Review of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) by Jay N — 06 Jan 2010

Marred by some silly plot points and production values (namely, light and sound) that were bad even by 1930s standards. A fast pace keeps you interested but the movie occasionally feels like it moves too quickly for its own good.

Nevertheless, it's worth watching for Lorre's performance and to see that Hitchcock had developed a fine ability to build tension and create suspense early in his career. And to Hitchcock's credit, the extent to which the film seems unoriginal today is probably attributable to his influence as a filmmaker much more than any lack of originality in the original work.