Witness for the Prosecution

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Witness for the Prosecution

Released Dec 21, 1957

1h 54m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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100%

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41 Reviews

95%

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5,000+ Ratings

The affable Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power) is being tried for the murder of a wealthy woman, and legendary lawyer Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) has chosen to represent him. Unfortunately, Leonard's alibi depends on the testimony of his callous wife, Christine (Marlene Dietrich) -- who, after the discovery of a legal loophole, makes the shocking decision to appear in court against him. To Sir Wilfrid's surprise, this is only the first in a series of puzzling revelations and reversals.

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Critics Consensus

Witness for the Prosecution combines a fascinating character study with a brilliantly unpredictable plot to produce a practically flawless Agatha Christie adaptation.

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Clayton Dillard

Slant Magazine

The film is an alchemic triumph of effortless story execution, pinpoint humor, and acting masterclass.

Feb 13, 2024

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

[A] witty and gripping adaptation of her [Agatha Christie's] twist-heavy courtroom stage drama.

Aug 25, 2022

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Noel Murray

The Dissolve

Witness For The Prosecution has the pace and patience of live theater, but not the look. Wilder doesn't get overly flashy with camera moves and angles, but he does shift positioning subtly and effectively.

Rated: 4.5/5

Jul 22, 2014

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

Laughton cantankerously carries every scene...

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 25, 2024

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Diana Tuova

Spotlight on Film

Witness for the Prosecution is a film worthy of all its accolades.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 4, 2024

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Along with 1945’s And Then There Were None, this is the greatest of all the Agatha Christie adaptations that have been brought to the screen.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 10, 2024

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Alain E

Watchable and a opportunity to see the great Dietrich and Charles Laughton. I was never a big fan of Agatha Christie preferring Raymond Chandler when discussing crime. If you like this more polished presentation it is a movie that you will enjoy. An interesting piece of gossip is that Laughton and Tyrone Power had a more personal relationship than the one depicted here. Again, we have an unrealistic instant stabbing death. Unless hitting the heart itself, a single stabbing wound does not result in instant death.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/20/24

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Artin S

Legendary at times. Some styles are primitive, only natural for the time.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/05/24

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Alec C

In court, everyone has something that contradicts what's true and what isn't! As an aging lawyer takes on a client accused of a murder, he starts to suspect that there are much deeper secrets that both the defendant and the the defendants wife are hiding. A twisted thriller that only Agatha Christie can come up with, this legal mystery has us on the edge of our toes!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/21/24

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Grant H

A delight from the opening credits to the closing. Charles Laughton at the height of his skills and supported by a stellar cast. It's a shame they don't make them like this anymore.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/06/24

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Tim M

Keeping the crisp dialogue and plot machinations from Agatha Christie's seminal play, Billy Wilder's Witness for the Prosecution remains a tentpole courtroom drama.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/04/24

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Tom R

Dated, yes, at times hammy, certainly. But awesome performances from both Laughton and Dietrich. Very enjoyable overall.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/10/23

Full Review

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Billy Wilder

Director

Tyrone Power

Leonard Stephen Vole

Marlene Dietrich

Christine Helm Vole

Charles Laughton

Sir Wilfrid Robarts

Elsa Lanchester

Miss Plimsoll

John Williams

Mr. Brogan-Moore

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Synopsis

The affable Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power) is being tried for the murder of a wealthy woman, and legendary lawyer Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) has chosen to represent him. Unfortunately, Leonard's alibi depends on the testimony of his callous wife, Christine (Marlene Dietrich) -- who, after the discovery of a legal loophole, makes the shocking decision to appear in court against him. To Sir Wilfrid's surprise, this is only the first in a series of puzzling revelations and reversals.

Director: Billy Wilder
Producer: Arthur Hornblow Jr.
Screenwriter: Agatha Christie, Lawrence B. Marcus, Billy Wilder, Harry Kurnitz
Distributor: United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: United Artists
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1957, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, 1.66:1

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