The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

John Michael Hayes (screenplay)
Charles Bennett (based on a story by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

1 June 1956 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

A little knowledge can be a deadly thing!

Plot:

A family vacationing in Morocco accidentally stumble on to an assassination plot and the conspirators are determined to prevent them from interfering.

Plot Keywords:

Assassination | Morocco | American | Bus | Singer

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

James Stewart	...	Dr. Benjamin McKenna
Doris Day	...	Josephine Conway McKenna
Brenda de Banzie	...	Lucy Drayton
Bernard Miles	...	Edward Drayton
Ralph Truman	...	Inspector Buchanan
Daniel Gélin	...	Louis Bernard (as Daniel Gelin)
Mogens Wieth	...	Ambassador
Alan Mowbray	...	Val Parnell
Hillary Brooke	...	Jan Peterson
Christopher Olsen	...	Hank McKenna
Reggie Nalder	...	Rien
Richard Wattis	...	Assistant Manager
Noel Willman	...	Woburn
Alix Talton	...	Helen Parnell
Yves Brainville	...	Police Inspector
Carolyn Jones	...	Cindy Fontaine
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Patrick Aherne	...	Handyman (uncredited)
Frank Albertson	...	Worker at the Taxidermist's (uncredited)
Frank Atkinson	...	Taxidermist (uncredited)
John Barrard	...	Taxidermist (uncredited)
Betty Bascomb	...	Edna (uncredited)
Alexis Bobrinskoy	...	Foreign Prime Minister (uncredited)
Janet Bruce	...	Box Office Woman (uncredited)
Naida Buckingham	...	Lady in Audience (uncredited)
Clifford Buckton	...	Sir Kenneth Clarke (uncredited)
Barbara Burke	...	Assassin's Companion (uncredited)
Peter Camlin	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Albert Carrier	...	French Policeman (uncredited)
Abdelhaq Chraibi	...	Arab (uncredited)
Pauline Farr	...	Ambassador's Wife (uncredited)
Harry Fine	...	Edington (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Royal Albert Hall Attendee (uncredited)
Alex Frazer	...	Man (uncredited)
Wolf Frees	...	Aide to Prime Minister (uncredited)
Milton Frome	...	Guard (uncredited)
Leo Gordon	...	Chauffeur (uncredited)
Walter Gotell	...	Guard (uncredited)
Bernard Herrmann	...	Conductor / Himself (uncredited)
Alfred Hitchcock	...	Man in Morocco Marketplace (uncredited)
Gladys Holland	...	Bernard's Date at Restaurant (uncredited)
George Howe	...	Ambrose Chappell Sr (uncredited)
Harold Kasket	...	Butler (uncredited)
Barry Keegan	...	Patterson (uncredited)
Lou Krugman	...	Arab (uncredited)
Lloyd Lamble	...	General Manager of Albert Hall (uncredited)
Donald Lawton	...	Desk Clerk (uncredited)
Enid Lindsey	...	Lady Clarke (uncredited)
Mayne Lynton	...	Taxidermist (uncredited)
Janet Macfarlane	...	Lady in Audience (uncredited)
Edward Manouk	...	French Waiter (uncredited)
Richard Marner	...	Aide to Prime Minister (uncredited)
John Marshall	...	Butler (uncredited)
Lewis Martin	...	Detective (uncredited)
Louis Mercier	...	French Policeman (uncredited)
Ralph Neff	...	Henchman (uncredited)
Leslie Newport	...	Inspector at Albert Hall (uncredited)
John O'Malley	...	Uniformed Attendant (uncredited)
Elsa Palmer	...	Cook (uncredited)
Liddell Peddieson	...	Taxidermist (uncredited)
Arthur Ridley	...	Ticket Collector (uncredited)
Mahin S. Shahrivar	...	Arab Woman (uncredited)
Eric Snowden	...	Special Branch Officer (uncredited)
Alma Taylor	...	Box Office Woman (uncredited)
Guy Verney	...	Footman (uncredited)
Anthony Warde	...	French Policeman (uncredited)
Patrick Whyte	...	Special Branch Officer (uncredited)
Peter Williams	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Richard Wordsworth	...	Ambrose Chappell Jr (uncredited)
Allen Zeidman	...	Assistant Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Alfred Hitchcock

Writing credits
John Michael Hayes		(screenplay)
Charles Bennett		(based on a story by) and
D.B. Wyndham-Lewis		(based on a story by)
Angus MacPhail		contributing writer (uncredited)

Produced by
Herbert Coleman	....	associate producer
Alfred Hitchcock	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Robert Burks		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
George Tomasini		(edited by)

Casting by
William Cowitt		(uncredited)
Gary Fifield		(uncredited)
Bill Greenwald		(uncredited)
Edward R. Morse		(uncredited)
Tony Regan		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Henry Bumstead
Hal Pereira

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Arthur Krams

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Virginia Darcy	....	hairdresser (uncredited)
Dan Greenway	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Hugh Brown	....	assistant production manager (uncredited)
Frank Caffey	....	production manager (uncredited)
C.O. Erickson	....	unit production manager (uncredited)
C.R. Foster-Kemp	....	unit manager: London (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Howard Joslin	....	assistant director
Ralph Axness	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Herbert Coleman	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Ned Dobson	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Basil Keys	....	second assistant director: London (uncredited)

Art Department
Walter Broadfoot	....	props (uncredited)
Dorothea Holt	....	illustrator (uncredited)
Richard Rabis	....	stand-by laborer (uncredited)
Neil Wheeler	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Paul Franz	....	sound recordist
Gene Garvin	....	sound recordist
Frank Carroll	....	mike grip (uncredited)
Henry Keener	....	recordist (uncredited)
William Pillar	....	stage engineer (uncredited)
Bill Wistrom	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
John P. Fulton	....	special photographic effects
Andrew Bonello	....	digital restoration developer (uncredited)
Sophia Lo	....	digital restoration: Cinesite (uncredited)
Monty Phillips	....	digital artist (digital restoration) (uncredited)
Jerry Pooler	....	digital restoration supervisor (uncredited)
Brad Reinke	....	digital restoration producer (restored version) (uncredited)
Antonio Torres	....	digital artist: digital restoration and color correction, Cinesite (restored version) (uncredited)

Stunts
Ted Mapes	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Neil Binney	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Adolph Froelich	....	electrician (uncredited)
Bobby Greene	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Vic Jones	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Ken Lobben	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Don Ring	....	gaffer: London (uncredited)
Leonard J. South	....	second camera (uncredited)
Darrell Turnmire	....	company grip (uncredited)
Paul Uhl	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Casting Department
Tish Morgan	....	casting secretary (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Lee Forman	....	wardrobe: ladies (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Leonard Mann	....	wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Sam Vitale	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
John C. Hammell	....	music editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Abdelhaq Chraibi	....	technical advisor
Richard Mueller	....	technicolor color consultant
Constance Willis	....	technical advisor
Catherine Barton	....	welfare worker (uncredited)
Charles Morton	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Art Sarno	....	publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Filwite Productions (copyright holder) (as Filwite Productions, Inc.)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1956) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1963) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (as A Paramount Release)
• Universal Pictures (1983) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (as Universal® An MCA Company Release)
• MCA Home Video (1984) (USA) (VHS)
• Universal Home Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Les Films Paramount (1956) (France) (theatrical)
• Paramount (1956) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Paramount-Films (1956) (1968) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1984) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (2013) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2012) (Spain) (DVD)
• Esselte Video (1980s) (Finland) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1989) (1998) (Finland) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1966) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Nelonen (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2008) (Greece) (DVD)
• TV3 (1992) (Finland) (TV)
• Universal Home Video (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2001) (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures (1999) (Germany) (VHS)
• Universal Pictures (2001) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2001) (Canada) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2006) (2009) (2010) (Finland) (TV)

Other Companies

• The Royal Albert Hall  concert hall (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much" - UK (complete title), USA (complete title)

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | Arabic

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.50 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Norway:16 | USA:PG | Canada:PG | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) (1989) (2001) | Iceland:L | Spain:T | West Germany:12 (nf) | Brazil:Livre | USA:Approved (PCA #17717) | Portugal:M/12 | USA:TV-G | Sweden:11 (uncut) (1984) | Sweden:15 (cut) (1956) | Finland:K-12 (1984) | Finland:K-16 (1956) | UK:PG (tv rating) | UK:PG (re-release: re-rating) (1984)

Filming Locations:

Avenue Bab Jdid, Marrakech, Morocco

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The Albert Hall sequence lasts 12 minutes without a single word of dialogue and consists of 124 shots.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the two men and the woman are discussing the music arrangements with the shot to be fired at Ambrose Chapel, the cigarette she is smoking is much smaller than the one that she extinguishes before she and the men go to leave the room.

Quotes:

[last lines]
Dr. Ben McKenna:Sorry we were gone so long, but we had to pick up Hank!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Soundtrack:

Whatever Will Be

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!