DramaMysteryCrime

Witness for the Prosecution

- The most electrifying entertainment of our time!

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

Release Date : 1957-12-17

Language :GermanEnglish

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Edward Small Productions

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Leonard Vole

Original Name : Tyrone Power

Gender : Male

Character Name : Christine

Original Name : Marlene Dietrich

Gender : Female

Character Name : Sir Wilfrid

Original Name : Charles Laughton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Plimsoll

Original Name : Elsa Lanchester

Gender : Female

Character Name : Brogan-Moore

Original Name : John Williams

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mayhew

Original Name : Henry Daniell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Carter

Original Name : Ian Wolfe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mr. Myers

Original Name : Torin Thatcher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Mrs. French

Original Name : Norma Varden

Gender : Female

Character Name : Janet

Original Name : Una O'Connor

Gender : Female

Character Name : Judge

Original Name : Francis Compton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Inspector Hearne

Original Name : Philip Tonge

Gender : Male

Character Name : Diana

Original Name : Ruta Lee

Gender : Female

Character Name : Court Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Patrick Aherne

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bar Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Ames

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bar Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Walter Bacon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Eddie Baker

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Benjie Bancroft

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : John Barton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juror (uncredited)

Original Name : Brandon Beach

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juror (uncredited)

Original Name : George Blagoi

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Arline Bletcher

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Danny Borzage

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Tex Brodus

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : George Bruggeman

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : George Calliga

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barrister (uncredited)

Original Name : Steve Carruthers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Albert Cavens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Oliver Cross

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juror (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Denny

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Helen Dickson

Gender : Female

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Minta Durfee

Gender : Female

Character Name : Miss O'Brien (uncredited)

Original Name : Marjorie Eaton

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barrister (uncredited)

Original Name : Franklyn Farnum

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Bess Flowers

Gender : Female

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Herschel Graham

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Marion Gray

Gender : Female

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Stuart Hall

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Art Howard

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cafe Patron (uncredited)

Original Name : Michael Jeffers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juror (uncredited)

Original Name : Colin Kenny

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Paul Kruger

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeanne Lafayette

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Wilbur Mack

Gender : Male

Character Name : Court Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank McLure

Gender : Male

Character Name : Miss Johnson (uncredited)

Original Name : Ottola Nesmith

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barrister (uncredited)

Original Name : William H. O'Brien

Gender : Male

Character Name : Shorts Salesman (uncredited)

Original Name : J. Pat O'Malley

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bit Part (uncredited)

Original Name : George Pelling

Gender : Male

Character Name : Juror (uncredited)

Original Name : Fred Rapport

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doctor (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Raine

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Waclaw Rekwart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Hat Store Sales Clerk (uncredited)

Original Name : Leoda Richards

Gender : Female

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : John Roy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Edna Smith

Gender : Female

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Scott Seaton

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Cap Somers

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Bert Stevens

Gender : Male

Character Name : Clerk at Old Bailey (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeffrey Sayre

Gender : Male

Character Name : Spotlight Operator in German Cafe (uncredited)

Original Name : Norbert Schiller

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Arthur Tovey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barrister Reading Charges (uncredited)

Original Name : Ben Wright

Gender : Male

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Glen Walters

Gender : Female

Character Name : Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)

Original Name : Joe Gilbert

Gender : Male

Reviews

Andres Gomez

@tanty

2021-06-23

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

Shreyance Parakh

@shiri4frnz

2021-06-23

**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!

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

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

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

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 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!