IMDb > Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Witness for the Prosecution
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Witness for the Prosecution (1957) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Agatha Christie (play)
Larry Marcus (adaptation)
(more)
Contact:
View company contact information for Witness for the Prosecution on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
6 February 1958 (USA) more
Tagline:
Once in 50 years suspense like this! more
Plot:
Agatha Christie tale of a man on trial for murder: a trial featuring surprise after surprise. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for 6 Oscars. Another 2 wins & 8 nominations more
User Comments:
Superb and unjustly maligned film more (136 total)

Cast

  (in credits order) (verified as complete)

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marjorie Eaton ... Miss O'Brien (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum ... Barrister (uncredited)
Bess Flowers ... Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Colin Kenny ... Juror (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith ... Miss Johnson (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien ... Barrister (uncredited)
J. Pat O'Malley ... Shorts salesman (uncredited)
George Pelling ... Bit part (uncredited)
Jack Raine ... Doctor (uncredited)
Molly Roden ... Miss McHugh (uncredited)
Jeffrey Sayre ... Clerk at Old Bailey (uncredited)
Norbert Schiller ... Spotlight operator in German cafe (uncredited)
Bert Stevens ... Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Ben Wright ... Barrister Reading Charges (uncredited)
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Directed by
Billy Wilder 
 
Writing credits
Agatha Christie (play)

Larry Marcus (adaptation)

Billy Wilder (screenplay) and
Harry Kurnitz (screenplay)

Produced by
Arthur Hornblow Jr. .... producer
Edward Small .... executive producer (uncredited)
 
Original Music by
Matty Malneck (musical score by)
 
Cinematography by
Russell Harlan (director of photography)
 
Film Editing by
Daniel Mandell 
 
Art Direction by
Alexandre Trauner 
 
Set Decoration by
Howard Bristol 
 
Makeup Department
Nellie Manley .... hair stylist
Gustaf Norin .... makeup artist
Helene Parrish .... hair stylist
Harry Ray .... makeup artist
Ray Sebastian .... makeup artist
Wally Westmore .... makeup artist: Marlene Dietrich (uncredited)
 
Production Management
Ben Hersh .... production supervisor
 
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Emmett Emerson .... assistant director
 
Art Department
Stanley Detlie .... property master
 
Sound Department
Fred Lau .... sound
 
Costume and Wardrobe Department
Edith Head .... costumes: Miss Dietrich
Joe King .... costumer (as Joseph King)
 
Music Department
Ernest Gold .... conductor
Leonid Raab .... music arranger
 
Other crew
John Franco .... script supervisor
Doane Harrison .... production associate
Edward Small .... presenter
 
Crew verified as complete


Production CompaniesDistributors
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Additional Details

Runtime:
116 min | Australia:111 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Marlene Dietrich was so certain she would be nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as Christine Vole that she recorded a new introduction to her Las Vegas show mentioning her nomination. She was not nominated, and was crushed. more
Goofs:
Continuity: Early in the courtroom scenes witnesses are seated in the hallway outside the courtroom door on a bench. This has a backdrop painted to look like a longer hallway. At the end of the trial when the courtroom is emptied the hallway is shown as being narrower with no bench. more
Quotes:
[Miss Plimsoll discovers cigars hidden in Sir Wilfrid's cane]
Sir Wilfrid: You could be jailed for that. You had no search warrant for my cane!
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
I May Never Go Home Anymore more

FAQ

A Note Regarding Spoilers
Is "Witness for the Prosecution" based on a novel?
How does the movie end after the verdict is announced?
more
62 out of 78 people found the following comment useful.
Superb and unjustly maligned film, 31 July 2004
Author: jasonhurd from San Francisco, California

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.

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more (136 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Overrated, not aged well? sdb_1970
Best Billy Wilder movie? christof-kanitz
Brilliant casting except for... Cali7
'Let them get me for...' Bringbacktheglam
The monocle (spoiler) tim_ryan12
Showing on channel 4 JK21
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