THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956) C widescreen 120m dir: Alfred Hitchcock

w/James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Ralph Truman, Daniel Gelin, Mogens Wieth, Alan Mowbray, Hillary Brooke, Christopher Olsen

Hitchcock is in top form with this exciting suspense yarn. Though not quite as effective as the same director's 1934 version of the same story, it's still one not to be missed.

From The Movie Guide: "The original version of this film so appealed to Hitchcock that he felt it could take a remake and survive. He also believed that he could improve upon it --- an opinion open to debate. Though the director altered some locales (Switzerland became Morocco), he kept the original story fairly much intact, enhanced the production values, and added 45 minutes to its running time. Dr. Ben and Jo McKenna (Stewart and Day) are sweetly innocent and unsuspecting tourists whose vacation in French Morocco turns into a nightmare. Traveling with their son Hank (Olsen) they are enjoying their holiday when they meet Mr. and Mrs. Drayton (Miles and de Banzie), a friendly British couple, and Louis Bernard (Gelin), a suspicious but friendly Frenchman. Later, when Ben and Jo are shopping in the bazaar, an Arab runs frantically up to them, having been stabbed in the back. Ben grabs the man as he falls and finds, to his horror, that it is Louis Bernard in disguise. Before he dies, Louis Bernard whispers something to Ben, thereby tossing him into a tangle of international intrigue that only he can unravel. Though there is obviously more polish and a lavish budget in this remake, the 1956 version of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH has no more or less impact than the first version. Again, Hitchcock's scenes are beautifully framed and tautly directed --- especially the double climax of the assassination attempt at the Albert Hall and the Embassy search for the kidnapped Hank. Day delivers a song, 'Que Sera, Sera,' which became a smash hit. Hitchcock makes his customary cameo, as does his composer Bernard Herrmann [conducting the Albert Hall Orchestra]."

A Best Song Oscar went to "Que Sera, Sera," by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans.