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The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
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Overview
Release Date:
1 June 1956 (USA) moreTagline:
A little knowledge can be a deadly thing! morePlot:
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 synopsisPlot Keywords:
moreAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 3 nominations moreUser Comments:
Que Sera Sera moreCast
(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 |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Homme qui en savait trop, L' (Belgium: French title) (Canada: French title) (France) [fr]Hombre que sabía demasiado, El (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
Homem Que Sabia Demais, O (Brazil) (Portugal) (original subtitled version) [pt]
Mann, der zuviel wußte, Der (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Mannen som visste för mycket (Finland: Swedish title) (Sweden) [sv]
Anthropos pou gnorize polla, O (Greece) [el]
Covjek koji je previse znao (Croatia) (DVD title) [hr]
Czlowiek, który wiedzial za duzo (Poland) [pl]
En manos del destino (Argentina) (alternative title) [es]
Ish sh'Yada Yoter Me'dye, Ha- (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Man die te veel wist, De (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Manden der vidste for meget (Denmark) [da]
Mannen utanför lagen (Sweden) [sv]
Mies joka tiesi liikaa (Finland) [fi]
Uomo che sapeva troppo, L' (Italy) [it]
more
Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parentsRuntime:
120 minCountry:
USAColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.50 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Certification:
West Germany:12 (nf) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #17717) | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:L | Spain:T | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Norway:16 | USA:PG | Canada:PGMOVIEmeter: 
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Many of the Moroccan extras had been mistakenly informed that they would only be paid if they were actually visible in the film. This led to a lot of pushing and shoving to get close to the camera until the crew explained to them that they would be paid no matter what. moreGoofs:
Continuity: On their first morning in London, McKenna leaves a taxi and walks down a quiet residential street and stops at the next corner. Four or five camera shots were taken as he slowly walked down the street. In the first three or four shots the shadow of the buildings along the block extended across the sidewalk to about three feet into the street. But in the final scene at the corner the shadows were gone. moreQuotes:
[to Louis Bernard]Hank McKenna: If you ever get hungry, our garden back home is full of snails. We tried everything to get rid of them. We never thought of a Frenchman!
more
Soundtrack:
Storm Cloud Cantata moreFAQ
A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERSWhere were the McKennas from?
How does it end?
more
more
Message Boards
Discuss this title with other users on IMDb message board for The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)| Recent Posts (updated daily) | User |
|---|---|
| name | wgunnelsiii |
| The opera sequence | RickTheLink |
| The Little Boy was VERY ANNOYING! | PhilaCinema |
| Last scene ruined it | rayshaw44 |
| That was kinda messed up... | zorrofox12 |
| Why not ... | esverdura |
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| Foreign Correspondent | The Incredibles | National Treasure: Book of Secrets | Marie Galante | The Man Who Knew Too Much |
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The original The Man Who Knew Too Much brought Alfred Hitchcock acclaim for the first time outside of the United Kingdom. Of course part of the reason for the acclaim was that folks marveled how Hitchcock on such a skimpy budget as compared to lavish Hollywood products was able to provide so much on the screen. The original film was shot inside a studio.
For whatever reason he chose this of all his films to remake, Hitchcock now with an international reputation and a big Hollywood studio behind him (Paramount)decided to see what The Man Who Knew Too Much would be like with a lavish budget. This is shot on location in Marrakesh and London and has two big international names for box office. This was James Stewart's third of four Hitchcock films and his only teaming with Doris Day and her only Hitchcock film.
I do wonder why Hitchcock never used Doris again. At first glance she would fit the profile of blond leading ladies that Hitchcock favored. Possibly because her wholesome screen image was at odds with the sophistication Hitchcock also wanted in his blondes.
Doris does some of her best acting ever in The Man Who Knew Too Much. Her best scene is when her doctor husband James Stewart gives her a sedative before telling her their son has been kidnapped by an English couple who befriended them in Morocco. Stewart and Day play off each other beautifully in that scene. But Doris especially as she registers about four different emotions at once.
Day and Stewart are on vacation with their son Christopher Olsen in Morocco and they make the acquaintance of Frenchman Daniel Gelin and the aforementioned English couple, Bernard Miles and Brenda DaBanzie. Gelin is stabbed in the back at a market place in Marrakesh and whispers some dying words to Stewart about an assassination to take place in Albert Hall in London. Their child is snatched in order to insure their silence.
For the only time I can think of a hit song came out of a Hitchcock film. Doris in fact plays a noted singer who retired from the stage to be wife and mother. The song was Que Sera Sera and I remember it well at the age of 9. You couldn't go anywhere without hearing it in 1956, it even competed with the fast rising Elvis Presley that year. Que Sera Sera won the Academy Award for Best Song beating out such titles as True Love from High Society and the title song from Around the World in 80 Days. It became Doris Day's theme song for the rest of her life and still is should she ever want to come back.
In fact the song is worked quite nicely into the plot as Doris sings it at an embassy party at the climax.
Instead of doing it with mirrors, Hitchcock shot the assassination scene at the real Albert Hall and like another reviewer said it's not directed, it's choreographed. You'll be hanging on your seats during that moment.
This was remake well worth doing.