Spy Thriller Fans Have To Check Out An Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Streaming For Free

The highlights of Alfred Hitchcock's early career are easy enough to map, with some exceptions. For instance, we know about the success of films like "The Lodger" (the "first true Hitchcock movie," according to Hitch himself), but some of his earliest works, like "The Mountain Eagle," are now considered lost media. Hitchcock also had to contend with some significant flops at the time, which is why his 1934 hit "The Man Who Knew Too Much" stands out. The Leslie Banks and Peter Lorre-starring spy thriller is not to be confused with Hitchcock's 1956 movie of the same name, as the latter sports a more polished plot, with James Stewart and Doris Day playing the leads. Similarly, Hitchcock's 1934 original is the more melodramatic of the pair, although it still contains plenty of the wit and humor found in the filmmaker's later work.

As widely appreciated as the film is these days, Hitchcock had a hard time getting "The Man Who Knew Too Much" made back when he was still an up-and-coming director. Indeed, the prominent movie distributor C.M. Woolf initially refused to release the film in England unless Hitchcock redid it completely. In time, though, he changed his mind, and the spy thriller went on to become a crowd-pleaser. More importantly, the movie served as the foundation for Hitchcock's 1956 "remake," which fleshes out the story's characters and opts for a much darker tone.

Even so, 1934's "The Man Who Knew Too Much" — which can currently be streamed on Pluto TV for free — is nothing short of a triumph, as Hitchcock uses the film's winter snowscapes as a vivid backdrop for his momentous narrative and makes its heavy-handed nature work in its favor. With that in mind, let's take a closer look at the picture.

Hitchcock's film begins with married couple Jill (Edna Best) and Bob (Banks) going on vacation to Switzerland with their daughter. However, their bliss is shattered when a fellow vacationer, Louis Bernard (Pierre Fresnay), is shot dead, leaving naught but some cryptic clues behind for Jill. As if that wasn't enough, Jill and Bob's daughter is then kidnapped by a criminal organization(!), as the married couple learn that a certain Mr. Abbott (Lorre) is orchestrating these events to carry out an international crime.

As serious as this all obviously is, Hitchcock sprinkles plenty of humor through the proceedings, like when he has characters throw chairs at one another during a high-stakes fight. This comedy never feels out of place, either, as the movie jumps from one vivid sentiment to another without giving audiences any sort of tonal whiplash.

"The Man Who Knew Too Much" might be implausible, but it's more than enough fun to make up the difference. Hitchcock moves swiftly across locations, turning mundane spaces (a dentist's office or a taxidermist's shop) into something wholly exciting, with Jill doing her best to unravel a massive conspiracy. There's also an exceptional assassination sequence fueled by Hitchcock's unique brand of pacing and suspense, which go hand in hand to evoke genuine anxiety in a film where a lot of dire moments are otherwise played for laughs.

In contrast, Hitchcock's 1956 version of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" stews in its escalating suspense and spends a lot of time developing its characters. However, the 1934 original's lack of complexity isn't necessarily a bad thing — what it lacks in depth, it makes up for with snappy thrills and charm. Watch it on Pluto TV, and see for yourself.