An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is ki... Read allAn American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 4 nominations total
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThroughout the filming, Doris Day became increasingly concerned that Sir Alfred Hitchcock paid more attention to camera set-ups, lighting, and technical matters than he did to her performance. Convinced that he was displeased with her work, she finally confronted him. His reply was, "My dear Miss Day, if you weren't giving me what I wanted, then I would have to direct you!"
- GoofsWhen Hank is being taken by his kidnappers from the chapel to the embassy, the group gets in a left-hand drive large 1953 Humber Mark IV Super Snipe on a Hollywood sound stage. The pretend driver enters on the right, but the supposed front seat passenger can be seen releasing the handbrake, and holding the steering wheel. The car's exhaust sound also does not match the Humber. In the second scene later, the same car enters the embassy rear gate, also on a Hollywood sound stage, and the car can be seen as having red seats. In the next cut, the car pulls up at the rear of the embassy, and Hank and the kidnappers exit. The car has now become a smaller and earlier 1951 Humber Mark IV Hawk, with tan seats, filmed on location in London, although both cars show the same registration number.
- Quotes
[last lines]
Dr. Ben McKenna: Sorry we were gone so long, but we had to pick up Hank!
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: A single crash of Cymbals and how it rocked the lives of an American family.
- Alternate versionsThe original film opened with the Paramount logo followed by their patented wide-screen process, Vista Vision. In the 1980s, Universal reissued the film with their logo, and dropped the reference to Vista Vision. The Blu-Ray edition retains the Paramount/Vista Vision logos at the start, but carries the '80s Universal logo at the end.
- ConnectionsEdited into Histoire(s) du cinéma: Le contrôle de l'univers (1999)
- SoundtracksStorm Cloud Cantata
(1934)
by Arthur Benjamin and D.B. Wyndham-Lewis
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Conducted by Bernard Herrmann
Orchestrated by Bernard Herrmann (uncredited)
Covent Garden Chorus and Barbara Howitt, soloist
Featured review
Under-rated suspense masterwork.
When you start watching the 1956 version of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, you'll think it's a minor work by Alfred Hitchcock. The countless scenes showing a lovely, but buffoonish vacationing American couple (James Stewart, Doris Day) seem to lead nowhere. But, hold on, about thirty minutes into the film, during a very dreamlike murder sequence (which takes place in bright sunlight, and involves blue paint) the film really takes off. Personally, I find the opening "character development" sequence between protagonists James Stewart and Doris Day very charming. It sets you up for the second and third acts of the film. You get to like this couple so much, you are raelly rooting for them as they try to rescue their kidnapped son amidst a plot to assassinate a visiting diplomat. Of course, the high-point of the film is the assassination itself, a twelve minute wordless sequence. Hitchcock beautifully brings us back to silent film! The ending, which involves a rescue at an embassy, is wonderfully silly and tense. For those not familiar with Hitchcock, this is Hitchcock's own remake of a film he made under the same title in 1934 in England. This is one of my favorite Hitchcock films. It's proof that this master loved his audience and wanted to keep them thrilled!
helpful•7019
- boris-26
- Jan 15, 2001
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Languages
- Also known as
- Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much
- Filming locations
- St Saviour's Church Hall, St Saviour's Church, Lambert Road, Brixton, London, Greater London, England, UK(Ambrose Chapel, demolished)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $2,500,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $8,645
- Runtime2 hours
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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