What is 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' (1956)?

The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1956 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, a remake of his 1934 film. The film is about Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo, and their son Hank, who are on vacation in Morocco. They befriend a mysterious man who is murdered. Before dying, the man whispers to Ben that a statesman will be murdered in London and that the police should investigate "Ambrose Chapel." The McKennas find that Hank has been kidnapped and are told that Hank will be killed if they go to the authorities with the information. Ben and Jo travel to London, find Ambrose Chapel, and discover the Draytons and their son. The kidnappers escape with Hank. At Royal Albert Hall, they realize a foreign prime minister is to be assassinated during the concert. Jo screams, startling the gunman, who wounds the statesman. Ben struggles with the assassin, who falls to his death. The prime minister invites Ben and Jo to a reception at his embassy, where they discover Hank is being held captive. Ben knocks Drayton down a stairway to his death.

Who directed 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' in 1956?

Alfred Hitchcock directed the 1956 film The Man Who Knew Too Much , which is an American thriller and a remake of his 1934 classic. The film is about Dr. Ben McKenna and his wife, Jo, who are vacationing in Morocco when they befriend a mysterious man. After the man is murdered, the McKennas find their son has been kidnapped and become entangled in an assassination plot. The film stars James Stewart and Doris Day.

Who are the main characters in the movie?

The Man Who Knew Too Much , released in 1956, is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1934 film of the same name. The main characters are Dr. Ben McKenna (played by James Stewart), his wife, Jo (Doris Day), and their son, Hank (Christopher Olsen). While vacationing in Morocco, the McKennas befriend a mysterious man who is murdered. Before dying, he tells Ben of an assassination plot in London. Ben and Jo's son is kidnapped to keep them from revealing what Ben knows. The McKennas go to London, find the kidnappers, and realize a foreign prime minister is the target. Jo screams during a concert, foiling the assassination attempt. Ben saves his son, and Edward Drayton, the kidnapper, dies.

What is the basic plot of the film?

In Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 thriller, The Man Who Knew Too Much , Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo, and their son Hank vacation in Morocco. There, they befriend a mysterious man who is soon murdered. Before dying, he tells Ben of an upcoming assassination in London. The McKennas learn their son has been kidnapped to ensure their silence. They travel to London, discover the location of the culprits, and realize a foreign prime minister is the target. Jo thwarts the assassination attempt at the Royal Albert Hall, but the McKennas find themselves at the embassy, where Hank is held captive. In a dramatic rescue, they save Hank and neutralize the kidnapper, Edward Drayton.

Why is the film considered a suspenseful thriller?

The Man Who Knew Too Much , Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film, is considered a suspenseful thriller because of Hitchcock's mastery of techniques to build and maintain suspense. The film centers on a family vacationing in Morocco who accidentally learn of an assassination plot and must protect their kidnapped son. Hitchcock uses innovative camera viewpoints, elaborate editing, and effective soundtrack music to create suspense. The film's plot involves deception, mistaken identities, and chase sequences, all of which contribute to the thrilling experience.

What makes this version different from Hitchcock's original 1934 film with the same name?

Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much , is a remake of his 1934 thriller of the same name and is considered by many to be equal, if not superior, to the original. The 1956 version is a big-budget production starring James Stewart and Doris Day as parents whose son is kidnapped after the father accidentally learns about an assassination plot. Day's performance advanced her singing career with the song "Que Sera, Sera," which became a pop hit. The plot centers around Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo, and their son Hank, who are vacationing in Morocco. They befriend a mysterious man who is murdered but, before dying, tells Ben of a planned assassination in London.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

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The Man Who Knew Too Much

film by Hitchcock [1956]

Written by

Lee Pfeiffer

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Last updated

Oct. 7, 2026 •History

Top Questions

What is 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' (1956)?
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a 1956 American thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, a remake of his 1934 film. The film is about Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo, and their son Hank, who are on vacation in Morocco. They befriend a mysterious man who is murdered. Before dying, the man whispers to Ben that a statesman will be murdered in London and that the police should investigate "Ambrose Chapel." The McKennas find that Hank has been kidnapped and are told that Hank will be killed if they go to the authorities with the information.

Ben and Jo travel to London, find Ambrose Chapel, and discover the Draytons and their son. The kidnappers escape with Hank. At Royal Albert Hall, they realize a foreign prime minister is to be assassinated during the concert. Jo screams, startling the gunman, who wounds the statesman. Ben struggles with the assassin, who falls to his death. The prime minister invites Ben and Jo to a reception at his embassy, where they discover Hank is being held captive. Ben knocks Drayton down a stairway to his death.
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Who directed 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' in 1956?
Alfred Hitchcock directed the 1956 film The Man Who Knew Too Much, which is an American thriller and a remake of his 1934 classic. The film is about Dr. Ben McKenna and his wife, Jo, who are vacationing in Morocco when they befriend a mysterious man. After the man is murdered, the McKennas find their son has been kidnapped and become entangled in an assassination plot. The film stars James Stewart and Doris Day.
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2. The Man Who Knew Too Much
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Who are the main characters in the movie?
The Man Who Knew Too Much, released in 1956, is a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1934 film of the same name.

The main characters are Dr. Ben McKenna (played by James Stewart), his wife, Jo (Doris Day), and their son, Hank (Christopher Olsen). While vacationing in Morocco, the McKennas befriend a mysterious man who is murdered. Before dying, he tells Ben of an assassination plot in London.

Ben and Jo's son is kidnapped to keep them from revealing what Ben knows. The McKennas go to London, find the kidnappers, and realize a foreign prime minister is the target. Jo screams during a concert, foiling the assassination attempt. Ben saves his son, and Edward Drayton, the kidnapper, dies.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Alfred Hitchcock: The Paramount years: Rear Window to North by Northwest
2. The Man Who Knew Too Much
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is the basic plot of the film?
In Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 thriller, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo, and their son Hank vacation in Morocco. There, they befriend a mysterious man who is soon murdered. Before dying, he tells Ben of an upcoming assassination in London.

The McKennas learn their son has been kidnapped to ensure their silence. They travel to London, discover the location of the culprits, and realize a foreign prime minister is the target. Jo thwarts the assassination attempt at the Royal Albert Hall, but the McKennas find themselves at the embassy, where Hank is held captive. In a dramatic rescue, they save Hank and neutralize the kidnapper, Edward Drayton.
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1. Alfred Hitchcock and MacGuffin
2. The Man Who Knew Too Much
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why is the film considered a suspenseful thriller?
The Man Who Knew Too Much, Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film, is considered a suspenseful thriller because of Hitchcock's mastery of techniques to build and maintain suspense. The film centers on a family vacationing in Morocco who accidentally learn of an assassination plot and must protect their kidnapped son. Hitchcock uses innovative camera viewpoints, elaborate editing, and effective soundtrack music to create suspense. The film's plot involves deception, mistaken identities, and chase sequences, all of which contribute to the thrilling experience.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What makes this version different from Hitchcock's original 1934 film with the same name?
Alfred Hitchcock's 1956 film, The Man Who Knew Too Much, is a remake of his 1934 thriller of the same name and is considered by many to be equal, if not superior, to the original.

The 1956 version is a big-budget production starring James Stewart and Doris Day as parents whose son is kidnapped after the father accidentally learns about an assassination plot. Day's performance advanced her singing career with the song "Que Sera, Sera," which became a pop hit. The plot centers around Dr. Ben McKenna, his wife Jo, and their son Hank, who are vacationing in Morocco. They befriend a mysterious man who is murdered but, before dying, tells Ben of a planned assassination in London.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Alfred Hitchcock: The Paramount years: Rear Window to North by Northwest
2. The Man Who Knew Too Much
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

The Man Who Knew Too Much, American thriller film, released in 1956, that was Alfred Hitchcock’s remake of his 1934 classic and is widely considered equal, if not superior, to the original.

(Read Martin Scorsese’s Britannica essay on film preservation.)

Dr. Ben McKenna (played by James Stewart) and his wife, Jo (Doris Day), are vacationing in Morocco with their young son, Hank (Christopher Olsen). They befriend a mysterious man, who is later stabbed in the marketplace. Before dying, he manages to whisper to Ben that a famous statesman will be murdered soon in London and that police should investigate “Ambrose Chapel.” Ben and Jo return to their hotel to find that Hank has been kidnapped by the Draytons (Bernard Miles and Brenda de Banzie), a seemingly nice couple who were watching him. The McKennas are told that if they go to authorities with the dead man’s information, Hank will be killed.

Publicity still with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman from the motion picture film "Casablanca" (1942); directed by Michael Curtiz. (cinema, movies)

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Desperate, Ben and Jo fly to London, where they learn that Ambrose Chapel is a place, not a person. When they get to the chapel, they discover the Draytons and their son. However, the kidnappers escape with Hank before the police arrive. The McKennas then head to the Royal Albert Hall, where they hope to find the Scotland Yard inspector they had spoken to earlier. Once there, they realize that a foreign prime minister is to be assassinated during the concert. As Ben searches frantically for the assassin, Jo spots a gun being pointed through a curtain. Her scream startles the gunman, causing him to only wound the statesman. Ben struggles with the would-be assassin, and the man falls to his death. The grateful prime minister invites Ben and Jo to a reception in their honour at his embassy. Upon arrival, the McKennas discover that Hank is being held captive upstairs. While Jo, a world-renowned singer, keeps the attendees entertained, Ben tries to rescue Hank, but the two end up being held at gunpoint by Edward Drayton, who attempts to use them as hostages to effect his escape. Ben, however, manages to knock the man down a long stairway to his death.

While some questioned the need for a remake, The Man Who Knew Too Much was a huge box-office success in 1956. Although Stewart was an obvious casting choice—this was his third Hitchcock film—the selection of Day for the female lead surprised many, though she acquitted herself nicely in one of her few dramatic roles. She also sang the theme song “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera),” which won an Academy Award and became one of her most popular songs.

Production notes and credits

Studio: Paramount Pictures
Director and producer: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: John Michael Hayes
Music: Bernard Herrmann
Running time: 120 minutes

Cast

James Stewart (Dr. Ben McKenna)
Doris Day (Jo McKenna)
Brenda de Banzie (Lucy Drayton)
Bernard Miles (Edward Drayton)
Daniel Gélin (Louis Bernard)

Academy Award nomination (* denotes win)

Song* (“Whatever Will Be, Will Be [Que Sera, Sera]”)

Lee Pfeiffer

The Man Who Knew Too Much

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Production notes and credits

Cast

Academy Award nomination (* denotes win)