Plot
An American family, Dr. Ben McKenna (James Stewart), his wife Jo (Doris Day) and their son Hank (Christopher Olsen) are vacationing in Morocco. Traveling from Casablanca to Marrakesh, they meet a Frenchman named Louis Bernard (Daniel Gelin), who seems friendly; however, Jo is suspicious of his many questions and evasive answers, and thinks he is hiding something. Bernard offers to take the McKennas out to dinner but cancels when a sinister-looking man knocks at the McKenna's hotel room claiming to be looking for another guest's room. Later, at a local restaurant, the McKennas meet an English couple, the Draytons, who strike up a conversation with the McKennas, who are surprised to see Bernard arrive and sit at another table apparently ignoring them.
The next day, exploring a busy outdoor market in Marrakesh with the Draytons, the McKennas see a man in Arab clothing being chased by police. After being stabbed in the back, the man approaches Ben, who discovers it is actually Bernard in disguise. The dying Bernard whispers that a foreign statesman will be murdered in London very soon, and that Ben must tell the authorities there about 'Ambrose Chappell'. Mrs. Drayton offers to return Hank to the hotel while Dr. and Mrs. McKenna are being questioned. An officer explains that Bernard was a French Intelligence agent on assignment in Morocco. While at the police station, Ben receives a phone call from a mysterious man who informs him that Hank has been kidnapped but will not be harmed if the McKennas say nothing to the police about Bernard's last words.
After arriving in London, the McKennas are told by Scotland Yard Inspector Buchanan that Bernard was trying to uncover an assassination plot, and that they should contact him if they hear from the kidnappers. Leaving friends in their hotel room, the McKennas attempt to question a man named 'Ambrose Chappell', but finally track the kidnappers to a church named 'Ambrose Chapel': the kidnappers' hideout, where Mr. Drayton, posing as a minister, is leading a service. While Jo calls police, Drayton ends the service early. Ben confronts him and is knocked out. The Draytons take Hank to a foreign embassy just before Jo arrives with the police at the now seemingly deserted chapel. Jo learns Buchanan has gone to a concert at the Royal Albert Hall and goes there to get his help. There she sees the sinister man who mistakenly came to her door in Morocco. When he threatens her son if she interferes, she realises he is the assassin sent to kill the foreign Prime Minister (Alexis Bobrinskoy) who is now also at the concert hall.
Ben escapes the locked chapel and follows Jo to the hall, where she points out the assassin. Ben frantically searches the balcony boxes for the killer, who is waiting for a cymbal crash to mask his gunshot. Jo sees the barrel of the assassin's gun and screams right before the cymbals crash. The assassin misses his mark and merely wound his target. Ben finds and struggles with the would-be-killer, who then falls to his death from the balcony. The grateful Prime Minister invites the McKennas to meet with him at his London embassy.
The McKennas learn that the Draytons are in the Prime Minister's embassy, where Hank is being held, and where the ambassador has led the plot to kill his own Prime Minister. Hatching a plan to find their son, Ben and Jo are welcomed as heroes for having saved the Prime Minister's life. Jo loudly sings a song Hank is familiar with so that he will hear his mother's voice and hopefully respond. Mrs. Drayton, who is guarding Hank but is unwilling to harm him, tells Hank to whistle along with the song, which draws Ben to the room where he is being held. Mr. Drayton catches them and tries to escape with them as hostages, but when he is struck by Ben, falls downstairs and is accidentally killed when his own gun fires.
The McKennas return to their now-sleeping friends in their hotel room, where Ben says, "I'm sorry we were gone so long, but we had to go over and pick up Hank."
Read more about this topic: The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 Film)
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“Ends in themselves, my letters plot no change;
They carry nothing dutiable; they won’t
Aspire, astound, establish or estrange.”
—Philip Larkin (1922–1986)
“Morality for the novelist is expressed not so much in the choice of subject matter as in the plot of the narrative, which is perhaps why in our morally bewildered time novelists have often been timid about plot.”
—Jane Rule (b. 1931)
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—Mary Kay Blakely (20th century)