{"id":10409,"date":"2010-01-22T16:06:47","date_gmt":"2010-01-22T23:06:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10409"},"modified":"2020-11-24T17:42:04","modified_gmt":"2020-11-25T00:42:04","slug":"man-who-knew-too-much-the-1956","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10409","title":{"rendered":"Man Who Knew Too Much, The (1956)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you realize that Americans dislike having their children stolen?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Poster2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Poster2-194x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-54556\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Poster2-194x300.png 194w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Poster2-664x1024.png 664w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Poster2-83x128.png 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Poster2-175x270.png 175w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Poster2.png 715w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 194px) 100vw, 194px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn American doctor (Jimmy Stewart) traveling in Morocco with his wife (Doris Day) and son (Christopher Olsen) becomes unwittingly embroiled in an assassination plot, and must find a way to rescue his kidnapped son while preventing the assassination from taking place.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Assassination<\/li>\n<li>Carolyn Jones Films<\/li>\n<li>Doris Day Films<\/li>\n<li>Hitchcock Films<\/li>\n<li>Jimmy Stewart Films<\/li>\n<li>Kidnapping<\/li>\n<li>Search<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nAs Peary notes, although this remake of <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10438\">Hitchcock&#8217;s 1934 British film of the same name<\/a> was &#8220;long regarded as one of [his] lesser efforts of the fifties&#8221;, it&#8217;s actually a &#8220;well-made, truly enjoyable thriller&#8221; with a number of &#8220;clever and suspenseful&#8221; scenes, and plenty of &#8220;wit&#8221; throughout. Doris Day is surprisingly well-cast as a once-famous singer (now housewife) whose rendition of &#8220;Que Sera, Sera&#8221; plays a pivotal part in the film&#8217;s suspenseful ending. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day-1024x594.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"371\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day-1024x594.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day-300x174.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day-768x446.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day-1536x891.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day-465x270.png 465w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Day.png 1735w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>(NB: This song won the film an Oscar, but it&#8217;s actually a bit saccharine and repetitive; Hitchcock himself apparently hated it.) <\/p>\n<p>Stewart is serviceable but not particularly distinctive in the title role; his &#8220;Ugly American&#8221; treatment of Morocco during the film&#8217;s opening half-hour is truly off-putting:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2-1024x605.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"378\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2-1024x605.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2-768x454.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2-1536x907.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2-457x270.png 457w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Ugly-American2.png 1725w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and makes it difficult to sympathize as much with his predicament as one otherwise would. In addition, while it&#8217;s somewhat pointless to quibble over plot holes in Hitchcock&#8217;s films (he was notoriously indifferent to their presence), I can&#8217;t quite get beyond the fact that Day and Stewart allow relative strangers (new &#8220;friends&#8221; they only just met the night before &#8212; Bernard Miles and creepy Brenda De Banzie):<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends-1024x611.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"382\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54554\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends-1024x611.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends-768x458.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends-1536x917.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends-452x270.png 452w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Friends.png 1707w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>to take off with their child in a strange city; then again, without this pivotal plot twist, there would be no story. <\/p>\n<p>Watch for composer Bernard Herrmann in a cameo as the conductor at Albert Hall, where the film&#8217;s exciting, oft-studied climax takes place. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann-1024x597.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"373\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann-1024x597.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann-128x75.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann-768x448.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann-1536x895.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann-463x270.png 463w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Herrmann.png 1745w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Also of note: skeletal Reggie Nalder as the assassin (has there been a creepier face in cinematic history?).<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder-1024x604.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"378\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder-1024x604.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder-768x453.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder-1536x907.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder-457x270.png 457w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Nalder.png 1757w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Doris Day as Jo Conway<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3-1024x612.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"383\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54561\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3-1024x612.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3-300x179.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3-128x77.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3-768x459.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3-1536x918.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3-452x270.png 452w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Day3.png 1715w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The amusing taxidermist sequence &#8212; a classic Hitchcockian red herring<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting-1024x597.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"373\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54555\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting-1024x597.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting-300x175.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting-128x75.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting-768x448.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting-1536x895.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting-463x270.png 463w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-Setting.png 1741w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The suspensefully filmed and edited Albert Hall sequence<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals-1024x603.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"377\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54562\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals-1024x603.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals-300x177.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals-128x75.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals-768x452.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals-1536x904.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals-459x270.png 459w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Cymbals.png 1731w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2-1024x593.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"371\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-54559\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2-1024x593.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2-300x174.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2-128x74.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2-768x444.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2-1536x889.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2-467x270.png 467w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/01\/MWKTM-1956-Hall2.png 1747w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes. While it&#8217;s not one of his best films, this is certainly worthy Hitchcock viewing &#8212; and film fanatics will enjoy comparing it with his earlier version. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#director\">Important Director<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0049470\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/movies.nytimes.com\/movie\/review?_r=1&#038;res=9505EFD91E3CE03BBC4F52DFB366838D649EDE\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s192toomuch.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.qnetwork.com\/index.php?page=review&#038;id=512\">Q Network Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/18067\/the-man-who-knew-too-much#articles-reviews?articleId=66876\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/the-man-who-knew-too-much-1\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Don&#8217;t you realize that Americans dislike having their children stolen?&#8221; Synopsis: An American doctor (Jimmy Stewart) traveling in Morocco with his wife (Doris Day) and son (Christopher Olsen) becomes unwittingly embroiled in an assassination plot, and must find a way to rescue his kidnapped son while preventing the assassination from taking place. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Assassination Carolyn Jones Films Doris Day Films Hitchcock Films Jimmy Stewart Films Kidnapping Search Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: As Peary notes, although this&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=10409\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10409"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10409\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54563,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10409\/revisions\/54563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=10409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=10409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}