Der Mann, der zuviel wußte (1934)

Der Mann, der zuviel wußte: Directed by Alfred Hitchcock. With Leslie Banks, Edna Best, Peter Lorre, Frank Vosper. An ordinary British couple vacationing in Switzerland suddenly find themselves embroiled in a case of international intrigue when their daughter is kidnapped by spies plotting a political assassination.

“One of Alfred Hitchcocku0026#39;s earliest classics, made before he came to Hollywood. A coupleu0026#39;s daughter is kidnapped to keep her parents quiet about an assassination plot. The couple is played by Leslie Banks and Edna Best. Banks is good in a role thatu0026#39;s a long way from his florid performance in The Most Dangerous Game from a couple of years earlier. Best is impressive in a sympathetic turn. Peter Lorre is menacing and even a little creepy as the leader of the assassins. This was his first English-speaking role (he learned the language while filming). Nice photography from Curt Courant and some fun little creative touches from Hitchcock. The dry humor is blended nicely with the action and suspense. The cult of sun worshippers and The Royal Albert Hall scene are both worthy of Hitchu0026#39;s highlight reel. Perhaps one too many abrupt cuts from one scene to the next, often as a character is in mid-sentence. But clearly Hitch was still honing his craft. At least he was trying things as opposed to the static direction of many of his contemporaries.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eRemade in 1956 by Hitchcock himself, with James Stewart and Doris Day. That version is more polished and u0026quot;Hollywood,u0026quot; and is arguably the more popular of the two. Although neither film is perfect, I prefer this one. It may not have the two decades of advancements in production techniques or the bigger budget of the remake, but it has a tighter plot, shorter runtime, faster pace, darker tone, and it builds suspense without the distracting side stuff of the remake. Plus thereu0026#39;s no incongruous scenes of Doris Day singing.”