The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) - 2 stars out of 10

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) - 2 stars out of 10

Hitchcock's original 1934 version of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" never stood much of a chance for me, since his 1956 remake has always been one of my favorite films.  But even approaching it with that mindset, I was incredibly let down by this film.  Maybe it is because this film is so old, but there were times when it was difficult to distinguish what was going on (and difficult to care about what was going on).  This film lacks the strong, sentimental mother/child relationship that the remake does, and I found myself not caring about the fate of these characters.  I understand that filmmakers were still experimenting with talkies throughout the 30's, but this film seems like they weren't quite sure how to properly approach a talking picture and lacks the flow that gives a film a natural feel.  Again, I constantly compare this film to its superior remake but that is because it is so inferior.  The main draw for this film is catching Peter Lorre in one of his first American films but if you want to see him at his finest, watch "Casablanca" or "The Maltese Falcon."  I have never appreciated the performances of Doris Day and Jimmy Stewart until I saw this film.  Just skip past this mistake and take in the story the way that it was meant to be seen - in its stunning 1956 remake.