Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Agatha Christie (play)
Larry Marcus (adaptation)
(more)

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
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)

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

Production Companies

• Edward Small Productions (as Theme Pictures) (uncredited)

Distributors

• United Artists (1957) (USA) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1962) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• United Artists Films (1958) (Finland) (theatrical)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) ((1971) (1972) (2001) (2008)) (Finland) (TV)

Runtime:

116 min | Australia:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German

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:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Edward Small Productions

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.

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.

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!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Evening Shade: Witness for the Prosecution (#4.4)" (1993)

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.