The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) is a British suspense thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, marking an early example of his mastery of tension and intrigue.
The film follows a British couple, Bob and Jill Lawrence (played by Leslie Banks and Edna Best), who, while vacationing in Switzerland, accidentally become entangled in an international assassination plot. After their friend is murdered, they learn of a planned political killing but are forced into silence when their daughter is kidnapped by the conspirators.
As Bob navigates London's underworld to rescue his child, the film builds to a gripping climax at the Royal Albert Hall. Featuring Peter Lorre in his first English-language role as the sinister villain, the 1934 version is known for its sharp storytelling, suspenseful pacing, and Hitchcock's early experimentation with the thriller genre.
Footnote: Hitchcock later remade the film in 1956, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. While the core plot remains the same, the remake expands the story, shifts the setting to Morocco, and includes the famous song "Que Sera, Sera."
Watch the original 1934 version free and uninterrupted
Here is the main cast of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934):
Leslie Banks as Bob Lawrence
Edna Best as Jill Lawrence
Peter Lorre as Abbott (the villain)
Frank Vosper as Ramon
Hugh Wakefield as Clive
Nova Pilbeam as Betty Lawrence (the kidnapped daughter)
Pierre Fresnay as Louis Bernard
Cicely Oates as Nurse Agnes
D.A. Clarke-Smith as Binstead
George Curzon as Gibson
Peter Lorre, in his first English-language role, delivers a particularly memorable performance as the charismatic yet menacing Abbott.