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Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0096009015039
Format: Black & White, NTSC
Label: Platinum Disc Corportation
Manufacturer: Platinum Disc Corportation
Publisher: Platinum Disc Corportation
Region Code: 1
Release Date: November 09, 2000
Sales Rank: 178273
Studio: Platinum Disc Corportation
Theatrical Release Date: March 22, 1935
Editorial Review:
Amazon.com:
Alfred Hitchcock himself called this 1934 British edition of his famous kidnapping story the work of a talented amateur, while his 1956 Hollywood remake was the consummate act of a professional director. Be that as it may, this earlier movie still has its intense admirers who prefer it over the Jimmy Stewart-Doris Day version, and for some sound reasons. Tighter, wittier, more visually outrageous (back-screen projections of Swiss mountains, a whirly-facsimile of a fainting spell), the film even has a female protagonist (Edna Best in the mom part) unafraid to go after the bad guys herself with a gun. (Did Doris Day do that that? Uh-uh.) While the '56 film has an intriguing undercurrent of unspoken tensions in nuclear family politics, the '34 original has a crisp air of British optimism glummed up a bit when a married couple (Best and Leslie Banks) witnesses the murder of a spy and discovers their daughter stolen away by the culprits. The chase leads to London and ultimately to the site of one of Hitch's most extraordinary pieces of suspense (though on this count, it must be said, the later version is superior). Take away distracting comparisons to the remake, and this Man Who Knew Too Much is a milestone in Hitchcock's early career. Peter Lorre makes his British debut as a scarred, scary villain. The print of the film used in the DVD release is serviceable and probably comparable to an average 16mm classroom or museum presentation. The DVD also includes a Hitchcock filmography, trivia questions, a director biography, and scene access. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Hitchcock's First Five-Star Entry
I agree with Alfred Hitchcock in his assessment that his 1956 remake of this 1934 classic was a superior movie. However, that's only when pressed. Really, despite mostly having the same story line and climactic scene at the Royal Albert Hall, they are two different films.
It's not just because one is in black and white, whereas the other is in color, or that one features British and the other American leads. It's more intangible than that. It has to do with pacing, and that this ... Read More
Rating: - far superior to doris day version
i have to admit right away that i am no fan of doris day, but, having said that, if you view both of these movies back to back and consider the age of the first one, you will find it to be far superior. the acting is better, the story is more tightly woven, and the ending is great--lots better than doris and her que sera....
Rating:  - Great performance by Lorre
This was Lorre's first big break in English speaking movies. As a European Jew, he had just escaped to England from Nazi Germany the year before, and barely spoke any English. According to wikipedia, he learned most of his lines phonetically for this movie.
If true, that represents quite an achievement because even working under that handicap Lorre still manages to steal every scene he's in. He plays the villain in the best tradition of spy movie villains. He is charming, polite, pleasant, ... Read More
Rating: - A Terrorist Plot in London
The Man Who Knew Too Much
The film shows a ski jumping exhibit in St. Moritz Switzerland. Mrs. Lawrence takes part in a skeet shooting contest, and misses. The polite chatter tells something about the times and popular culture. There is a shot, and Mrs. Lawrence's dancing partner dies after giving a message. Mr. Lawrence goes to the man's room to retrieve an object - a message in a shaving brush handle. He now asks to speak to the British consul. But he gets a message warning him to say nothing or ... Read More
Rating: - Early British Great From Hitch
From 1934.."The Man Who Knew Too Much"(He remade this one in 1956). A great thriller about a carefree family on a winter holiday, who unwittingly become involved in an assassination plot. The Lawrences are having a wonderful time, but when their dear friend is shot, he reveals to them a plot to assassinate an important statesman before he dies. The would be killers kidnap the young daughter of the family in order to ensure their silence.Working with the police is out of the question and the Lawrences must ... Read More
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