Doris Day and James Stewart as “The Man Who Knew Too Much”

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) is an American mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart and Doris Day. Other members of the cast include Brenda de Banzie, Bernard Miles, Daniel Gelin, and Hillary Brooke. This was a remake of Hitchcock’s 1934 film of The Man Who Knew Too Much.

Americans Dr. Benjamin “Ben” McKenna (Stewart) and popular singer Josephine “Jo” Conway (Day), and their young son Henry “Hank” McKenna are vacation in French Morocco when they meet a Frenchman Louis Bernard (Gelin). Jo is suspicious of him because of his prying questions and evasive answers.

When Bernard cancels a dinner date with Jo and Ben, only to see him arrive at the restaurant where they are sharing a meal with a friendly British couple Lucy (de Banzie) and Edward Drayton (Miles).

Who is Louis Bernard and what does he have to do with Jo, Ben, and their son Hank?

 

The Man Who Knew Too Much trivia

• Doris Day thought Hitchcock wasn’t pleased with her performance because she didn’t think he was directing her. She confronted the director and he said if she wasn’t giving him what he wanted, he would direct her. Hitchcock was very pleased with Day’s performance.
• Day didn’t wasn’t to record “Que Sera Sera” saying it was a forgettable children’s song. Day’s recording of the song was a huge hit, won an Academy Award, and became Day’s signature song.
• The movie was 37 days behind schedule and over budget.
• This was Stewart’s third collaboration with director Alfred Hitchcock.
• June Allyson, Lana Turner, Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, Jane Russell, Gene Tierney, and Ava Gardner were all considered for the role of Jo. Hitchcock saw Day in the film Storm Warning (1951) and he was convinced she had the acting chops for Jo.

 

Click HERE to watch the movie on YouTube.

 

Click HERE to join the online discussion on July 22, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time. Once you RSVP, you will receive an email invitation with a link to join the meeting on Zoom.

 

Doris Day and James Stewart

Discussion questions

1. If you saw the original 1934 version, which did you enjoy more?
2. Were Stewart and Day believable as a married couple?
3. Was Hitchcock right to trust his instincts in choosing Day for the role of Jo?
4. Did you have any sympathy for Lucy Drayton? Do you think she had any idea how far her husband would go regarding Henry?
5. Were the London locations a plus?
6. Did anything about the movie surprise you?

Robert Donat and Madeleine Carrol navigate “The 39 Steps”

The 39 Steps (1935) is a British thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Robert Donat and Madeleine Carroll. The Screenplay was by Charles Bennett and Ian Hay. It was based on the novel of the same name by John Buchan.

Madeleine Carroll and Robert Donat

The plot centers on a man, Richard Hannay (Donat) who meets Annabella Smith (Lucie Mannheim) at a London music hall after three shots are fired. She tells Richard that she is a spy and is being chased by two men who want to kill her. She has uncovered a plot to steal information that is critical to the British army’s defense. She brings up “The 39 Steps,” but doesn’t explain its significance. Later that evening, Annabella is fatally stabbed and tells Richard to flee because they’ll be after him next. He finds a map of the Scottish Highlands in her dead hands and sees the town of Killin where a house named “Alt-na-Shellach” is circled. Thus begins his journey to escape from the assassins and a murder rap for killing Annabella. Along the way he meets Pamela (Carroll) who flees with Richard most reluctantly.

The 39 Steps was an enormous hit in Britain and the United States. Both Donat and Carroll had made films in Hollywood and were a known quantity there. Both would go on to have successful careers in Hollywood and Europe.

Alfred Hitchcock (1899 – 1980) was an English film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is one of the most influential filmmakers of the 20th century. Hitchcock directed over 50 feature films, many are classics that have been honored and studied for years. Some of Hitchcock’s classic films include The Lady Vanishes (1938) (1935), Sabotage )1936), Rebecca (1940), Suspicion (1941), Shadow of a Doubt (1943), Rear Window (1954), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), and Psycho (1960).

Robert Donat (1905 – 1958) was an English stage and film star. During the 1930s, he was one of Britain’s top male stars. He is perhaps best remembered for his roles in The 39 Steps and Goodbye Mr, Chips (1939), winning the Best Actor Academy Award for the latter. Hitchcock wanted Donat for the role of Detective Ted Spencer in Sabotage (1936) and Secret Agent (1936), the latter role would have reunited him with Carroll. Donat suffered from severe and chronic asthma which affected his film career. He only made a total of 20 films.

Madeleine Carroll (1906 – 1987) was an English film and stage actress who was a star in both Britain and America. In 1938 she was the world’s top-paid actress. In The 39 Steps, Carroll was the prototypical cool, blonde. The film boosted Carroll’s film profile and brought her to Hollywood and was offered a lucrative contract with Paramount Pictures. Some of her popular American films include The General Died at Dawn (1936) co-starring Gary Cooper, Lloyd’s of London (1936) which made a star of Tyrone Power, The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) costarring Ronald Colman, Honeymoon in Bali (1939) with frequent costar Fred MacMurray, Northwest Mounted Police (1940), again costarring Cooper with direction by Cecil B. DeMille. In 1942, Carroll was cast as Bob Hope’s leading lady in My Favorite Blonde. After World War II, Carroll returned to Britain. She was back in the US to costar once again with Fred MacMurray in An Innocent Affair (1948). Her last film was The Fan (1949) where she played the mysterious Mrs. Erlynne.

Madeleine Carroll Humanitarian

When Carroll’s only sister, Marguerite, was killed during World War II’s London Blitz, Carroll gave up her film career to work in field hospitals as a Red Cross nurse. She was a naturalized US citizen in 1943 so she served at the American Army Air Force’s 61st Station Hospital in Foggia, Italy the next year.

Carroll donated her chateau outside of Paris to house more than 150 orphans. She organized young people in California to make clothing for the orphans. For her work, she was awarded the Legion d’honeur by the French government. Allied Commander Dwight Eisenhower allegedly said that of all the movie stars he met in Europe during the war, he was most impressed with Carroll and Herbert Marshall. Marshall helped military amputees gain confidence and independence. Marshall was an amputee himself. After the war, Carroll stayed in Europe where she helped in the rehabilitation of concentration camp victims.

Part of what makes this turn in Carroll’s life worth noting is that she left Hollywood at the very height of her career, something that few people in her situation would have done.

A young Peggy Ashcroft (1907 – 1991) has a small, but important role as Margaret, a young married woman who helps Richard escape from the assassins. Ashcroft would go on to have a successful stage and film career. In 1984, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Mrs. Moore in A Passage to India.

The 39 Steps Trivia

• It was a follow-up to his first international success, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934).
• Robert Donat’s illness made it difficult to do long takes.
• Gaumont British Picture Corporation wanted to crack the U.S. market so they invested more money in the picture than they typically would any other production and they signed Donat and Carroll, both familiar to audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
• J.D. Salinger in The Catcher in the Rye mentions that The 39 Steps is the favorite film of his younger sister Phoebe and that “She knows all the talk by heart.” 
• Carroll and Donat met on her first day of filming.

To watch the film on YouTube, use the link below

To join our discussion on Zoom, October 6, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, click on the link below for links and information.

https://www.meetup.com/Chicago-Film-Club-Meetup-Group/

Discussion Questions:

1. What is the Macguffin in this film? A Macguffin “is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself.”
2. What did you think of the chemistry between Donat and Carroll?
3. What future Hitchcock film(s) do The 39 Steps foreshadow?
4. Orson Welles considered this film a “masterpiece.” Would you go so far as to say the same?
5. Did you have any favorite supporting characters?

Remembering Doris Day (1922 – 2019)

When I was a kid, I remember my dad playing Doris Day records on our stereo system (remember those?). Not only was Day one of my dad’s favorite vocalists, but she was his favorite movie star. I can still remember the album covers of Day’s albums and the songs.

This was a popular recording in our house.

When I was still in single digits, I could sing along with “Pillow Talk,” having no clue what that song was about, and “Everybody Loves a Lover,” ditto. But Day’s voice was clear, true, and memorable. When I got a little bit older, I realized that Day made movies too! Some of our family favorites were Midnight Lace (1960), The Thrill of it All, Move Over Darling (both 1963), The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) and With Six You Get Eggroll (1968).

When I really started getting into classic movies, I realized the depth of Day’s talent. Early in her career, she was more than able to hold her own against the more experienced Kirk Douglas and Lauren Bacall in Young Man with a Horn (1950), which was her first dramatic role. Then there was Calamity Jane (1953), a rip-roaring musical and Love Me or Leave Me (1955), a biographical musical based on the life of Ruth Etting. One of her best dramatic performances was as Josephine “Jo” Conway McKenna in Alfred Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) opposite James Stewart.

Her motion picture debut

What set Day apart was the honesty in all her performances be it comedy or drama. She always came across as natural in her singing, acting, and dancing (yes, she was a triple threat). Somehow that honesty connected with fans in a way few other stars were able to do. Even though she basically retired when The Doris Day Show ended in 1973, the public never forgot her. Her legend grew with the passing decades and her fan base was a big as ever.

Day was a true entertainment legend. She was the top box office star for four years, a feat equaled by only eight others. Her recordings sold in the millions, including her two signature songs: “Secret Love” and “Que Sera, Sera.” Her passing at age 97 is sad, but she left us with so much to enjoy. Her talent will endure for generations to come.


The Essential Doris Day in films
Romance on the High Seas (1948) –her feature film debut
Tea for Two (1950)
Calamity Jane (1953)
Love Me or Leave Me (1955)
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
The Pajama Game (1957)
Teacher’s Pet (1958)
Pillow Talk (1959)
Lover Come Back (1961)
That Touch of Mink (1962)
The Thrill of It All (1963)
Move Over Darling (1963)
The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
With Six You Get Eggroll (1968)

What’s your favorite Doris Day movie? Recording?

2017 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival (#TCMFF) Recap: The First Day

Hollywood, Thursday April 6, 2017
The first day of the 2017 Turner Classic Movies Film Festival started for me as a reunion of sorts. After checking into my room, I headed toward the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel and Club TCM to catch up with #TCMParty friends. Then it was a mad dash to the hotel pool for the annual #TCMParty “class photo.” The last two years I’ve missed the photo, but this year I was determined. After some confusion about the pool area being closed, I made it! I guess three’s a charm.

Since I had the Classic Pass, I wasn’t able to attend the 50th anniversary screening of In the Heat of the Night (1967). So my choices were Love Crazy (1941), Some like it Hot (1959), Jezebel (1938), the documentary Dawson City: Frozen in Time (2016), and the poolside screening of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). For me, the choice was pretty easy. I decided on Love Crazy with William Powell and Myrna Loy at the Egyptian. Actress Dana Delaney introduced the film and she was excited to do so, being a big Powell/Loy fan. This movie was new to me and it was hilarious. As always, Powell and Loy didn’t disappoint, but the movie featured great support from Gail Patrick, playing the other woman, of course, and Florence Bates, the mother-in-law from hell. And then there’s the always dependable Jack Carson on loan from Warner Bros. as the “other man.” This was a great pick to open my festival and a chance to appreciate the exceptional comic abilities of Powell and Loy, the perfect screen team.

Next up was a choice between The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934), Harold and Maude (1971), Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962), and I’m All Right Jack (1959). Again, this was a pretty easy choice for me. I’ve seen The Man Who Knew Too Much before, but the chance to see this early Hitchcock classic featuring a nitrate print, sealed the deal for me. Martin Scorsese introduced the film, which was a big surprise since no introduction was mentioned in the printed program. He was excited to be able to share the nitrate print of this film with us. The Man Who Knew Too Much was also presented at the Egyptian (all the nitrate screenings were shown there) which made it really easy to just exit after Love Crazy and get on line for the Hitchcock classic! Nitrate prints boast a “luminous quality and higher contrast than the cellulose acetate film that replaced it,” but honestly, without a comparison, it was hard for me to notice any real difference. But it didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the film. Even though I prefer the remake to the original, the 1934 version has a lot to offer in the way of suspense. We also get to see Edna Best as a leading lady before she started playing character parts like Martha Huggins in The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947). Plus the way the villain is dispatched is amazingly cool and completely Hitchcockian!

Alfred Hitchcock directing The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

After that is was bedtime. Friday would be the first full day and the first films screened at 9 a.m. And my choices would be: Rafter Romance (1933), The Maltese Falcon (1941), Cry, The Beloved Country (1951), Beyond the Mouse, The 1930s Cartoons of UB Iwerks, and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). What film did I choose?

What film would you choose?

Screening of Hitchcock's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" November 10, 2015

Hitchcock in the 50s: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Where: The Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, 1550 S. State Street, Chicago, IL
When: November 10, 2015
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Stephen Reginald

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) James Stewart and Doris Day star as Ben and Jo McKenna, an American couple on vacation in Morocco with their young son, Hank. When their son is kidnapped, the McKenna’s are caught up in a web of international intrigue that tests their courage and resolve. Will they be able to save their son? This remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1934 film, is a lush production featuring a thrilling climax at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall.

Have some Joe and Enjoy the Show!
Before the movie, grab a cup of coffee from Overflow Coffee Bar, located within the Daystar Center. You can bring food and beverages into the auditorium; we even have small tables set up next to some of the seats. General Admission: $5 Students and Senior Citizens: $3.

Join the Chicago Film club; join the discussion
Once a month we screen a classic film and have a brief discussion afterward. For more information, including how to join (it’s free), click here. The Venue 1550 is easily accessible by the CTA. Please visit Transit Chicago for more information on transportation options.

Alfred Hitchcock directing Doris Day on location in London

Stephen Reginald is a freelance writer and editor. He has worked at various positions within the publishing industry for over 25 years. Most recently he was executive editor for McGraw-Hill’s The Learning Group Division. A long-time amateur student of film, Reginald hosts “Chicago Film Club,” a monthly movie event held in the South Loop, for the past two years. Reginald has also taught several adult education film classes at Facets Film School, Chicago.


Daystar Center located at 1550 S. State St. works through a grassroots network of collaborations and partnerships with individuals and other nonprofit organizations. Through this web, they’re able to provide educational, cultural, and civic activities that enrich and empower their clients, guests, and community members. To learn more about classes and events offered at the Daystar Center, please visit their Web site.

The legacy of screenwriter John Michael Hayes

Best work with Hitchcock

Screenwriter John Michael Hayes did some of his best work while under the employ of director Alfred Hitchcock. Their four-film collaboration was short, but it produced three classic movies, including Rear Window  (1954) and To Catch a Thief (1955). The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) was one of the biggest box office hits of the year.

Hayes’s screenplays for Hitchcock, bright and sophisticated when first produced, have remained fresh and contemporary, even in the been-there-done-that era in which we live today.

Rear window ethics

Sample this piece of dialogue between Jeff (James Stewart) and Stella (Thelma Ritter) from Rear Window.

Stella :You heard of that market crash in '29? I predicted that.
Jeff: Oh, just how did you do that, Stella?
Stella: Oh, simple. I was nursing a director of General Motors. Kidney ailment, they said. Nerves, I said. And I asked myself, "What's General Motors got to be nervous about?" Overproduction, I says; collapse. When General Motors has to go to the bathroom ten times a day, the whole country's ready to let go.

Few people before or since, have been able to match Hayes’s ear for authentic-sounding dialogue. Granted, having Stewart and Ritter mouth what you’ve written helps, but they had great material to work with to build their characterizations.

Three out of four isn't bad

The one picture that didn’t catch on with the public was The Trouble With Harry. It was too British in its black humor, according to Hitchcock (although apparently the British didn't like it much either). To Hitchcock fans, it's a fun film for a number of reasons. It features the film debut of Shirley MacLaine for one and a pre-Leave it to Beaver Jerry Mathers for another. It also has some beautiful cinematography and a pounding score by composer Bernard Herrmann. This was the beginning of a long professional relationship between Hitchcock and Herrmann, that lasted until Marnie (1964).

After Hayes moved on and worked more independently, his services were in great demand. He wrote the screenplays for some of the biggest blockbusters of the 1950s and 1960s, including Peyton Place (1957), The Carpetbaggers (1964), and Nevada Smith (1966). Still, his most enduring work remains the films he wrote for the master of suspense.

Hayes’s last screenplay was for the film Iron Will (1994) starring Kevin Spacey. Hayes died in November 2008 at the age of 89.