Over the past couple of years, I have building an Alfred Hitchcock library. It’s not so much a wing onto my house or anything, just a collection of his films. Last November’s Alfred Hitchcock’s Master Piece Collection on Blu-ray (see column) was a boom to the collection. One title in particular stood out, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956). the film featured Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day as two vacationers that get tangled up in an international assassination plot. It was a superb film, if not a tad drawn out. I was tempted to the watch the film numerous times on Netflix, but it was always the original 1934 version that was streaming. See, Alfred Hitchcock had one of those rare opportunities to go back and remake one of his own films.
The similarities and differences in the two versions is what makes watching both an extraordinary experience. Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, what is the story for both films with the title The Man Who Knew Too Much?
Both films feature a vacationing family who have a single member receive information about an assassination plot. The child, in each film, is taken and held to keep the parents quiet. The authorities know that they know something, but the parents take matters into their own hands to not only save their child, but the day as well. The plots of both versions may be identical, however, the way their finales play out is completely different.
The Hitchcock we know was not the same Hitchcock in 1934, a fact that director Guillermo del Toro is keen on pointing out in Criterion’s 2012 interview about the film. Hitchcock, in 1934, was a man who had made several films, yet was suffering from their lack of success. In 1934, The Man Who Knew Too Much (Spine #643) was an “all or nothing” picture for Hitchcock. Del Toro references this particular picture as the one that birthed the Alfred Hitchcock we all came to love and admire.
Hitchcock was a storyteller that liked to feature the everyday man in a situation that removed him from the ordinary. In many of these cases, Hitchcock revealed to the audience just how fragile life could be outside of our safe environment. In the 1934 film, Bob and Jill Lawrence (Leslie Banks and Edna Best) have to compete with spies, killers, policemen, and dignitaries to save their little girl. The film is ripe with humor, brilliant cinematography, and a likable villain cast in Petter Lorre. In this strange instance, Lorre steals the spotlight in his first English speaking role. He was already a star in Germany and from this point on became the guy you loved to hate for years to come.
If you are a fan of the cinema or Alfred Hitchcock, I am probably not telling you anything new. What amazed me was a brief special feature on the Blu-ray about the film’s restoration. Many Blu-rays today are just released from the most easily accessible negatives available. In short, a quick dollar can be made on the latest format of our favorite films. Numerous times, I have found sub-par Blu-rays of classic films or films of note that paled in comparison to special edition DVDs released less than 5 years prior. The outstanding achievement of the Criterion Collection is the ability to wait until the best possible print is found. “The Film That Warped Too Much” is a short but essential look at understanding the process that went into bringing the The Man Who Knew Too Much to Blu-ray. Over ten years ago, they had a print that was the personal property of uber producer David O. Selznick. It simply wasn’t good enough. When all was revealed, I have never appreciated a film or more, nor have I wanted to watch a film more again.
I have often said that a Criterion Collection Blu-ray or DVD is like a fine bottle of wine that is to be cherished and savored. The Man Who Knew Too Much is a vintage from 1934 that deserves a place in your own library. It’s a fine film that is worthy of sitting next to the likes of North by Northwest and Vertigo.
Top 5 Picks of the Week:
1. The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
2. The Quiet Man (60th Anniversary Special Edition) [Blu-ray]
3. Godfather [Blu-ray]
4. Deadly Blessing (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray]
5. Indiscreet [Blu-ray]
ACTION / ADVENTURE / KUNG FU/ THRILLERS / WESTERNS
Frontier Horizon Starring John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, Raymond Hatton and Jennifer Jones
Frontier Horizon [Blu-ray] Starring John Wayne, Ray Corrigan, Raymond Hatton and Jennifer Jones
King of the Pecos [Blu-ray] Starring John Wayne, Muriel Evans, Cy Kendall and Jack Clifford
King of the Pecos Starring John Wayne, Muriel Evans, Cy Kendall and Jack Clifford
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai Starring Koji Yakusho, Naoto Takenaka and Ebizo Ichikawa
Hard Romanticker Starring Shôta Matsuda, Kento Nagayama and Atsurô Watabe
The New Frontier Starring John Wayne, Muriel Evans, Warner Richmond and Al Bridge
The New Frontier [Blu-ray] Starring John Wayne, Muriel Evans, Warner Richmond and Al Bridge
Night of Templar Starring David Carradine, Norman Reedus and Paul Sampson
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Starring Alan Arkin, Vanessa Redgrave, Robert Duvall
Tai Chi Zero [Blu-ray] Starring Yuan Xiaochao, Angelababy, Qi Shu and Daniel Wu
Tai Chi Zero Starring Yuan Xiaochao, Angelababy, Qi Shu and Daniel Wu
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning [Blu-ray] Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins and Dolph Lundgren
ANIME
Blood C: Complete Series (Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Starring Alexis Tipton, Robert McCollum and Bill Jenkins
Blood C: Complete Series (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Starring Alexis Tipton, Robert McCollum and Bill Jenkins
Fifty Darker Shades Of Hentai
Maple Colors
Maria Watches Over Us: Season 3
Pokemon Black & White 2
Saiyuki Gaiden: Complete Collection
Shakugan No Shana S: OVA (Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Starring Cherami Leigh and Josh Grelle
Shamanic Princess
Toriko: Part 1 Starring Ian Sinclair, Josh Grelle and Morgan Garrett
Wicked Lessons
CARTOONS
Iron Man: Armored Adventures Season 2 Vol 3
Young Justice Invasion Destiny Calling: Season 2 Starring Jesse McCartney, Khary Payton, Jason Spisak and Nolan North
CLASSICS
Indiscreet [Blu-ray] Starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Phyllis Calvert
Indiscreet Starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, Phyllis Calvert
It's in the Bag [Blu-ray] Starring Fred Allen, Jack Benny, Robert Benchley and Don Ameche
The Quiet Man (60th Anniversary Special Edition) Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald
The Quiet Man (60th Anniversary Special Edition) [Blu-ray] Starring John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald and Ward Bond
Criterion Collection
Ivan's Childhood (Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray] Starring Nikolay Burlyaev, Valentin Zubkov and Yevgeni Zharikov
HORROR
A Thousand Cuts [Blu-ray] Starring Michael O'Keefe, Michael A. Newcomer, James Van Patten
A Thousand Cuts Starring Michael O'Keefe, Michael A. Newcomer, Olesya Rulin
Barrio Tales / Cuentos De Barrio Starring Alexander Aguila, Carson Aune and Adam Beesely
Bikini Bloodbath Shakespeare
Bleeding Through Starring Sandy Behre, Ruby LaRocca, Josh Lively and Zane Crosby
Cujo [Blu-ray] Starring Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh Kelly
Claustrophobia Starring Christopher Curry and Russell Harvard
Crowsnest Starring Aslam Husain and Mittita Barber
Cujo Starring Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh Kelly
Dark Angel: The Ascent Starring Angela Featherstone and Cristina Stoica Constantin Draganescu
Dead Sushi
Deadly Blessing (Collector's Edition) Starring Maren Jensen, Sharon Stone, Susan Buckner
Deadly Blessing (Collector's Edition) [Blu-ray] Starring Maren Jensen, Sharon Stone, Susan Buckner
End of Animal Starring Min-ji-I Lee, Hae-il Park, Seung-mok Yoo and Se-jong-I Park
Ghost of Rashmon Hall (1947) Starring Valentine Dyall and Anne Howard
Hold Your Breath [Blu-ray] Starring Katrina Bowden, Randy Wayne, Erin Marie Hogan
Hold Your Breath Starring Katrina Bowden, Randy Wayne, Erin Marie Hogan
The Incubus (Katarina's Nightmare Theater) Starring John Cassavetes, John Ireland, Katarina Leigh Waters
Lurking Fear Starring Blake Adams and Ashley Laurence Jon Finch
Morella's Blood Vision - 3 Bone Chilling Chillers Starring William Joyce and Robert Winston
Night Of The Tentacles Starring Nicole Gerity, Jackie Mckown and Brandon Salkil
Seedpeople Starring Andrea Roth and Dane Witherspoon Sam Hennings
Ticks [Blu-ray] Starring Rosalind Allen, Ami Dolenz, Seth Green and Peter Scolari
Ticks Starring Rosalind Allen, Ami Dolenz, Seth Green and Peter Scolari
Tunnel Vision Starring Cristos, Courtney Ray Geigle and Scott Haze
True Nature
Zombie Ed Starring William C. Cutting, Kelly Petering, Trista Robinson
SCIENCE FICTION / FANTASY
Arcade Starring Peter Billingsley and John de Lancie Megan Ward
Bad Channels Starring Martha Quinn and Aaron Lustig Robert Factor
Death Race 3: Inferno (Two-Disc Combo Pack: Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet) Starring Luke Goss, Danny Trejo, Tanit Phoenix and Frederick Koehler
Death Race 3: Inferno Starring Luke Goss, Danny Trejo, Tanit Phoenix and Frederick Koehler
Hansel & Gretel: Warriors of Witchcraft Starring Fivel Stewart and Booboo Stewart
Mandroid Starring Jane Caldwell and Michael Della Femina Brian Cousins
Robot Wars Starring Barbara Crampton and James Staley Don Michael Paul
Trancers Starring Helen Hunt and Michael Stefani Tim Thomerson
TV LAND
Scarecrow & Mrs King: Complete Fourth Season Starring Kate Jackson, Bruce Boxleitner, Beverly Garland
BOX SETS
Godfather [Blu-ray] : Complete Box Set
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The Quiet Man - Best Bar Fight Ever!!