
A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations more
User Comments:
The master of thrills delivers another thrilling masterwork....almost more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

James Stewart ... Dr. Benjamin 'Ben' McKenna

Doris Day ... Josephine Conway 'Jo' McKenna
Brenda De Banzie ... Lucy Drayton (as Brenda de Banzie)
Bernard Miles ... Edward Drayton
Ralph Truman ... Inspector Buchanan
Daniel Gélin ... Louis Bernard (as Daniel Gelin)
Mogens Wieth ... Ambassador
Alan Mowbray ... Val Parnell
Hillary Brooke ... Jan Peterson
Christopher Olsen ... Henry 'Hank' McKenna
Reggie Nalder ... Rien
Richard Wattis ... Assistant Manager
Noel Willman ... Woburn
Alix Talton ... Helen Parnell
Yves Brainville ... Police Inspector
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Additional Details

Runtime:
120 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English | French | Arabic
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.50 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Doris Day had a fear of flying that stemmed from tours with Bob Hope in the 1940s that resulted in some close calls in impenetrable winter weather. She almost turned down her role in this film because it required travel to London and Marrakesh. Her husband and manager, Martin Melcher talked her into accepting it. more
Goofs:
Boom mic visible: After Dr. McKenna tells his wife Jo about Hank being missing, she begins to fall asleep and the shadow of the boom mic falls on the wall behind Dr. McKenna's head. more
Quotes:
[to Drayton]
Ambassador: You have muddled everything from the start, taking that child with you from Marrakesh. Don't you realize that Americans dislike having their children stolen?
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Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Matrix (1999) more
Soundtrack:
We'll Love Again more

FAQ

How does it end?
Why were the McKennas in Morocco?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
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35 out of 55 people found the following comment useful:-
The master of thrills delivers another thrilling masterwork....almost, 9 December 2004
8/10
Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

Alfred Hitchcock's more assured telling of a film he made twenty-one years earlier is infinitely superior to the original. Hitchcock said himself that his first version was the work of an amateur, and although it certainly isn't a bad film, he does appear to be right. That being said, this remake, although definitely better, still isn't among Hitchcock's best work. That's certainly not to say that it isn't good, it's just more than a little overindulgent, and that drags it down. Hitchcock seems all too keen to drag certain elements out, and these are parts of the film that aren't entirely relevant to the plot, which can become annoying. Some of these dragged out sequences, such as the one that sees James Stewart and Doris Day eating in a Moroccan restaurant are good because it helps establish the different culture that our American protagonists have found themselves in, but for every restaurant scene, there's an opera sequence and it's the latter that make the film worse.

The plot follows a middle-aged doctor and his wife that go to Morocco for a holiday with their young son. While there, they meet a French man on the bus and another middle-aged couple in a restaurant. However, things go awry when the French man dies from a knife in the back, shortly after whispering something to the doctor. The holiday then turns into a full blown nightmare when the couple's son is kidnapped, which causes them to cut it short and go to London in order to try and find him. The film has a very potent degree of paranoia about it, and it manages to hold this all the way through. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that this is the most paranoid film that Hitchcock ever made. Like most of Hitchcock's films, this one is very thrilling and keeps you on the edge of your seat for almost the entire duration, with only the aforementioned opera sequence standing out as a moment in which the tension is diffused. There is also more than a little humour in the movie, which gives lighthearted relief to the morbid goings on, and actually works quite well.

The original version of this story was lent excellent support by the fantastic Peter Lorre. This film doesn't benefit from his presence, unfortunately, but that is made up for by performances from the amazing James Stewart, and Doris Day. James Stewart is a man that is always going to be a contender for the 'greatest actor of all time' crown. His collaborations with Hitchcock all feature mesmerising performances from him, and this one is no different. (Although his best performance remains the one in Mr Smith Goes to Washington). Stewart conveys all the courage, conviction and heartbreak of a man that has lost his child and would do anything to get him back brilliantly. In fact, that's one of the best things about this film; you are really able to feel for the couple's loss throughout and that serves in making it all the more thrilling. Doris Day, on the other hand, is a rather strange casting choice for this movie. She's definitely a good actress, but she's more associated with musicals and seeing her in a thriller is rather odd (even if she does get to flex her vocal chords a little).

As I've mentioned; this is not Hitchcock's best film, but there's much to enjoy about it and although I'd recommend many Hitchcock films before recommending this one, I'll definitely give it two thumbs up as well.

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Fave Scene? Joe_wilger
Remaking own film kill_westlife123
Why don't people like this? mr_clifton
The Hermann score Jay09101951
Last scene ruined it rayshaw44
The Little Boy was VERY ANNOYING! PhilaCinema
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