Methodically, deliberately, compellingly...
By Paul Brogan
The "Master of Suspense", Alfred Hitchcock, hits another bullseye with his 1956 production of "The Man Who Knew Too Much". Purists have been known to complain that they prefer Hitchcock's original 1934 version of the story to the lavish, widescreen, color version starring James Stewart and Doris Day, but if viewed side by side, both films stand on their own as classic Hitchcock.
The 1956 version of "The Man Who Knew Too Much " unfolds like a beautiful book, methodically, deliberately, and compellingly. Stewart plays an American doctor and Day is his wife, a retired singer. They are vacationing with their young son, Hank, in Morocco, when they become embroiled in an International incident involving a planned assasination. Their son is kidnapped and taken to London. Day and Stewart follow, where they attempt to get some answers and to locate their son, on their own, without the help offered by Scotland Yard. The film reaches it's exciting climax during a concert at Albert Hall in which Day suddenly realizes what is about to occur. Without giving away some of the intricate plot twists and turns, "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is like a breathtaking ride on a state of the art rollercoaster. You cannot help but get caught up in the plight of Stewart and Day.
James Stewart and Doris Day seem like a real married couple, so easy and comfortable is their onscreen chemistry. They banter and interact convincingly but there is also a strong indication that there may be some tensions lurking beneath the outer veneer. Both actors play their roles with expertise and Day, in particular, shows range and versatility in her performance, being especially memorable in the justly celebrated Albert Hall scene and in an earlier scene when Stewart informs her that their son has been kidnapped. The growing realization as to what he is telling her is reflected in Day's facial reactions.
Hitchcock has once again assembled a first-rate cast of supporting players including his long time musical collaborator, Bernard Herrmann, who appears onscreen for the first time, playing himself while conducting an original piece of music during the Albert Hall sequence. The team of Livingston and Evans composed a song for Day to sing to her son as part of the plot. The tune, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be"(Que Sera, Sera), became a mega-hit, selling millions of records, winning an Oscar as best song and becoming one of Day's signature tunes. It plays an intricate role in the storyline, being introduced naturally and being reprised as part of the picture's denouement.
The queues that formed at box-offices all over the world when "The Man Who Knew Too Much" opened in the summer of 1956, were a tribute to the talents of Hitchcock, Day, and Stewart, and to the public's continuing fascination with quality entertainment. To this day, the film remains one of Hitchcock's best films from his 1950s period. A movie that is well worth viewing.
Paul Brogan, October 2000
The Old Master's bag of tricks, plus Jimmy Stewart and a notably fine dramatic performance by Doris Day
Hitchcock suspense, graduated excitement, calculated horror, all of the old master's bag of tricks, plus Jimmy Stewart and a notably fine dramatic performance by Doris Day, all smoothly blended, carefully baked to a turn and served with a flourish, make this a tasty box office dish. The Alfred Hitchcock magic is simple-any casual observer of his style can tell you what's coming next-but it retains its captivating charm because the rabbit keeps appearing the most unexpected places.
And among the long series of his successes, multiplying these days of TV almost as fast as the rabbits he pulls out of hats, "The Man Who Knew Too Much" will certainly rank near the top. This it achieves through authenticity of setting; magnificent photography in VistaVision and Technicolor; a tightly written, smoothly flowing screenplay, by John Michael Hayes and Angus MacPhail,and, of course, the rhythmic Hitchcock direction and editing. His sure touch carries the story along to plateaus of suspense, reaching finally not one but two climaxes.
A favorite Hitchcock device is to heighten the effect of horror by having the villainies occur in the most ordinary and commonplace of circumstances. In this case he doubles it by setting it first against a background of Arabian Nights mystery, in Marrakesh, and suddenly transferring it to a London meeting house. Another is his employment of an ordinary place or event for the keystone of the story-a subway, a carousel, and a broken leg. In this instance it is a concert at Albert Hall and he uses the magnificent new tool of magnetic stereophonic sound to full effect for a performance of the "Storm Cloud Cantata" by the London Symphony Orchestra and the Covent Garden Chorus of 350 voices.
Stewart and Miss Day, an American doctor and his wife, are on a vacation tour of French Morocco with their seven-year-old son, Christopher Olsen. In Marrakesh they witness the murder of a French secret service agent who, while dying, tells Stewart of an assassination this is to take place in London soon. To prevent Stewart from delivering the message to the authorities, the plotters kidnap the boy and take him to London. Stewart and Miss Day follow, prevent the assassination and, on their own, rescue their son from an unfriendly embassy where the plot was hatched,
The Hitchcock embellishments make this a plausible and continuously exciting tale. Stewart, in his competently casual way, understands and executes Hitchcock direction perfectly but the surprise is Miss Day in her first full dramatic part, showing resources which were never so apparent in her song and dance days. The rest of the cast are equally competent, particularly Brenda de Banzie, a leading English actress who here makes her Hollywood debut, and Reggie Nalder, a French stage and screen actor, who plays the assassin. The production is pure Hitchcock and positive box office.
Motion Picture Herald
On location with "The Man Who Knew Too Much"
The cast and crew on location in London.
Doris Day traveled to two major locations during the filming of this suspense film-London and Marrakech in North Africa. She loved her visit to London and even commented later that if she didn't have her pets she'd probably live in London. The fans followed her everywhere, and at times became an intrusion in her life. She was met and treated like the Queen of England. She was at the peak of her career when this film was made and being that popular brought out many fans.
From there she was transported to Marrakech and it was an entirely different story:
"From the moment we arrived in Marrakech, my stomach rebelled at the sight of the local cuisine. Almost everything was served out of community pots. Our first night there we were invited to some palace where the diners filled their plates from a community pot with their hands! Well, D. Day is a lady of rather simple, hygienic eating habits and there was no way I was going to eat with my fingers." - Doris Day, Her Own Story
She even pulled "rank" for the first time in her film career when it came to the care and treatment of animals:
"I said that I would not appear in any scenes with animals unless they were properly fed. As a result, the company set up a feeding station where all the goats, lambs, horses, cows, dogs, cats, burros and other animals were brought to be fed. I couldn't provide for the feeding of the entire undernourished population of Marrakech, but by the time our photography was finished I had succeeded in fattening up the animals used in the picture." - Doris Day, Her Own Story
She also became concerned when she received no verbal direction from Hitchcock. He instead expected his actors to "act" and left them mostly alone. He was quiet, subdued and ultimately very pleased with her performance. He said, "You have been doing what I felt was right for the film and that's why I haven't told you anything."
The London Symphony Orchestra and the Covent Garden Chorus make a dramatic personal appearance in this film. Conducted by Bernard Herrman, the 350-voice choir sings "Storm Cloud Cantata," in which a titanic crescendo of clashing cymbals and rolling drums is used as a cover for a political assassination in London's Albert Hall.
Derald Hendry
Alfred Hitchcock once told
François Truffaut that his 1934 version of this exciting thriller
was "the work of a talented amateur and the second was made
by a professional". There's
no doubt that this colour remake is technically more accomplished,
while the deft tinkering with the finale adds considerably to the
suspense. But not all of the additional 45 minutes are as well spent.
Que Sera, Sera might have won the Oscar for best song, but its inclusion was solely to mollify Doris Day fans and the storytelling is occasionally over-deliberate. Nevertheless, James Stewart is superb, and Bernard Miles and Brenda de Banzie make admirable adversaries."
