Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
An American doctor and his wife, a former singing star, witness a murder while vacationing in Morocco, and are drawn into a twisting plot of international intrigue when their young son is kidnapped.
Hitchcock's glossy Vistavision remake of his own 1934 film benefits enormously from its rich widescreen cinematography and iconic set pieces — the Albert Hall sequence with its cymbal crash is masterfully staged. Stewart and Day are solid if occasionally stiff, and Day's 'Que Sera Sera' adds memorable texture. The plot is enjoyably twisty but somewhat mechanical, and the pacing sags in the middle. As a remake it carries inherent novelty limits despite Hitchcock's distinctive touch. The ending resolves a bit too neatly and abruptly after the prolonged tension.