The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 film)
| The Man Who Knew Too Much | |
|---|---|
US film poster | |
| Directed by | Alfred Hitchcock |
| Written by |
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| Produced by | Michael Balcon (uncredited) |
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Curt Courant |
| Edited by | Hugh Stewart |
| Music by | Arthur Benjamin |
| Distributed by | Gaumont-British Picture Corporation |
Release date |
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Running time | 75 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £40,000 (estimated) |
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1934 British spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock for Gaumont British. Starring Leslie Banks and Peter Lorre, it was one of the most successful and critically acclaimed films of Hitchcock's British period.
Hitchcock remade the film in 1956, with James Stewart and Doris Day in leading roles. The two films are very similar in tone and plot, with significant modifications. In the book-length interview Hitchcock/Truffaut (1967), in response to filmmaker François Truffaut's assertion that aspects of the remake were by far superior, Hitchcock replied, "Let's say the first version is the work of a talented amateur and the second was made by a professional." However, some critics have concluded that Hitchcock's statement should not be taken at face value.
The 1934 film has nothing except the title in common with G. K. Chesterton's 1922 book of the same name. Hitchcock decided to use the title because he held the film rights for some of the stories in the book.