6.8/10
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121 user 72 critic

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

A man and his wife receive a clue to an imminent assassination attempt, only to learn that their daughter has been kidnapped to keep them quiet.

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Charles Bennett (by), D.B. Wyndham-Lewis (by) (as D.B. Wyndham Lewis) | 3 more credits »
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1 win & 1 nomination. See more awards »

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Cast

Complete credited cast:
Leslie Banks ... Bob Lawrence
Edna Best ... Jill Lawrence
Peter Lorre ... Abbott
Frank Vosper ... Ramon Levine
Hugh Wakefield ... Clive
Nova Pilbeam ... Betty Lawrence
Pierre Fresnay ... Louis Bernard
Cicely Oates ... Nurse Agnes
D.A. Clarke-Smith D.A. Clarke-Smith ... Binstead (as D.A. Clarke Smith)
George Curzon ... Gibson
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Storyline

While holidaying in Switzerland, Lawrence and his wife Jill are asked by a dying friend, Louis Bernard, to get information hidden in his room to the British Consulate. They get the information, but when they deny having it, their daughter Betty is kidnapped. It turns out that Louis was a Foreign Office spy and the information has to do with the assassination of a foreign dignitary. Having managed to trace his daughter's kidnappers back to London, Lawrence learns that the assassination will take place during a concert at the Albert Hall. It is left to Jill, however, to stop the assassination. Written by garykmcd

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Public Enemy No. 1 of all the world... See more »


Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The title of this movie comes from the name of a book written by G.K. Chesterton. See more »

Goofs

When the man is shot through the window, near the beginning of the film, just before he is shot, he turns to face another man. At that time, you can see the beginnings of a blood stain on his shirt next to his lapel...*before* he's shot. See more »

Quotes

Nurse Agnes: Relax. Keep your eyes fixed on this light. Keep them fixed. Before receiving the first degree of the seventh old ray, your mind must be white and blank. You are already feeling sleepy. Do you hear me?
Clive: Yes.
Nurse Agnes: Your mind is becoming quite blank. You feel that, don't you? Quite, quite blank.
Clive: Yes. Quite blank.
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Connections

Referenced in Perfect Bid: The Contestant Who Knew Too Much (2017) See more »

Soundtracks

Storm Clouds Cantata
(1934) (uncredited)
Music by Arthur Benjamin
Words by D.B. Wyndham-Lewis
Performed by London Symphony Orchestra
Under the direction of H. Wynn Reeves
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User Reviews

 
Peter Lorre; What a Great Villain
18 September 2008 | by HitchcocSee all my reviews

This is pretty intense movie. It moves along well, with some interesting twists and turns along the way. It contains some classic Hitchcock moves. Mainly, the crowded theatre scene. The proper British woman, wondering if she should do anything and interrupt the concert, even though her daughter's life may be at stake. As for villains, Peter Lorre and his henchmen(women) are absolutely delightful in an awful sort of way. As an American it is hard for me to have that stiff upper lip. Everyone is so controlled. Some of the humor is far fetched but much of the movie is tongue in cheek. Still, it works very well. The frontal assault at the conclusion seems wasteful, considering they had the crooks dead to rights, but one can accept it as trying to evaluate the situation. One distracting thing for me is the daughter. I've seen this film a number of times. The fact that she looks older than her mother always bothers me. She is also rather tiresome and silly. Still, this is great fun, shot well, and Lorre makes us really pull for the good guys because he is such a psycho.


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Frequently Asked Questions

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German | Italian | French

Release Date:

4 February 1935 (UK) See more »

Also Known As:

The Man Who Knew Too Much See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

GBP40,000 (estimated)
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Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Mono (British Acoustic Film Full Range Recording System)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
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