---
title: "The Man Who Knew Too Much: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-man-who-knew-too-much/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-man-who-knew-too-much"
critics_score: 60
critics_reviews: 7
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956): what the critics said

Critics' score 60 from 7 reviews: 3 positive, 3 mixed, 1 negative.

The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around Hitchcock’s suspense sequences and technical control rather than the film’s pacing. Several critics find the tension sustained despite the leisurely approach, and James Stewart and Doris Day receive praise for their performances as distressed parents. The Hollywood Reporter singles out the Albert Hall concert sequence for its inventive buildup without dialogue, while other favourable notices find the remake compelling despite its slower pace than the original.

Length is the recurring reservation, shared even by critics who otherwise enjoy the thriller: passages linger, and the extra running time does not always earn its place. The spread is wide, however, rather than uniformly lukewarm. The New Yorker supplies the sharpest dissent, finding the family and performances irritating and the remake inferior to Hitchcock’s earlier film; its limited praise for the Marrakech scenery does little to soften that judgement.

## The Hollywood Reporter — Don Gillette

Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 1 May 1956. 

Gillette finds Hitchcock’s thriller suspenseful and engaging throughout, despite saying some passages linger too long. He singles out the Albert Hall concert sequence for its inventive, dialogue-free buildup and dramatic climax.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/man-who-knew-review-1956-movie-1008455/)

## Empire — Kim Newman

Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 1 March 2007. 

Newman finds Hitchcock’s remake an equally compelling thriller, despite its slower pace than the original. He praises the sustained suspense and the performances of James Stewart and Doris Day.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/man-knew-much-2-review/)

## Variety — Variety Staff

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1955. 

Variety considers the film a good thriller, though it says the footage runs a little long. It praises the sustained suspense and the strong performances, especially James Stewart and Doris Day as distressed parents.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/1955/film/reviews/the-man-who-knew-too-much-2-1200417989/)

## The New York Times

Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 1956. 

The URL identifies a New York Times review of Hitchcock’s 1956 film. The article text is inaccessible, so its verdict and specific praise or complaint cannot be determined.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1956/05/17/archives/screen-at-the-old-stand-hitchcocks-man-who-knew-too-much-bows.html)

## Radio Times — David Parkinson

Rating 3/5. 

Parkinson finds the remake more technically accomplished than Hitchcock’s earlier version, though its extra length is not always well spent. He praises the finale’s added suspense and criticizes the inclusion of “Que Sera, Sera” as a concession to Doris Day fans.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-e6bf7v/the-man-who-knew-too-much/)

## Slant Magazine — John Lingan

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 2 December 2010. 

The critic finds the 1956 film uneven and overlong, despite its technical brilliance. The Marrakesh visuals and suspenseful set pieces are singled out as especially effective.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/take-two-10-the-man-who-knew-too-much-1934-the-man-who-knew-too-much-1956/)

## The New Yorker — John McCarten

Fi1m's normalised score 15/100 (inferred from the text). 18 May 1956. 

McCarten finds the remake sluggish and its family and performances irritating, judging it inferior to Hitchcock’s earlier film. He concedes that Marrakech provides some attractive views, but says postcards could do the same job.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1956/05/26/hitchcock-inflated)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-man-who-knew-too-much.md