Discuss The Man Who Knew Too Much
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Peter Lorre's look in this film
posted by genplant29STAFFMOD on November 19, 2017 at 8:15 AM
His character's look has it all: Skunk-stripe hair combed a la Julius Caesar, weird teeth, and a bodacious facial scar.
Mr. Lorre totally pulls off the look!
Reply by Steve
on March 15, 2018 at 2:15 PM
He does. Watched it last night and found it way too British and polite. Hitchcock would get better. But there is nothing wrong with plump, bad teeth-era Peter Lorre. He's fantastic.
Reply by genplant29
on March 15, 2018 at 2:25 PM
I totally agree with you, that this movie falls flat in general. Fortunately Peter Lorre, plus all the parts regarding the "chapel" place, make an otherwise no big deal movie quite entertaining in parts.
Reply by catmydogs
on July 30, 2020 at 9:24 PM
I remember nothing about this film, although I know I’ve seen it. Peter Lorre is great in M, can’t remember him in this film. For me, it was not until Rebecca, Hitchcock’s grand slam American film debut, that I think the director really shifted into high gear.
Aside from Lady Vanishes, any other pre1940’s Hitchcock films that are recommended viewing?
Reply by genplant29
on July 30, 2020 at 10:16 PM
In addition to The Lady Vanishes, I tremendously like Hitch's The 39 Steps, Young and Innocent (which the old American title of is The Girl Was Young), and The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog from his UK years. Also The Farmer's Wife.
All mentioned movies, their respective deluxe restored versions have to be viewed to get a particular film's proper effect, as otherwise lesser prints (which there are many, as I believe all of Hitchcock's UK films wound up in the public domain, therefore horrible-condition prints [that are poor copies of poor copies of poor copies of poor copies] of them have been circulating for decades) can result in a movie coming off, very unfairly, as itself decrepit, creaky, slow/draggy, impossibly ancient-seeming, and pretty nearly unwatchable.
I first saw many of Hitchcock's old UK movies that way, in cheapie public domain sets, and thought the movies sucked, though eventually saw each of the mentioned (listed above) ones beautifully restored and with corrected audio [or newly-performed dedicated perfect scores added] and the difference, in each case, was absolutely revelatory.
Other than the movies I mentioned, as well as the '34 version of The Man Who Knew Too Much (that I strictly like, though don't love - and it's for sure not great - still it has a certain "antique" charm and appeal to it), I've never really taken to Hitch's other pre-Hollywood films.