The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934)

Hitchcocks first and arguably superior production of the same story he retold in 1956 with James Stewart and Doris Day, and critics continue to argue the films merits versus its successor. An English couple on holiday in Switzerland find themselves embroiled in an international plot to assassinate a foreign dignitary when the husband overhears the secret and their daughter is kidnapped. This taut, suspenseful thriller is aided by the directors wry wit and tight pacing.