Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Agatha Christie (play)
Larry Marcus (adaptation)

Release Date:

6 February 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Once in 50 years suspense like this!

Plot:

Agatha Christie tale of a man on trial for murder: a trial featuring surprise after surprise.

Plot Keywords:

Widow | Murder | Alibi | Trial | Will

Awards:

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Leonard Vole
Marlene Dietrich	...	Christine Vole
Charles Laughton	...	Sir Wilfrid Robarts
Elsa Lanchester	...	Miss Plimsoll
John Williams	...	Brogan-Moore
Henry Daniell	...	Mayhew
Ian Wolfe	...	Carter
Torin Thatcher	...	Mr. Myers
Norma Varden	...	Emily Jane French
Una O'Connor	...	Janet McKenzie
Francis Compton	...	Judge
Philip Tonge	...	Inspector Hearne
Ruta Lee	...	Diana

Runtime:

116 min | Australia:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

West Germany:12 | Spain:T | Argentina:16 | Australia:G | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #18704) | UK:U

Filming Locations:

MGM Studios - 10202 W. Washington Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Edward Small Productions

Trivia:

The original play "Witness for the Prosecution" by Agatha Christie opened at Henry Miller's Theater on December 16, 1954 and ran for 645 performances. Una O'Connor reprises her role in the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Vole, in his cell, starts relating the story of how he and Christine met, the scene dissolves into a flashback while Vole is speaking. But as it begins to dissolve, Vole, still clearly visible, has stopped talking even as his voice-over continues its narration.

Quotes:

Sir Wilfrid: [getting progressively more agitated] The question is whether you were lying then or are you lying now... or whether in fact you are a chronic and habitual LIAR!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Get Smart: Witness for the Persecution (#3.3)" (1967)

Soundtrack:

I May Never Go Home Anymore

Superb and unjustly maligned film

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD!

I'm not sure I have the ability to adequately praise this film. The original short story(rather unremarkable, actually)has been expanded into a magnificent example of Hollywood entertainment at its best. In addition to perhaps the finest line-up of character actors ever assembled(next to Cukor's David Copperfield, that is), we get Laughton and Dietrich at the top of their form. The person who criticised Lanchester's performance as "annoying" missed the point entirely. Miss Plimsoll is meant to be annoying! Also, what's with all the bad-mouthing of Tyrone Power? "Hammy"; "terrible"; "worst performance ever". These are the perceptive IMDb reviews? Only one of you got it right: it's hammy because Leonard Vole is the one acting, not Power! For 95% of the film, the character is dissembling, only showing his true colors at the end. Of course it looks hammy: Vole isn't a born actor like his wife. And to all those know-it-alls who called this film mediocre and predictable, I look forward to your upcoming film projects which I'm sure will be paragons of excellence and worthy to be set alongside classics of the golden age.