Oldies Review - The Man Who Knew Too Much

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre: Thriller/ Drama/ Crime/ Adventure
Runtime: 120 minutes
Year: 1956
Starring: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda De Banzie, Bernard Miles, Ralph Truman, Danel Gélin, Mogens Wieth, Alan Mowbray, Hillary Brooke, Christopher Olsen, Reggie Nalder, Richard Wattis, Noel Willman, Alix Talton, Yves Brainville

I WATCHED THIS MOVIE FOR MY 2021 MOVIE CHALLENGE.
WEEK 42: A MOVIE FROM THE YEAR YOUR MOTHER WAS BORN
 
Description: A tale of innocent American tourists (James Stewart, Doris Day) in Morocco whose son’s kidnapping sets off a twisting plot of international intrigue.

Review: American surgeon Benjamin McKenna is on vacation in Morocco with his wife Josephine and their young son Hank. On the bus, on their way to Marrakech, they meet Frenchman Louis Bernard. He tells the family about traditions of Morocco and inquires about what McKenna is up to. The next day they meet Bernard again, at the market, but he has a knife in his back. Just before he dies, Bernard whisper some words to McKenna. He is called to account by the police, but McKenna doesn’t trust it and keeps his mouth shut. When son Hank is kidnapped it is clear that there is much more going on and McKenna and his wife find themselves in a world of intrigue and conspiracy, which brings them to London.
Master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, made two versions of “The Man Who Knew Too Much” in his career. In 1934 a version starring Leslie Banks and again in 1956 with James Stewart. Both films tell the same story, but in Hitchcock’s own works they were the work of a talented amateur and, the second,  of a professional. Neither rank among Hitchcock’s best, but neither are they bad.
“The Man Who Knew Too Much” is a suspenseful thriller, the genre he does best. He works from the point of view of ordinary people, who find themselves in situations they didn’t want to be in at all, yet are determined to get to the bottom of things.
Hitchcock didn’t get along with every actor he worked with, but had no problem with James Stewart, who frequently appeared in his films. And Stewart again gives an excellent performance.
I did enjoy this thriller, again not one of Hitchcock’s best, but definitely worth watching.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 104: Strangers on a Train

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre: Drama/ Thriller/ Crime
Runtime: 101 minutes
Year: 1951
Starring: Farley Granger, Robert Walker, Ruth Roman, Leo G. Carroll, Patricia Hitchcock, Kasey Rogers, Marion Lorne, Jonathan Hale, Howard St. John, John Brown, Norma Varden, Robert Gist

Description: A psychotic socialite (Robert Walker) confronts a pro tennis star (Farley Granger) with a theory on how two complete strangers can get away with murder - a theory that he plans to implement.

Review: Guy Haynes, a famous tennis player, meets the eccentric Bruno Anthony during a train ride. They start a conversation and quickly they start talking about private issues. Guy is married, but also has an affair with an upper class woman. Bruno has a terrible relationship with his father. Bruno says he has the perfect solution for their problems: he kills Guy’s wife and Guy kills Bruno’s father. The perfect murder, because the police won’t be able to track the real killer.
“Strangers On a Train” is a typical example of why Alfred Hitchcock is such a great director. Everything is just right. The plot is inventive, original and executed very well. The settings are good and the film has some humor. The movie is never boring and its script is fantastic.
A classic, no doubt about that.

Rating: 4,5/ 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 62: Dial M For Murder

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Genre: Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 105 minutes
Year: 1954
Starring: Ray Millard, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson, Leo Britt, Patrick Ellen, George Leigh, George Alderson, Robin Hughes, Sanders Clark, Jack Cunningham, Robert Dobson, Guy Doleman, Bess Flowers, Sam Harris, Harols Miller, Martin Milner, Forbes Murray, Thayer Roberts

Description: An ex-tennis pro (Ray Millard) carries out a plot to murder his wife (Grace Kelly). When things go wrong, he improvises a brilliant plan B.

Review: In “Dial M For Murder” we meet Tony Wendice, a former professional tennis player, and his rich wife Margot. He’s had it with her. Tony gave up tennis for her so he could be home more often, but in the meantime Margot has started an affair with author Mark Halliday. Tony knows of the affair and has tried everything to keep them apart. He is so desperate that he planned the ‘perfect murder’. Tony black mails a former college friend to help him kill his wife. The plan goes wrong and now Tony has to outsmart the clever inspector Hubbard.
1954 was a successful year for Hitchock. Besides “Dial M For Murder” he brought us “rear Window”, what is probably my favorite Hitchcock film. Both films are based on plays and star Grace Kelly. The story of “Dial M For Murder” isn’t that complicated and almost every scene is set in the same location. But the plot twists make it a joy to watch. It’s an ideal thriller. But because it’s based on a play, there is a lot of talking. This is something you have to get through as a viewer. And the suspense isn’t in who has done it, but if Tony can get away with it.
“Dial M For Murder” is not one of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films, but still a great suspense crime thriller.

Rating: 3,5/ 5