Fifty Years of Film in 50 Weeks, #36: The Man Who Knew Too Much, 1956

"Que Será, Será"

The Man Who Knew Too Much, 1956

Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writers: John Michael Hayes, based on a story by Charles Bennett and D. B. Wyndham-Lewis
Cinematographer: Robert Burks
Producer: Herbert Coleman and Alfred Hitchcock for Paramount Pictures, Inc.
Starring: James Stewart, Doris Day, Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Daniel Gélin, 

Why I chose it
At first, I considered watching another Christmas-themed film, but when this Hitchcock popped up on a list of best films of 1956, it was an easy choice. Anytime I get to fill in a gap in an auteur's filmography, I go for it. This is the first, and will probably be the only, Hitchcock in this blog series. But you never know, so check back!

'No-spoiler' plot overview 
Dr. Benjamin McKenna (James Stewart) and his former stage musical star wife, Jo, take a holiday in Marrakesh with their school-aged son, Hank (Christopher Olsen). It isn't long before they make the acquaintance of a mysterious Frenchman, Louis Bernard (Daniel Gélin), of whom Jo is instantly suspicious. When Bernard, disguised as a Moroccan, is knifed in a market in broad daylight, the fun begins. Before dying, he whispers something to McKenna about an imminent assassination of a political figure in London along with some disconnected details. McKenna and Jo decide to pick up the trail of this intrigue in London, made more urgent by not only the impending assassination but by the kidnapping of little Hank, who is being held for ransom to ensure that the 'man who knew too much' doesn't talk to the wrong people.

Jo and Ben McKenna (Day and Stewart) try to get details about
their son's whereabouts.

Production Background
Hitchcock had already filmed this story with the same name, during his British years (1934). The earlier version was a taut black-and-white suspense story (only 75 minutes long) with different settings and slightly different characters. In 1941, David O. Selznick bought the rights to the story and wanted Hitchcock to remake it for him, but Hitchcock was not inspired. It was only a decade and a half later that his inspiration came when he was vacationing with his wife in Morocco. 

In his interview with François Truffaut, Hitchcock compared the two versions by saying that the first film was "the work of a talented amateur, and the second was made by a professional."

The only Oscar the film earned was for Best Music, Original Song, given to Jay Livingston and Ray Evans for "Que Será, Será", which became Doris Day's signature song.

Some other notable film-related events in 1956 (from Filmsite.org):

• The elegant Grace Kelly, "Hollywood's Fairy Tale Princess," married Prince Rainier III of Monaco on April 18, 1956. Kelly met Prince Rainier III while attending the Cannes Film Festival, and during the making of her third film for Alfred Hitchcock (as his icy cool blonde) - To Catch a Thief (1955). 
• Legendary producer/director Cecil B. DeMille remade his own 1923 silent epic, The Ten Commandments (1956) -- it was his last film, and his first and sole widescreen feature film. 
• Producer Michael Todd's and director Michael Anderson's Best Picture-winning Around the World in 80 Days (1956) was notable for its all-star casting -- with dozens of credited cameo roles for its many stars. The term "cameo appearance" was popularized by this film.
• The Wizard of Oz (1939) was first televised (on CBS-TV) on November 3rd, 1956 -- an event that would become an annual holiday season event for many decades. It was the first feature-length film broadcast on a major TV network in its original, uncut form. 
  

My Random Observations

• I've decided that James Stewart's superpower was playing not just the everyman, but the super-cranky everyman.  And I do mean super cranky. After years of perfecting this persona, he's at it again in this film, whether it's in scenes in which he bickers with his wife or when, unprovoked, comes to fisticuffs with a group of taxidermists (!). Even in It's a Wonderful Life, and The Shop Around the Corner, where his characters have a right to be cranky, he'll never be accused of underplaying, and I find it annoying. I recall early in the history of this blog I reviewed Destry Rides Again, and found it to contain my favorite Stewart performance because he struck a perfect balance between reluctant hero and cynic. 
  

  

  James Stewart with his "I'm really cranky right now" look.

• Even though the film was a bit long at 120 minutes, Hitchcock didn't waste any time getting the action started, putting our heroes in the middle of Marrakesh. The brightly colored Technicolor camera work combined with the on-location locales made for a sumptuous and sometimes exotic visual banquet. It was just a good way to spend a couple of hours on a rainy day.
  

  

  On a bus in Marrakesh.

  
  

  

  In London.

• For those looking for typical Hitchcock suspense, his subjective camera, or even his black humor, it's all here. I was reminded of why Hitchcock has the reputation he has.
  

  

  The composition of this shot gives me the chills.

  
  

  

  McKenna doesn't yet realize he's about to do battle with a 
  stuffed tiger here.

• One of my favorite podcasts, the somewhat irreverent 'Classic Film Jerks', has a regular segment called "So Old", in which they point out to hilarious effect all the outdated elements of the particular film they're reviewing. The Man Who Knew Too Much had many of these elements. For starters, how about leaving your young son in the care of strangers you'd just met over dinner the night before, and in a foreign country? And despite the cleverness of spunky Jo McKenna, the marital dynamics here were distinctly of their time, with her promising career truncated so she could be a wife.
  

  

  The McKennas meet the Draytons (Bernard Miles,
  Brenda de Banzie) at dinner.

• It's a great song, but the contrast between "Que Será, Será" and the Storm Cloud Symphony as performed by the London Symphony Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall may induce a bit of cultural whiplash.

The London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus at Royal
Albert Hall.

• For this week's edition of 'Bit Player Bingo," I present the one and only film appearance of renowned composer Bernard Herrmann, Hitchcock's frequent collaborator, and Carolyn Jones, who went on to greater fame as Morticia in the original Addam's Family TV series

Bernard Herrmann conducts.

Carolyn Jones (red dress) with other friends of the McKennas.

Where to Watch
The film is available on many streaming services to be rented for a small fee. It's on several DVDs/Blu-Ray that can be purchased or borrowed from your local library.

Further Reading
As always, TCM details more about the film's production in their article here.

Five Favorite films from the Fabulous Fifties!

The 1950s was a fertile decade in Hollywood--despite the blacklist and anti-Communist hysteria--with pictures made to wow audiences to lure them away from their TV sets and back into cinemas. Some movies seemed to underscore the dominant image of a cohesive American family, while others exposed the deep troubles beneath. Societal troubles were often thematic in the best French and Italian films of the decade as well.

In honor of National Classic Movie Day, I'm delighted to share five 1950s films I recommend be on the watchlist of any film fan. I've decided to include one film from each of five genres: Western, the musical, film noir, melodrama, and suspense. Check out all the posts compiled by Rick at the Classic Film & TV Cafe, and create your own personal 1950s watch list!

Western: 3:10 to Yuma (D. Delmer Daves, 1957)
Here's a gripping character-driven Western playing out a tense drama between two flawed men: Dan Evans (Van Heflin) and Ben Wade (Glenn Ford); the latter is a charming outlaw on the run from a stagecoach hold-up and murder who gets caught and is given to Dan to escort him to the titular train to Yuma (site of the state prison) over a few hours. It's not a particularly realistic or overly violent Western (those would become more the fashion in the 1960s). And it's not meant to be. Instead it's a piece of visual and storytelling art that imbues every stylized scene with tension. The high-contrast black and white cinematography by Charles Lawton Jr. is stunning. As the plot revolves around a drought in Arizona, you'll want to have a tall glass of water nearby as you watch, as the dry harsh beauty of the landscape is almost overwhelming.

I love that the characters (at least the main male ones) are three dimensional and underplayed. Glenn Ford apparently was cast originally as Dan Evans, but requested to take on the role of the villain here, and what a great choice. The economy of the script forces all the actors to do much with face and body to convey the struggles of will they face during the running time. The ending is so much more cathartic and satisfying as a result.

I love the composition of this shot.

This film also has that special something, which for me is the score. The song '3:10 to Yuma' is sung by Frankie Laine over the title credits, and the haunting theme repeats during the film in various arrangements--my favorite is the guitar, flute and violin trio.

If you've seen the 2007 remake with Christian Bale and Russell Crowe, expect a similar story, but resist the comparisons. The later film is a much more realistic Western and the vibe is different. Watch the original for a compelling cinema experience on its own.

Noir: Angel Face (D. Otto Preminger, 1953)

Robert Mitchum as Frank Jessup in Angel Face

It's a noir and it stars Robert Mitchum. Sold yet? He's the chump taken in by Jean Simmons' rich spoiled girl Diane Tremayne, who ratches up the concept of the 'femme fatale' several orders of magnitude. Her face is angelic but her soul is anything but. ('Kathy' in Out of the Past could take lessons in evil from Diane.) A dominant theme here is that all is not well in the great American family of the 1950s.

Diane turns on the charm to lure Frank Jessup (Mitchum), an ambulance driver, to ditch his earnest girlfriend (Mona Freeman) for her, and the problems (and body count) begin to mount.  It's a terrific thriller, as all along we think that Mitchum is somehow going to escape her clutches, but he keeps getting drawn back in. Mitchum is mesmerizing as usual, and Jean Simmons, the talented English actress who was still early in her career with roles such as Ophelia under her belt, commits fully to her psychopathic character. Herbert Marshall, a favorite of mine, is delightful as her deluded, indulgent father. By the end of this part psycho-thriller, part courtroom drama, you may never want to get into a convertible again.

Jean Simmons surveying the scene of the future crime(s).

Cary Grant being driven along the Riviera by
Grace Kelly

Suspense: To Catch a Thief (D. Alfred Hitchcock, 1955).
I'll admit that I watched this one for the first time ever last month. It's not the most acclaimed Hitchcock, and having been left cold by some of Grace Kelly's other performances, I had put off watching it. But it was free on Amazon Prime, and I decided to give it a whirl. And I loved it. It's not your typical Hitchcock film in that it's not scary in the slightest, and any minor suspenseful scenes hardly quicken the pulse. But it's a romp and a romantic fantasy that sweeps you away.

In case the color wasn't bright enough, a key
scene takes place in a flower market.

Former jewel thief/cat burglar John Robie (Cary Grant) has gone straight and is enjoying life in Southern France; due to a rash of thefts, he's pressured into cooperating with the local authorities to set a trap for the yet unknown serial burglar. Along the way he must work with visiting wealthy American widow Jessie Stevens (Jessie Royce Landis) and her beautiful but aloof daughter Frances (Kelly). The action hops along Hitchcock style with literal and figurative twists and turns until the puzzles are solved.

Arguably the best thing about the film was its location setting - the gorgeous coast of Southern France, in complete bloom with flowers everywhere. I don't think there is another film that can come close to being as colorful. And Grace Kelly seems to be at home in the locale--perhaps that is why I enjoy her so much here. (As everyone knows, she was soon to take up residence as the new Princess of Monaco the year after this film was released.). Just look at some more fabulous images:

Musical: Singin' in the Rain (D. Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1953)

I was hoping to find a lesser-known musical to highlight here. But because I'm not a huge fan of musicals, even though I've enjoyed many during this decade, none did I enjoy nearly as much as this one. There's a reason that it tops the American Film Institute's best musical film of all time. So if you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for? With Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor, and Jean Hagan, it's colorful, rollicking, hysterically funny...and those songs! The story revolves around a silent film star (Kelly) who must find a way to succeed during the conversion to sound films. Hollywood is thoroughly enjoying spoofing itself here while celebrating the wonder of a good movie.

Michel Hazanavicius's 2011 Oscar winner The Artist owes much in plot and characterization to this film. Yet I hope that no one ever attempts to remake this fabulous Hollywood love letter to the best of itself. Check out one of my favorite musical numbers "Good Mornin" with all three stars:

Melodrama: The Earrings of Madame De... (D. Max Ophuls,1953)
It's a French film by acclaimed director Max Ophuls, and like many French films of the era, it's filled with ambiguity in character and motivation, but it's so tightly drawn and elegant. I had the opportunity to see this on the big screen at the Harvard Film Archive last year and I've not been able to get it out of my mind since. The lead character, whose full name is never revealed, is portrayed by stunning Danielle Darrieux. She's partially content with her Parisian life at the end of the 19th century with wealthy husband Charles Boyer, but is rather bored and is seeking other company. When Boyer gifts her an exquisite pair of diamond earrings, they become a pawn multiple times in a series of deceits aimed to help conceal her infidelities.

Critic Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times that the film is “one of the most mannered and contrived love movies ever filmed. It glitters and dazzles, and beneath the artifice it creates a heart, and breaks it.” Perhaps it's the 'manneredness' of the film that makes it such a pleasure for me. The camera is almost like a character the way it glides around the others in a film - as a viewer it's like being in a waltz with everyone on screen, even if the music grows continually darker and is played in a minor key.

I also particularly enjoyed Vittorio de Sica, the famed director who was also an actor, and just a year removed from his successful and acclaimed Bicycle Thieves, he is so charismatic here as one of Madame's lovers. 

Vittorio de Sica and Danielle Darrieux

So break out a bottle of Burgundy, dip into some fois gras, and treat yourself to the best of 1950's French filmmaking. And while you're indulging visit the Classic Film & TV Cafe for more great Fifties films.

September Classic Film Screenings in Greater Boston

After August delivered an abundance of classic film screening riches in the Boston area, with a bit of a chill in the air fast approaching, September is 'cooling down' on the number of options for cinephiles.  However, there are some exciting and notable offerings to report.

Somerville Theatre  -- Sept 16-24
The Somerville in Davis Square celebrates the start of fall with a Festival of screenings mostly devoted to the 70 mm format -- this includes both classic film in the era of epics shot originally on 70 mm, in addition to some more modern films adopted this format.  Films in this format are weightier, and in many cases offer more detail than even you'll see on your home Blu-Ray.  This is what makes these films ideal for big screens, as film-makers in the 1950s and 1960s learned, to compete with the increasing popularity of television.  Today, film-makers use this format to draw people to cinemas in the age of advancing home video technology and the proliferation of quality visual media offerings.

For those interested in attending most or all screenings, you can buy a festival pass for $200 (adult); individual features will cost $15.00 (The cost of making or restoring 70mm prints is higher than digital or 35 mm).  

Great classic & modern titles will be screened, including: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962), BEN-HUR (1959), WEST SIDE STORY (1961), SLEEPING BEAUTY (1959), just to name a few.  I'm particularly excited to see THE WILD BUNCH (1969) on Monday Sept 19 & SPARTACUS (1960) on Saturday Sept 24.

Shockingly, both these well-regarded films have yet to be seen by me.  THE WILD BUNCH would continue my exploration of the Western film, and is directed by Sam Peckinpah and showcases aging classic actors known to apparently good effect:  William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, and two personal favorites, Ben Johnson and Edmond O'Brien.  In a film that is more than mildly influenced by Vietnam War politics, if I can tolerate the violence, I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

THE WILD BUNCH

SPARTACUS is a picture known for Kirk Douglas showing off his pecs, and more seriously defying the blacklist by hiring famed screenwriter Dalton Trumbo back under his own name.  Stanley Kubrick directed this period epic, and if I load up on caffeine for the 3+ hour running time, I'm sure the 70mm presentation on the big screen will provide quite the experience, indeed.

SPARTACUS

Harvard Film Archive

The retrospective of the films of Rouben Mamoulian finishes up Friday Sept 2 with BLOOD AND SAND (1941) starting at 7PM and THE SONG OF SONGS (1933) to follow.  I'm thrilled to be attending these screenings. Again, neither film I've seen, but I did see the 1922 Valentino version of the famous tale of the ill-fated love triangle in 19th century Spain, which was nothing if not entertaining.  In the 1941 technicolor version we get three of the brightest and most gorgeous stars to feast our eyes on: Tyrone Power, Rita Hayworth, and Linda Darnell.  The mise-en-scene created by Mamoulian is said to take on 'painterly dimensions' with masterful use of color and noir shadows (HFA website).

Rita Hayworth and Tyrone Power throw sparks in BLOOD AND SAND

Rudolph Valentino and Nita Naldi as lovers in the earlier BLOOD AND SAND

THE SONG OF SONGS is a lesser-known film made in the pre-code era (1933), and it stars Marlene Dietrich coming off of her apex with director Josef von Sternberg.  Here she apparently starts out as a naive young country girl but rapidly changes her character after getting involved with Brian Aherne. It seems to be an interesting melodrama with 'touches of humor.'  If I can stay awake I will definitely catch this one (in 35 mm)!

Brian Aherne & Marlene Dietrich in THE SONG OF SONGS

Coolidge Corner Theatre
The Coolidge is presenting their perennial favorite JAWS (1975) on Monday Sept 5 (Labor Day), which is a great choice of a date because I doubt anyone is planning to return to the beach after that date anyway(!).  It will no doubt be a fun crowd.

Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Schneider and Robert Shaw in JAWS

Brattle Theatre 

It's not my favorite Hitchcock, but it is for many and deserves a shout-out for Sunday Sept 25 -- REAR WINDOW (1954) screens in 35 mm film format at the Brattle.  Starring a mostly immobile James Stewart character and the lovely Grace Kelly playing amateur sleuth.  

REAR WINDOW

Sat Sept 24 deserves special mention here as it is the first annual "Art House Theater Day" -- in which over 160 theaters around the country have joined on to take part in showcasing their role in "celebrating the legacy of independent theaters as advocates for cinema arts."  For participating theaters there will be special screenings and giveaways.  In the Boston area both the Coolidge and the Brattle are taking part.  The Brattle is even extending the celebration to 'Art House Theater Week' from Sept 16-24, for which their screening of REAR WINDOW is a part.  Sounds like the start of a great tradition.  

A final 'special mention' for New Englanders is the weekend Telluride-by-the-Sea film festival Sept 16-18 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  This quaint seaside town and its historic theater 'Music Hall' bring patrons a selection of 6 films that are screened at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado earlier in the month.  This is a lot of fun and a nice way to welcome in fall while seeing some newer films making the festival rounds -- highly recommended!

April Classic Film Screenings in Greater Boston

Another month has nearly passed, and April promises to bring an enticing assortment for classic film fans in and around the Hub.  Check these out!

Coolidge Corner Theatre
As part of their "Cinema Jukebox" series, in which films with compelling soundtracks are presented, this month it's the Sharks & Jets in WEST SIDE STORY (1961) on Wednesday April 11.

And on April 25, Chaplin's later masterpiece THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) in which Chaplin satirizes Hitler, comes to the big screen as part of the "Big Screen Classics" series.  This is a favorite of mine, and I must say, somewhat timely. My favorite scenes are those with Jack Oakie as Mussolini knock-off "Napoloni".   You Must Remember This podcast series is featuring two episodes on Chaplin, his life during WWII and the making of his film.  Also well worth spending the time.

Somerville Theatre
Next weekend, on Sunday April 3rd, grab a big box of popcorn and sit back (because it will be a while--nearly 3 hours) to view D.W. Griffith's INTOLERANCE.  I will admit to not yet making it through an entire screening but perhaps this time will be the charm.  Pianist Jeff Rapsis will provide live accompaniment for this installment of the 'Silents, Please' film series.

Then, on April 21 a double feature of two films marking 60 years since they first premiered:  A FORBIDDEN PLANET and THE SEARCHERS (both 1956).  I've not seen the former film, and since it's first on the bill, co-presented with the Boston Sci-Fi Film Festival, I will put it on my calendar.  Walter Pidgeon in color, in a sci-fi!

Finally, the Somerville brings a 70mm version of  Hitchcock's VERTIGO to the big screen, playing three consecutive evenings on April 22, 23, and 24th.  I had a chance to catch this at the Harvard Film Archive a couple years ago, so I don't think I'll make this one, but I'm sure it will be a treat.

Harvard Film Archive
Starting in March, the HFA engaged current director Guy Maddin to program an extensive series of films and write up notes for each.  All of this can be found here "Guy Maddin Presents".  His film choices have ranged from silents, pre-codes, through to films made much later in the 20th century.  Even if you don't go to any of these, check out the series online to read Maddin's entertaining film notes for a couple of dozen films. The series sponsors the following screenings in April:

April 1, 7 PM: CHILDREN OF MONTMARTRE (LA MATERNELLE) -- a French film from 1933 that Maddin describes as incredibly movingly as directed by Marie Epstein & Jean Benoit-Levy, and "a little masterpiece".   At 9 PM is THE FACE BEHIND THE MASK (1941), which Maddin says is his favorite Peter Lorre film, a "B-movie wonder!"

April 2, 9 PM is THE THREAT (1949) is a noir starring Michael O'Shea, Virginia Grey, and Charles McGraw.  Maddin says this one "is hilariously mean, raw-boned and brawny and absolutely delightful."

On Sunday April 3 at 5 PM is a late silent with Loretta Young and Lon Chaney called "LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH."  One guess as to who plays the clown.  Maddin claims this has the "oddest love triangle in film history."  Hmmm.  Martin Marks will provide live musical accompaniment.

Finally on April 10 at 5 PM is WICKED WOMAN (1953) starring Beverly Michaels, for which this apparently was her most memorable role, according to Maddin.  He also says this is a good companion piece for the B-noir Poverty Row classic DETOUR.  Sounds like fun.  (Shhhh, this film is also on YouTube right now, so see it there if you can't get to the Archive, that being your first choice of course!)