Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Andres Gomez November 26, 2012

★ 8/10

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

Shreyance Parakh May 4, 2017

★ 10/10

**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 …

John Chard October 1, 2019

★ 9/10

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 the…

CinemaSerf November 3, 2022

★ 8/10

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 …

badelf April 18, 2026

★ 8/10

**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 Elsa Lanchester, Laughton's real-life wife) as a comic foil for Laughton. That choice worked beautifully for comic relief, lightening the tension without undermining the drama. Their bickering adds humanity and humor to what could have been a relentlessly grim story. Christie's drama-building ta…