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Witness for the Prosecution

"The most electrifying entertainment of our time!"

1957-12-17 Drama 1hr 56m

An ailing famous barrister agrees to defend a man in a sensational murder trial where his self-possessed wife's unconvincing testimony confuses him.

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Witness for the Prosecution
MGM+ Amazon Channel

Watch on MGM+ Amazon Channel

Storyline

An ailing famous barrister agrees to defend a man in a sensational murder trial where his self-possessed wife's unconvincing testimony confuses him.

  • Released
    1957-12-17
  • Revenue
    $9,000,000
  • Budget
    $3,000,000
  • Runtime
    1hr 56m
  • Genre
    Drama, Mystery, Crime
  • Status
    Released
  • Language
    Deutsch, English
  • imdb-logo
    8.4
  • Production
    Edward Small Productions

Crew

Billy Wilder
Director
Billy Wilder
Screenplay
Arthur Hornblow Jr.
Producer
Keywords:
based on novel or book nurse widow cigarette alibi letter trial murder lawyer courtroom murder mystery tiki culture

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Cast

Tyrone Power

Tyrone Power
Leonard Vole
Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich
Christine
Charles Laughton

Charles Laughton
Sir Wilfrid
Elsa Lanchester

Elsa Lanchester
Miss Plimsoll
John Williams

John Williams
Brogan-Moore
Henry Daniell

Henry Daniell
Mayhew
Ian Wolfe

Ian Wolfe
Carter
Torin Thatcher

Torin Thatcher
Mr. Myers
Norma Varden

Norma Varden
Mrs. French
Una O'Connor

Una O'Connor
Janet
Francis Compton

Francis Compton
Judge
Philip Tonge

Philip Tonge
Inspector Hearne
Ruta Lee

Ruta Lee
Diana
Patrick Aherne

Patrick Aherne
Court Officer (uncredited)
Don Ames

Don Ames
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Walter Bacon

Walter Bacon
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Eddie Baker

Eddie Baker
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Benjie Bancroft

Benjie Bancroft
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
John Barton

John Barton
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Brandon Beach

Brandon Beach
Juror (uncredited)
George Blagoi

George Blagoi
Juror (uncredited)
Arline Bletcher

Arline Bletcher
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Danny Borzage

Danny Borzage
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Tex Brodus

Tex Brodus
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
George Bruggeman

George Bruggeman
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
George Calliga

George Calliga
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Steve Carruthers

Steve Carruthers
Barrister (uncredited)
Albert Cavens

Albert Cavens
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Oliver Cross

Oliver Cross
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Harry Denny

Harry Denny
Juror (uncredited)
Helen Dickson

Helen Dickson
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Minta Durfee

Minta Durfee
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Marjorie Eaton

Marjorie Eaton
Miss O'Brien (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum

Franklyn Farnum
Barrister (uncredited)
Bess Flowers

Bess Flowers
Courtroom spectator (uncredited)
Herschel Graham

Herschel Graham
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Marion Gray

Marion Gray
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Stuart Hall

Stuart Hall
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Art Howard

Art Howard
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Michael Jeffers

Michael Jeffers
Cafe Patron (uncredited)
Colin Kenny

Colin Kenny
Juror (uncredited)
Paul Kruger

Paul Kruger
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Jeanne Lafayette

Jeanne Lafayette
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Wilbur Mack

Wilbur Mack
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Frank McLure

Frank McLure
Court Officer (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith

Ottola Nesmith
Miss Johnson (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien

William H. O'Brien
Barrister (uncredited)
J. Pat O'Malley

J. Pat O'Malley
Shorts Salesman (uncredited)
George Pelling

George Pelling
Bit Part (uncredited)
Fred Rapport

Fred Rapport
Juror (uncredited)
Jack Raine

Jack Raine
Doctor (uncredited)
Waclaw Rekwart

Waclaw Rekwart
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Leoda Richards

Leoda Richards
Hat Store Sales Clerk (uncredited)
John Roy

John Roy
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Edna Smith

Edna Smith
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Scott Seaton

Scott Seaton
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Cap Somers

Cap Somers
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Bert Stevens

Bert Stevens
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre

Jeffrey Sayre
Clerk at Old Bailey (uncredited)
Norbert Schiller

Norbert Schiller
Spotlight Operator in German Cafe (uncredited)
Arthur Tovey

Arthur Tovey
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Ben Wright

Ben Wright
Barrister Reading Charges (uncredited)
Glen Walters

Glen Walters
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Joe Gilbert

Joe Gilbert
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Videos and Photos

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Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution

Movie Reviews

Reviews for Witness for the Prosecution
reviewer avatar

A Review by tanty 8

Written by tanty on 2012-11-26

Great thriller with superb classical interpretations. The plot moves sometimes too lazily.... read more

Great thriller with superb classical interpretations. The plot moves sometimes too lazily.

reviewer avatar

A Review by shiri4frnz 10

Written by shiri4frnz on 2017-05-04

**Why don't they make THESE movies anymore?** Apart from being a **GREAT** courtroom drama_(which some people don't think this movie is)_... read more

**Why don't they make THESE movies anymore?** Apart from being a **GREAT** courtroom drama_(which some people don't think this movie is)_, this movie is so much **FUN** and **ENTERTAINING** to watch.Especially because of the characters of _Charles Laughton_ and _Elsa Lanchester_. But _Tyrone Power_ and _Marlene Dietrich_ were convincing too in their portrayal of an _innocent, afraid for his life man and a disloyal, unloving, poker faced wife_ respectively. Some people might say that they predicted the ending half way down the movie but i am not quite sure as to how they predicted the **ACTUAL ENDING** before it really unfolded before their eyes? This movie is great not only in the part played in court but also in the scenes shot in _Sir Wilfrid Robarts's_ office(also due to _Miss Plimsoll's caringly lovably irritating character!_). Perhaps the people(the minority I'd like to believe) who don't think this movie deserves the high ranking and rating that it's got saw this brilliant piece of art as more of a suspense thriller.But I loved this movie as a delightfully ENTERTAINING, MYSTERIOUS, DRAMA ! I rate this 10 just because I haven't seen any other CLASSIC courtroom drama that was intense throughout(barring some light hearted scenes with Sir Wilfrid Robarts) and yet in the end I somehow felt light-hearted and had a smile on my face rather than a thought provoking look on it. The commentary in the ending credits was innocently adorable for our times of social networking _"The management of this theater suggests that for the greater entertainment of your friends who have not yet seen the picture you will not divulge to anyone the secret of the ending of Witness for the Prosecution!"_ And mind you I am a _big fan of 12 Angry Men and How to Kill a Mockingbird!_ But this movie too is equally good in a different way altogether!

reviewer avatar

A Review by John Chard 9

Written by John Chard on 2019-10-01

I'm constantly surprised that women's hats don't provoke more murders. Leonard Steven Vole finds himself on trial for the murder of a wea... read more

I'm constantly surprised that women's hats don't provoke more murders. Leonard Steven Vole finds himself on trial for the murder of a wealthy widow from whom he has inherited a fortune. Top barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts takes up the defendants case, but he, along with everyone else, is stunned when Vole's seemingly loving wife Christine turns up to testify against the defendant. Based on Agatha Christie's successful 1953 play, "Witness For The Prosecution" benefited from fine tuning from master director Billy Wilder and writing partner Harry Kurnitz. Here the dialogue becomes razor sharp and the characters are fully realised with quite wonderful results, but chiefly the masterstroke here is not letting a court room drama become just that, a court room drama. The film plays out with no wasted scenes, no moments of boredom, and it has such vim and vigour you sometimes forget that there actually is drama in the story. The cast here are on fine form, Wilder had wanted to work with Charles Laughton for some time, and it's obvious that both parties here are getting the best out of each other. Laughton is a pure delight as Robarts, a sharp tongue, all bluster and cheeky into the bargain, his interplay with Miss Plimsoll (Laughton's real life wife Elsa Lanchester) is quality, and it's another testament to Wilder's genius for putting them together. Tyrone Power, in what would be his last completed film before sadly passing away, is devilishly smart as Vole, whilst Torin Thatcher is great as the gruff prosecution barrister Myers. Yet as good as they all are, they all sit in the shadow of Marlene Dietrich and her turn as Christine Vole, sultry and femme fatalistic, it's a sizzling performance that crowns this delightful film. It occurred to me overnight that it's probably the closest film that Wilder got to being Hitchcockian, and I'm pretty sure the big master of suspense himself would have enjoyed this one. It's a mystery that is dramatic, it's a thriller that is also funny, it's pretty much a multi genre classic. 9/10

reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 8

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2022-11-03

I might be asking for trouble here, but did Charles Laughton ever actually make a bad film? He leads this one as the brilliant but curmudgeo... read more

I might be asking for trouble here, but did Charles Laughton ever actually make a bad film? He leads this one as the brilliant but curmudgeonly barrister "Sir Wildred Robarts" with oodles of charisma and style. Marlene Dietrich portrays the evil, manipulative "Christine Vole" marvellously and even Tyrone Power, more the matinée idol than the serious actor, delivers as required in Billy Wilder's outstanding rendition of the Agatha Christie story about a man accused of murdering an elderly lady who has just happened to leave him a great deal of money in her will. Elsa Lanchester is suitably annoying/scary/lovable as the nurse trying to keep her ailing charge from keeling over mid-trial and a slew of other capable British actors - including a wonderfully charismatic turn from Una O'Connor in the witness box - fill in the supporting roles well. It is one of those very rare occasions where everything just gels perfectly and it really is fun to watch. Some of Laughton's wry asides and put-down lines are genuinely laugh out loud too. Had it not come up against "Bridge on the River Kwai" then I'm sure it would have garnered at least one Oscar!

Read Full Review (The thoughts and opinions expressed here are solely those of the reviewer.)
A Review by Andres Gomez

Great thriller with superb classical interpretations. The plot moves sometimes too lazily....

reviewer avatar

A Review by tanty 8

Written by tanty on 2012-11-26

Great thriller with superb classical interpretations. The plot moves sometimes too lazily....

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by shiri4frnz 10

Written by shiri4frnz on 2017-05-04

**Why don't they make THESE movies anymore?** Apart from being a **GREAT** courtroom drama_(which some people don't think this movie is)_, this movie is so much **FUN** and **ENTERTAINING** to watc...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by John Chard 9

Written by John Chard on 2019-10-01

I'm constantly surprised that women's hats don't provoke more murders. Leonard Steven Vole finds himself on trial for the murder of a wealthy widow from whom he has inherited a fortune. Top barrist...

read more
reviewer avatar

A Review by Geronimo1967 8

Written by Geronimo1967 on 2022-11-03

I might be asking for trouble here, but did Charles Laughton ever actually make a bad film? He leads this one as the brilliant but curmudgeonly barrister "Sir Wildred Robarts" with oodles of charisma ...

read more