Jimmy Stewart and Hitch Make Beautiful Music Together

Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much” is a suspense-thriller remake of his own movie from 1934 starring Leslie Banks, Edna Best and Peter Lorre. This 1956 version stars one of Hitchcock’s favorites, James Stewart as well as singer, rom-com star Doris Day. Although this movie was made a little before my time, I had associated Doris Day with her perky, apple-pie, sing-song persona, and was dubious about her role in a Hitchcock thriller. How was I wrong! She was great, but my husband did groan a little when she burst into song, her famous, “Que Sera, Sera” (which actually played a very important role in the plot).

The Story

Dr. Benjamin McKenna (James Stewart), with his wife, Jo (Doris Day), and young son, go away on a little excursion to Morocco after attending a medical conference in Paris. On a regular passenger bus in Marrakesh, their son accidentally causes a little disturbance and a friendly, suave French businessman, Louis Bernard (played by Daniel Gelin) comes to their rescue thanks to his fluency in Arabic. Monsieur Bernard gets very friendly very quickly with the McKennas and asks them a lot of questions, all which naïve, amiable Dr. McKenna freely answers. Mrs. McKenna picks up quickly on this uneven exchange of information, but agrees anyway to meet Louis for dinner later out of gratitude. Louis Bernard never shows for the dinner, and while waiting, the McKenna’s meet a friendly British couple who recognize Jo (Doris Day) because she had been a famous stage singer. Before I become “the reviewer who told too much,” I will just conclude that the story continues with nobody being who they seem as the story tensely unfolds with murder, kidnapping and political intrigue.

Music as one of the characters

Unlike most “The making of..” special features, this one offered a lot of interesting insight into the making of the movie. Some of the people interviewed were Hitchcock’s daughter and the movie’s set director.

The movie opens with a Arthur Benjamin’s “Storm Cloud Cantata” being performed by symphony orchestra and chorus at London’s Albert Hall. We see one of the musicians patiently sitting in the percussion section during the dramatic music until his perfectly timed moment comes to stand and clang a single note on the huge cymbals. You can only imagine that Hitchcock didn’t highlight this moment for nothing.

In “The Making Of” special feature, the music is said to be one of the characters in the movie. The other important piece of music is Doris Day’s “Que Sera, Sera.” Originally Paramount Studios wanted a song sung by Doris Day more than Hitchcock did, but in the end it all worked out well. The song played a key role in the plot and the song itself became a hit, winning an Academy Award for best song in 1956.

The Acting

I already love Jimmy Stewart from his more light-hearted movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life,” “Harvey,” and especially from his other Hitchcock movies, like “Rear Window” and “Vertigo.” His wholesome good-heartedness and lanky, comical mannerisms catches your interest and empathy from the start. He plays the full range from loving husband and father to fiercely calculating problem solver with finesse. I was especially surprised and impressed not only in Doris Day’s dramatic acting skills, but also in her character’s role. Instead of standing idly by, like most women did in these older movies, she takes a brave and active role herself. The bad guys also do an excellent job at being bad, but I don’t want to say more and give away who they are.

Comic Relief

Hitchcock was truly a master filmmaker of suspense. I wish that more directors today had more of his refinement of details, using subtleties of lighting, angles and solid acting instead of the typical explosions, gore and overdone sound effects. Thankfully, Hitchcock artfully lifts the pressure of the suspense from time to time with some comic relief, such as Jimmy Stewart’s character awkward attempts at adjusting his long legs while sitting on a low-cushioned seat and later his fumbling with proper custom of using just 2 fingers and a thumb to eat a big piece of chicken in the Moroccan restaurant. There is also a trademark cameo appearance of Hitchcock himself if you look closely during the street performance scene.

Why I Like It

First there was Jimmy Stewart, but the plot of the story really hooked me. The story line kept me constantly guessing. It helped that there were a few red herrings to throw you off, which made the movie even more suspenseful. I surprised myself by also liking Doris Day’s role so much and admiring the charm, intelligence and courage of her character.

I highly recommend this movie, especially if you have never experienced an Alfred Hitchcock suspense. It is one of those movies that makes you feel more intelligent afterwards as you would after gazing at a painting by Rembrandt or listening to one of Beethoven’s symphonies.

Enjoy!