The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

About The Man Who Knew Too Much

'The Man Who Knew Too Much' is a British suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The plot centers around a British couple who witness a murder and then get embroiled in an international conspiracy when their daughter is kidnapped. During their quest to retrieve their daughter safely and halt a major political assassination, the couple comes across many twists and turns, making it a classic Hitchcockian thriller.

Making / Production

The movie was produced by British Gaumont (part of Gaumont Film Company) and directed by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock. The screenplay was written by Charles Bennett and D.B Wyndham-Lewis along with dialogue by Hitchcock himself and Edwin Greenwood.

Actors

• Leslie Banks as Bob Lawrence - Leslie played an every-day man plunged into a dangerous situation perfectly, presenting a realistic portrayal of a person in distress.
• Edna Best as Jill Lawrence - Edna Best, as the mother of the kidnapped daughter, gives a heart-wrenching performance full of emotion and determination.
• Peter Lorre as Abbott - Lorre shone as the main antagonist of the film, his disturbing and unsettling performance made the character memorable.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film marked the British film debut of actor Peter Lorre.
• Hitchcock made a cameo in the film, as per his tradition, as a man walking by with a camera at a ski resort.
• The film was remade by Hitchcock himself in 1956, with the same title.

Quotes

• "Remember what Confucius said: 'The anesthetic has to be injected into the moment of people's navelions up to the sixth wobble.'"
• "Well here we are - Wandering in the wilds of London."
• "Did you... had me shoot him, Jill?"

Music, Soundtrack

• The film has a particularly memorable climax set to Arthur Benjamin's Storm Cloud Cantata, conducted at the Royal Albert Hall.
• The film does not offer a traditional soundtrack, but utilizes its music to propel the narrative.