Witness for the Prosecution

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

**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 **A…

John Chard

2019-10-01

⭐ 9

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…

CinemaSerf

2022-11-03

⭐ 8

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 anno…

Martin Oaks

2025-06-04

⭐ 10

**Billy Wilder’s Fascinating Scrutiny** This may well be the most definitive masterpiece directed by the genius Billy Wilder, which is already saying volumes. Without a shadow of a doubt, Witness for the Prosecution stands as the finest cinematic adaptation of an Agatha Christie play. It is a courtroom drama that keeps audiences on the edge of their seats from the opening frame to its unexpected climax. Based on the ingenious play of the same name by the Queen of Crime, the feature film not only captures the essence of the original mystery but elevates it to unimaginable heights, thanks to …

**Witness for the Prosecution (1957)** _Directed by Billy Wilder_ Billy Wilder's adaptation of Agatha Christie's courtroom drama is superbly crafted entertainment, a masterclass in pacing, performance, and the art of building suspense around a trial. Charles Laughton is phenomenal as Sir Wilfrid Robarts, the barrister defending Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power) against murder charges. The casting is perfect; Laughton was the ideal comic actor for the dry British wit, delivering every line with impeccable timing and cantankerous charm. Wilder apparently added the nurse (played brilliantly by…