Review of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) by Gregory W — 05 Aug 2008

A remake of Hitchcock's own 1934 film of the same name, in which the child of an American couple is abducted. I've enjoyed all the previous collaborations between Hitchcock and James Stewart, which I've seen (Rear Window being the pick of the bunch so far), and this was no exception. Stewart himself is quite possibly my favourite actor, with a wonderful screen presence and manner about him, and he puts in a typically first rate performance here alongside Doris Day.

The film itself, is a fairly typical action thriller. Beginning in Morocco where Stewart and Day's American couple are witness to a murder, they soon have their son abducted, and find themselves embroiled in a political assassination plot. I'm generally sceptical of remakes which are massively longer than the original film (step forward 1983's Scarface), but Hitchcock uses the extra running time well to develop his trademark suspense. Our two leads are sent on wild goose chases in the pursuit of their son, but as opposed to feeling like un-necessary diversions, they form an important part of what is an highly entertaining film.

It goes without saying for a Hitchcock film that it's all fantastically shot, with the climactic sequence in the Royal Albert Hall being a particular highlight. This, along with a witty script and a fantastic use of music throughout, mean that the film withstands comparison with Hitchcock's recognised classics.