Friday, May 23, 2014

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956): Que Sera Scare-a!

This blog post is hosted by the Fabulous Films of the 1950s Blogathon, hosted by the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA), running from May 22 through May 26, 2014.  We hope you’ll enjoy this blast from the past!

Today’s parents are often accused  of “Helicopter Parenting,” but after the harrowing adventure the McKenna Family endures in Alfred Hitchcock’s 1956 remake of The Man Who Knew Too Much, who can blame them for being a heck of a lot clingier than usual?

As TCM’s Brian Cady notes, the original 1934 smash hit got Hitchcock started on a nearly unbroken string of wildly popular suspense thrillers that made him “The Master of Suspense.”




Hitchcock's films were well known for their cymbalism...
But Hitchcock had never been the type to rest on his laurels.  Sure, the original Man Who Knew Too Much (let’s just call it “Man,” we’re all pals here!) was already a classic, but Hitchcock felt his original masterpiece would be even better with Paramount’s glorious VistaVision and the other new technologies available at the time, making the 1956 version even better.


Producer/actress/daughter Patricia Hitchcock O’Connell (Stage Fright; Strangers on a Train; Psycho; Rear Window) described this remake as taking the work of a gifted amateur, and crafting it into the skill of a seasoned pro; we Hitch fans know how detail-oriented a director like “Hitch” could be!  What’s more, at that time, Hitchcock owed Paramount another movie, and they felt a new “Man” could more easily adapt to what was then the present day. Also, Herbert Colman, Hitchcock’s longtime Associate Editor and Producer, had to consider that the cast and crew in Morocco had to be mindful of the fast-approaching religious holiday of Ramadan; luckily, they made their deadline.  Whew!

And what a cast!  Hitchcock had always had great actors for his stars, but I especially liked Man’s great cast here:

*Oscar-winner James Stewart (The Philadelphia Story), returning  to rejoin Hitchcock from his triumphs in Rear Window; Vertigo; and Rope;

*Doris Day
,
talented singer and versatile actress in such films as  Love Me or Leave Me; Pillow Talk; Calamity Jane; Midnight Lace; and TV’s The Doris Day Show.


Not to mention being a spy, eh, Louis?
We meet the McKenna Family from Indianapolis, Indiana, touring with the family on a trip to France, and now Marrakesh, on their own little family world tour, with dad Ben (Stewart), who’s a surgeon; and mom, Jo McKenna Conway (Day), who’d been a popular singing star as Jo Conway before she retired from her successful musical career to become a wife and loving mom mother to their young son Hank, played by Christopher Olson (Bigger Than Life; The Tarnished Angels).

The McKenna Family’s Hitchcockian ordeal starts pronto as the family sits in a sightseeing bus in French Morocco, watching the sights from the bus, when suddenly the bus abruptly lurches as little Hank accidentally yanks off a Muslim woman’s veil. Being a Muslim, her hubby isn’t the understanding type, to the Arab’s fury!  Luckily, a suave Frenchman, Louis Bernard (The Lovers of Lisbon; Stain on the Snow) quickly calms the Arab, explaining to the McKennas, “The Muslim religion allows few accidents.”

The McKennas are most grateful for Louis’s help, and he invites Jo and Ben to take the family for dinner (with a baby sitter). Louis is both charming and inquisitive, yet he can be surprisingly vague when Jo asks Louis things that shouldn’t be all that mysterious. Moreover, Jo notices later that the angry Arab seemed pretty chummy with that Arab guy later!  Jo seems to be the worldly one in the McKenna Family; must be Jo’s show-biz  know-how.  I say we deputize Jo!; the boys in the McKenna clan seem too darn naïve!  Time for a husband and wife pow-wow about Louis Bernard:


Jo: “Now, what do you really know about him?”
Ben:  “What do I know about him?  I know his name.  We were sitting there, we were talking.”
Jo: “You don’t know anything about this man, and he knows everything there is to know about you.”
Jo's ability to deal with her new life as a housewife
reaches the breaking point by the film's climax
Jo and Ben end up laughing it off.  But at dinner, while they’re giving us viewers  comedy relief as they try to figure out how to eat Morocco cuisine without making fools of themselves, Jo notices a strange middle-aged couple, who Jo remembers seeing them at the hotel—and here’s that strange couple again!  At last, the middle-aged English couple apologize and introduce themselves: they’re the Draytons, Lucy (Brenda De Banzie from Hobson’s Choice, one of Team Bartilucci’s favorites)  and Edward (Bernard Miles, from Tom Thumb; The Spy in Black).   Jo is flattered to find that the Draytons are fans of hers, so they strike up a friendship during their holiday.  We also get to see that despite the family’s overall happiness, Jo has her regrets at times, like this scene at dinner with the Draytons:
Jo:  “Broadway musical shows are not produced in Indiana.  Of course, we could live in New York.  I hear the doctors aren’t starving there, either.”
Ben:  “It’s not that I have any objection to working in New York, it’s just that it’d be hard for my patients to come from Indianapolis  for treatment.”  
I...fear...much...trouble...
in the...fuselage...Frederick!
Personally, I think Jo and her New York pals should put together a cool dinner theater in Indianapolis, and Jo could sing her heart out!  Everybody would win!

Death spoils our family's holiday when a dying Arab stabbed to death before Ben's eyes turns out to be Louis!  It turns out Bernard was the Marrakesh version of James Bond, and the authorities at the Deuxieme Bureau are giving the police the Hairy Eyeball (there's a lot of that going around, it seems!  Can't we all just get along?).  After all this agita, all that Ben and Jo want is to rest and get Hank…but the little tyke is nowhere to be found.  In fact, all they hear from their son is a sinister voice warning they’ll never see Hank again if they bring the police and blab about the upcoming assassination--the evil kid-stealing fiends!!

Never heard of him - what's he been in?
The supporting cast is excellent, too, including Jo’s friends from her singing career, adding needed comic relief when Ben and Jo have to keep running in and out while trying desperately to find Hank without tipping off the ruthless villains. Our heroine Jo may have swapped the role of stage star for the even more demanding role of mother and wife, but her fans and friends are still loyal, bless them!  Their puzzled show-biz friends include:

*Alan Mowbray
 (I Wake Up Screaming); *Carolyn Jones: Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominee for The Bachelor Party, as well as TV’s beloved Morticia Addams on TV’s The Addams Family;
*
Hilary Brooke from Ministry of FearRoad to Utopia.; *AlixTalton from The Deadly Mantis; Romanoff and Juliet.


Bad Guys: 
Bernard Miles  (Tom Thumb) and Brenda de Banzie, quite versatile as duplicitous Mrs. Drayton.  We also love deBanzie as a good gal in the comedy Hobson’s Choice, co-starring another Team B. fave, Charles Laughton.  Hmm, could deBanzie be recruited to the good guys’ team after all?

Reggie Nalder, Villain: 
The original 1934 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much was a tough act to follow with Peter Lorre as the evil Abbott, but in the role of the assassin Rien, Nalder’s Death’s Head grin gave us the willies!  Nalder had been badly burned in his youth, with scars all over the scarred lower-third of Nalder’s face, forever casting him as a villain.   Nalder had at least three different explanations for them. Whatever the true cause, it was this disfigurement which bestowed upon him a permanent place in the annals of film history.


Jo sings for Hank’s life at the Embassy!
Finally, Jo and Ben are in London, where our beleaguered but determined couple have a fighting chance of finding little Hank back safe and sound, praying and hoping all the way!

Luckily, Mrs. Drayton has a kind heart after all, and between Jo’s lovely loud voice and Hank’s whistling prowess (whistle, Hank, whistle like the wind!), they save the day  in time for everyone to wake from their afternoon naps!  Still, I don't think Jo and Ben will ever ask any couple to baby-sit for them ever again!

Bosley Crowther of The New York Times praised Man thus: “…Mr. Hitchcock spins a fast tale that sweeps incongruously  through a taxidermist’s shop, a cultist chapel, a foreign embassy, and the crowded concert hall.  Fast, did we say?  It had better be, for the story that John Michael Hayes (Rear Window, among other Hitchcock scripts) has been revamped  from the original script by Charles Bennett and D.B. Wyndham-Lewis is quite absurd, and it would be death to leave the audience a moment to stop and think.  But logic and credibility  were never were Mr. Hitchcock’s long suits.  He depends upon daring deception.  And that’s what he has in this film.”  Works for us, thank you!


!
Possibly one of the best closing lines in film!


32 comments:

  1. I am a huge Hitchcock fan, and can you believe I have never seen this fabulous 1950s film! Your article makes me want to now though!

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    1. Thanks for your enthusiastic comments, David; we of Team Bartulicci are always happy to join the MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH chat! We hope you'll enjoy the 1956 version as much as we did, and we hope you have a great Memorial Day weekend!

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  2. David, my husband Vinnie and I are delighted that you too are a big fan of Our Man Hitchcock!! Now that we know you haven't seen Hitch's 1956 version of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, we're confident that you'll enjoy it as much as we did. Thanks for joining the MAN... chat, and we hope you'll have a great Memorial Day Weekend! :-D

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  3. Fun piece, Dorian! Count me among the defiant few who prefer this version to the '34 original (heresy! heresy!). Loosely Related But Amusing Side Anecdote: You know, of course, that this picture's song "Que Sera Sera" won the Oscar that year. Among the other nominees was Cole Porter for "True Love" from High Society -- Porter's fourth, and as luck would have it, last chance at the award. The morning after his loss, Porter wired his agent: WELL DEAR HENRY WHATEVER WILL BE WILL BE.

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    1. Happy to catch up with you again at the always-awesome Jim Lane's Cinedrome! Jim, I'm delighted to hear that you too enjoyed the Oscar-winning 1956 version of MAN WHO... Cole Porter sure had stiff competition for the Best Song Award; heck, I've always liked "True Love," too, even without Grace Kelly singing! :-) At least Porter clearly had a sense of humor about it, bless him, with his witty bon mot! Thanks for your kind kudos and comments, Jim, and have a great Memorial Day Weekend! :-D

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  4. Dorian, I prefer this version over Hitchcock's earlier version. It's quite watchable and the highlight for me is the opportunity to see Brenda De Banzie. She was a marvelous actress, who seldom got good roles (but excelled when she did...as in HOBSON'S CHOICE). I confess I do get a little tired of Doris singing what become her signature song.

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    1. Rick, I'm delighted that you enjoyed THE MAN WHO..! I can also see why you might feel that a little bit of Doris Day's Oscar-winning signature song might seem a tad overplayed, but my feeling for the talented Ms. Day reminds me of another Hitchcock classic, REAR WINDOW, as uttered and paraphrased by James Stewart: "Don't be hard on her, she's a steady worker." :-) But Vinnie and I are especially glad that you're a fan of Brenda De Banzie as well; I wish she could have gotten a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination, but at least she still a has memorable role to for us viewers to savor forever! Thanks for dropping by to join the chat, and have a wonderful Memorial Weekend! :-D

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  5. Such a suspenseful moment when those cymbals clash. Funny how the innocuous children's song Doris Day was given to sing became so identified with her, and from a Hitchcock film. And that gray suit of her always reminds me of the one Kim Novak wore in Hitchcock's "Vertigo." I wonder if there's any connection? Thanks for reminding us of this swell film.

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    1. Jacqueline, would you believe my dear late mom had a gray tailored suit very much like the suits in both VERTIGO and THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH? I don't believe in ghosts or doppelgangers, but I wouldn't be surprised if Alfred Hitchcock liked such hairstyles on attractive women who looked sharp in those kind of snappy suits and makeup. As the salon ladies said in VERTIGO, "The gentleman certainly knows what he wants!" :-D Thanks for dropping by for THE MAN WHO...for chat and fashion, and enjoying time with you and Hitch! Have a great Memorial Day Weekend!

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  6. Okay, here we have a movie which has always confused the little heck out of my even littler mind. On the one hand it's a H*I*T*C*H*C*O*C*K M*O*V*I*E.

    On the other hand I see Doris Day in the cast and I go: "What the heck was Alfred thinking?"

    And it's not that I really dislike Doris Day. Hating Doris Day is sort of like spitting on the Bible. And yes, I'm very much aware of the dramatic turns she made. It's just . . . it's just . . .

    I don't know. Maybe I should go sit through CAPRICE a few more times or something. Or maybe if Hitchcock had directed THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT (there's a notion that'll keep you up nights).

    Or maybe it's James Stewart who was the problem. I swear, sometimes I just couldn't understand that boy. He wouldn't marry Barbara Bel Geddes (okay, so he went chasing after Kim Novak. I can accept that. But look where it got him). He'd also rather fly bombers for the Air Force than enjoy (ahem!) relations with June Allyson (okay, so one of the bombers was a B-36, which was cool. But still, we're talking about June Allyson here, kids). So he's going to be married to Doris Day: the whitest girl in America (sorry, June). THEN he's taking Mrs. Glow-In-The-Dark to Morocco. Hell! Why don't we just hang a great big target on the couple?

    (Personal note to Ms. Kappelhoff: See? If you had sung say, for instance, Chuck Berry songs, you'd have been in much less trouble. C'mon. Try it with me. "They're really rockin' in Boston . . .")

    Criminy!

    So anyway . . . other than the occasional trivial problem (see above), the film is quite watchable (hey, Carolyn Jones . . . otherwise known as The Most Brilliant PASSWORD Contestant In History! , , , is in the cast, and I'd watch her clean toilets. Then there's Everybody's Favorite Andorian: Reggie Nalder!). And the scene with the dying Daniel Gelin, well . . . it's pure Hitchcock.

    (Doris, I swear to God. In your next life, if I have anything to say about it, you're gonna be rockin' on Bandstand! "Que Sera, Sera" my flabby arthritic butt! We're gonna find Sera and put it all behind us, kid. You'll see.)

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    1. Michael, you've outdone yourself with your witty bon mots about THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH! You always have witty and entertaining comments, but we didn't know Oscar-nominee Carolyn Jones was The Most Brilliant PASSWORD Contestant In History! We'd gladly help "Tish" speak French and (with good money, I trust; Carolyn's worth it!) :-D Thanks for joining the MAN WHO... fun and frolic, and we hope all of you at Schloss Wolff are having a fine Memorial Day, my friend! :-D

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  7. This is probably one of Hitch;s funniest suspense films. Jimmy Stewart's Ben comes off as a real sap for most of the movie, while Doris Day's Jo is obviously the brains in the relationship--even if he's a doctor. I liked how Hitch implemented Day's signing voice into the plot, too.

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    1. Kim, I'm delighted to hear you and I agree about Jo being the true brains of the McKenna outfit! I'd say Ben's the one with the book-learning, while Jo has street-smarts, and kiddo makes three for using her Jo's golden voice and the big climax where Jo's loud singing and Hank's loud whistling save the day! (It didn't hurt that evil Drayton tripped, either!) Thanks so much for your swell comments, Kim, and have a great Memorial Day Weekend! :-D

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  8. I've not seen the earlier version, but I'm keen to check it out now. However, I'm not sure I'll like it as much as this one. I love the pairing of Day and Stewart, and I think Day is exceptional in this dramatic role.

    You've made me want to see this one again, Dor. I think it's been at least a year since I've last seen it.

    What a wonderful contribution to the Fab 50s blogathon!

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    1. Aw, Ruth, thanks a million for your enthusiastic praise! I really like the family dynamic among Day, Stewart, and young Christopher Olsen. Just for fun, if I had a Time Machine, I wonder how different the original 1934 version would be with the one difference being Peter Lorre as the original villain, Abbott, while the rest of the cast was in 1956 -- not that I'm complaining about the 1956 version, far from it! Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed it, my friend, and I hope you'll get a chance to watch the 1956 version and let me know what you thought of it! All of us here at Team Bartilucci HQ hope you and yours have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend, and thanks again for your kind kudos! :-D

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  9. I confess, I like the '34 version of this film better, but I love Doris Day's performance in the remake. She brings such undertones to the character, making you see the tensions in her marriage, and also what a smart and observant woman she is. And I'm always surprised seeing Bernard Miles as the chief villain here. He played sweet Joe Gargery in the 1946 Great Expectations, and it's quite a contrast in characterization!

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    1. GOM, it's almost as if you've read my mind regarding what I just said about the 1934 and 1956 differences between the 2 different THE MAN (MEN? :-))! WHO KNEW TOO MUCH! I'm especially pleased with your comments about Doris Day's superb, moving performance! As a parent myself, I found her performance moving, among her very best work! And you know, I must admit I've never had the chance to see Bernard Miles' other films, but now I'll be sure to catch up with Great Expectations, which I've been meaning to catch up with. Thanks for your comments, GOM, and have a fine Memorial Day Weekend!

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  10. It certainly does! Work for us, I mean! Fantantic fun, Frederick..er...Dorian! I've always enjoyed this film, but it has never come close to being among other Hitchcocks for me. Yet, whenever I watch it I'm newly reminded how good it is. I will say this features one of my favorite, in-your-face Hitch suspense scenes in the climax with the orchestra and cymbals. Love his prep and masterful manipulation in that repetitious way he keeps reminding us of the moment to come so that as we await the cymbals to crash our (or my) pulse is racing. He just knew us so well as an audience.

    Great read!

    Aurora

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    1. Aurora, I always enjoy your blog posts, but I think your comments here for THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH are my favorites to date! You've also put yummy icing on the cake by evoking one of Team Bartilucci's favorite classic TV shows, THE ODD COUPLE, you doll you! I'm tickled pink at your witty and loving kudos for one of Hitchcock's best! Thanks for making me smile, and for Aurora, and I hope you and yours continue to have a great Memorial Day! :-D

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  11. Hey, gang, dig this swell Fun Fact from my hubby Vinnie Bartilucci, and our longtime pal and fellow blogger Michael J. Wolff regarding The Mad Hatter and Marsha, Queen of Diamonds were In a film together. Neat to know that The Mad Hatter and Marsha, Queen of Diamonds were In a film together! Here's the info!

    "Hey, gang, dig this swell Fun Fact from my hubby Vinnie Bartilucci, and our longtime pal and fellow blogger Michael J. Wolff regarding The Mad Hatter and Marsha, Queen of Diamonds were In a film together. Neat to know that The Mad Hatter and Marsha, Queen of Diamonds were In a film together.


    Hi kids,

    Some background material here. Years (and years) ago, during one of my summer vacations in fact (so it had to be before 1974), I got into the habit of watching Password on television. Carolyn Jones was a celebrity contestant, and the woman was phenomenal. You could almost see the wheels spinning behind her eyes as she worked out the clues. A mind like a steel trap. She (and David Wayne) are the only reasons I'll sit through The Tender Trap. Definitely a member of my Secret Girlfriend List.

    Take care,


    Michael

    Subject: Carolyn Jones & PASSWORD

    Hi kids,

    Some background material here. Years (and years) ago, during one of my summer vacations in fact (so it had to be before 1974), I got into the habit of watching Password on television. Carolyn Jones was a celebrity contestant, and the woman was phenomenal. You could almost see the wheels spinning behind her eyes as she worked out the clues. A mind like a steel trap. She (and David Wayne) are the only reasons I'll sit through The Tender Trap. Definitely a member of my Secret Girlfriend List.

    Take care,


    Michael

    From: michaeljwolff@comcast.net [mailto:michaeljwolff@comcast.net]
    Sent: Saturday, May 24, 2014 9:40 PM
    To: Bartilucci, Vinnie; Tenore-Bartilucci, Dorian
    Subject: Carolyn Jones & PASSWORD

    Hi kids,

    Some background material here. Years (and years) ago, during one of my summer vacations in fact (so it had to be before 1974), I got into the habit of watching Password on television. Carolyn Jones was a celebrity contestant, and the woman was phenomenal. You could almost see the wheels spinning behind her eyes as she worked out the clues. A mind like a steel trap. She (and David Wayne) are the only reasons I'll sit through The Tender Trap. Definitely a member of my Secret Girlfriend List.

    Take care,


    Michael

    Subject: Carolyn Jones & PASSWORD

    Hi kids,

    Some background material here. Years (and years) ago, during one of my summer vacations in fact (so it had to be before 1974), I got into the habit of watching Password on television. Carolyn Jones was a celebrity contestant, and the woman was phenomenal. You could almost see the wheels spinning behind her eyes as she worked out the clues. A mind like a steel trap. She (and David Wayne) are the only reasons I'll sit through The Tender Trap. Definitely a member of my Secret Girlfriend List.

    Take care,


    Michael"

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  12. Although, there is much to admire about Hitch's remake count me as one who prefers the earlier version. The dry wit and pacing win me over. There's no question about enjoying your take on one of the fabulous films of the 50s though!

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    1. No problem, Caftan Woman -- everyone has their own favorite version of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, and even I have sometimes wondered what it would be like if by magic, Peter Lorre's evil Abbott somehow stepped into the 1956 version version, all young and menacing. Still, I'm very pleased indeed that you enjoyed my post in any case -- many thanks, my friend! and have a fine Memorial Day :-D

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  13. I like both versions, can I like them both? :) for different reasons, this one because Doris Day is such a huge talent and I enjoyed her serious roles. The moment when she hears Hank just never gets old, always gives me goosies a bit. Great post!

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    1. Kristina, your wish to love both versions of THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH has been granted, at least by me! :-D You're right, both versions of Our Man Hitchcock's suspense classic are well worth watching and enjoying, my playful ruminations about magically transplanting Peter Lorre's 1934 version into the 1956 version notwithstanding. I'm thrilled that you love Doris Day as much as we do here at Team Bartilucci HQ. As a mom, I totally agree with you about the moving scene where they find locate Hank at last; gets me all teary. Thanks so much for your positive comments and your friendship, Kristina, as always! All of us here at Team Bartilucci HQ hope you and yours are happy and doing well with your lives, and we hope you're having a happy and meaningful Memorial Day Weekend! :-D

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  14. I like both films, but I do find both the original and the remake minor works in Hitchcock's filmography. I re-watched this about a year or so ago and it's good but nowhere as good as much of Hitchcock's other films from the same period. Part of it is DD who I am honestly not a big fan of. Too much sweetness! Watching her movies earlier in my life I believe is part of the cause for my being a diabetic now! (Chocolate, cookies, ice cream and genetics may have had something to do with it too) And the inclusion of "Que Sera, Sera" just about made me overdose. I do not mean to pick on Doris, who I admirer for her animal work over the years, but I just think she was wrong for this part.

    I am sorry for going against the grain here on DD love and it in no way takes away from my enjoyment of reading your top notch article. As you mention, the film has a great supporting cast and of course Mr. Stewart is in his element. He comes across as so easy going that you do not realize he such a great talent.

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    1. Fear not, John, we're all lucky enough to live in a a free country where everyone has the right to love Doris Day, or admitting she may not be your particular cup of tea. Hooray for America! :-) Besides, I got a kick out of your playful bon mots, and we of Team B are glad you nevertheless approve of Doris' animal work. You're a good egg, pal, and we hope you and your loved ones are enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend! :-D

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  15. Dor, I'm late getting to everyone's but I made it!

    No 50s Blogathon would be complete without the Master of Suspense making an appearance. What I meant was, where is Hitch? I need to see his little rotund face. ha ha

    You always bring that laughs which fit beautifully in between your stellar point of view. From the beginning to that last animated gif. (I never really noticed that little gem in that scene so thanks for that too!)

    You've put in a lot of work here to give us another entertaining review.

    One a side note: I never really paid attention to the movie poster. They really showed Doris' fear then Jimmy even managed to look scared. Our dear, sweet, brave Jimmy. I love the casting. A nice change from Hitch's usual list of blondes.
    A wonderful contribution to the 50s Blogathon and thanks again for the laughs.
    I hope you and the family are enjoying your holiday.
    Page

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    1. No problem, Page -- your comments are always most welcome and worth waiting for, including your kind kudos, for which I thank you ever so much! I especially got a kick out of this bit: "where is Hitch? I need to see his little rotund face. ha ha!" Hitch was always quite the cherub, wasn't he, bless him! I'm delighted that you enjoyed THE MAN...'s little GIFs and asides. Hitchcock blondes are all well and good, but the poignant quest to find Jimmy and Doris' son always touches my heart even when it's woven with comedy relief. Thanks a million for your rave review, my friend, and I hope you and your family are doing well and having a meaningful Memorial Day Weekend! :-D

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  16. Great review, thank you! You've made me want to watch this movie again!

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    1. Blonde at the Film, we're pleased that our post about THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH made you eager to relive Hitchcock's 1956 version! Thanks for dropping by! :-D

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  17. What I love most about TMWKTM is the ending. Hilarious! Classic Hitchcock...I've also become a fan of Brenda De Banzie - she is fabulous in David Lean's Hobson's Choice in one of the three leads and adds much to TMWKTM as the villain with a heart. I prefer this version to the earlier one, though the interminable "Que Sera, Sera" does begin to grate after 20 min. or so (at least it seems to go on that long). Great pick for the blogathon, Dorian.

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    1. Delighted to have you drop by for our fun and commentary about the 1956 version of Hitchcock's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, Patty! You have swell taste; the ending always cracks me up, too, once the suspense subsides and we know the kid will be OK! :-D (Can't help it; it's a mom thing! :-) We're also happy to hear you love our gal Brenda DeBanzie in HOBSON'S CHOICE, too; I applaud your awesome taste in great films and swell character actors, my friend! :-D

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