Both versions of The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934 and 1956)
The first film has gained a large following who suggest that it is better than Hitch's own remake. (It isn't.) It is a return to form for Hitch, who at the time had done a series of literary based flops and a musical. ( A musical!) It shows his developing strengths and sets the stage for the first masterpiece, The 39 Steps.
The later film is in a serious state of neglect, both physically and critically. It is need of restoration but Universal never wants to pay up for any work. It is ignored by most as mere fluff, but it in every way superior to the original film. Shot in VistaVision that still shines through the years of neglect, with inventive writing again by John Michael Hayes, and great performances from Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day this clearly is the superior film. The climax in the Royal Albert Hall is still riveting after 30+ views and could and should be used to teach people about filmmaking.
The release of both versions are rather poor. The original is one of the British period that remains in the public Domain with no good NTSC release other than Laserdisc. There are a few PAL transfers that are supposedly good in box set releases. The remake had it's initial release on DVD minus the VistaVision opening logo and from what appeared to be a heavily worn show print, perhaps one of the 1983 "lost Hitchcock" theatrical prints. Lots of visible damage throughout and noisy audio but still watchable. The later release in the Masterpiece Collection and standalone is perhaps the worst ever catalog release from a major studio. I have no idea what went wrong, but the entire film seems blown-up, out of focus, color bleached, the sound is heavily denoised, and throughout the film parts of the frame have a shimmering digital mastering error, causing these parts to pop in and out of focus in a horrible shimmering effect.
The 1934 version: 3.5 balls out of 4 Peter Lorres.
The 1956 remake: 4 balls out of 4 wives you give sedatives before you tell her that your child has been kidnapped.