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 1956 film has an intriguing undercurrent of unspoken tensions in nuclear family politics, the 1934 original has a crisp air of British optimism glummed up a bit when a married couple (Best and Leslie Banks) witness the murder of a spy and discover 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. --Tom Keogh [show more]
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Alfred Hitchcock directs the first of his classic British spy thrillers. While holidaying in the Swiss Alps with their daughter Betty, English couple Bob (Leslie Banks) and Jill Lawrence (Edna Best) are befriended by Frenchman Louis Bernard (Pierre Fresnay). When he is shot by international spies, Louis warns Jill with his dying breath that his killers intend to assassinate a leading diplomat in Britain. However, before Jill and Bob can inform the police, Betty is kidnapped by the spies who warn the couple that unless they maintain their silence they will never see their daughter again. Peter Lorre makes his English-speaking debut as the charming but psychotic kidnapper, Abbott. Hitchcock later decided to produce a big-budget, colour remake of the film with James Stewart and Doris Day.
Please note this is a region B Blu-ray and will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play. One of cinema's greatest auteurs, Alfred Hitchcock's six-decade career generated an unmissable run of suspense-packed thrillers, strongly characterised by macabre plots and twist endings. Starring British screen icon Leslie Banks and featuring the English-speaking debut of Peter Lorre, The Man Who Knew Too Much is one of Hitchcock's most thrilling pre-war British films, and one which he would remake twenty years later in Hollywood. This peerless suspense classic is presented here in a High Definition transfer from the original film elements in its as-exhibited theatrical aspect ratio. While holidaying in Switzerland, the Lawrences are accidentally caught up in murder and intrigue when their friend Louis is fatally wounded by a gunshot. As he lays dying Louis confesses that he is a secret agent for the British government, and passes on vital information which may prevent another world war...
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