OLLI: Spring 2012: BRITISH HITCHCOCK

 

Ina Ray Hark: THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH: 1934 vs. 1956

 

1934

1956

Bob Lawrence:

        lost or abdicated his authority

Ben McKenna: 

       takes authority back: escape

Jill: takes his place         

Jo: motherhood best for woman

concert sequence:

       Bob locked up whole time

concert sequence:

       Ben joins Jo at Albert Hall

men: donÕt have patriarchal authority:

         ceded to women

restores authority to all males

Lawrences: on holiday

McKennas: traveling for BenÕs interests:

            medical convention

              WWII: N. Africa: Ben

    Bernard: steps in when

              Hank breaches patriarchal law

Jill: flirtation w/Bernard

Jo: suspicious of Bernard

Bernard: searches out Jill:

          re: assassination attempt

Bernard: searches out Ben:

         re: assassination attempt

Jill: knows re: assassination

Jo: has to beg Ben to tell her

chapel: Nurse Agnes preaching (woman)

chapel: Drayton preaching (man)

LawrencesÕ child: daughter

McKennasÕ child: son

2 female characters:

    1. female spy: cold:

             maternal towards Abbott?

    2. Jill: performer:

        

            shoots kidnapper

 

                   male skill

2 female characters:

    1. Mrs. Drayton:

            maternal feelings save Hank

    2. Jo: performer: ŌJo ConwayĶ:

            gave up career for husbandÕs

            sings ŌQue Sera, Sera:

                 passivity of women:

                        female skill

trouble caused by:

      BobÕs lack of patriarchal assumptions

 

 

 

 

trouble caused by:

         BenÕs patriarchal assumptions:

                  not letting Jo speak

                  discounting her intuition

                  sedating her

                  ending her career

hints that Jill resents Betty

Jo: asks Ben re: another baby

 

men & women:

donÕt stray from assigned patriarchal roles:

            BenÕs almost brutal drugging of Jo

            yet: BenÕs lost when away from Indiana

            JoÕs theatrical friends:

                     ŌMr. ConwayĶ

            Ben awkward: Arab restaurant

                blundering: taxidermistÕs

                canÕt get into box @ Albert Hall             BenÕs muddled everything:            

      Jo has right instincts:

            re: Louis as spy &

            Ambrose Chapel: place, not person

Jill rescues Betty

 

Jill dispatches spy after Bob frees child

        to come into her sights

Ben rescues Hank:

     can only locate him thru 2 women:

          Jo & Mrs. Drayton:

               but only he can save Hank

filmÕs ending: intense & ambient emotions

filmÕs ending: a joke