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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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Louise C

Watching this film quite recently reminded me of how slowly a story was told in by-gone times. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this one for a second time, after more than forty years.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/20/25

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jacob c

A gripping story, terrific performances, and superb twists combine to make Witness for the Prosecution a classic courtroom thriller, and an arguably perfect film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

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Melvin L

I'm 33 minutes in and I think he did it

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

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Will G

A great courtroom drama. There were a few twists. Sir Wilfred was hilarious. It was British, so the lawyers wore these wigs. It was directed by Billy Wilder. Also this used to be an Agatha Christie play.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

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Christian K

Carried all the way by the Laughton performance. The story is a fairly tight courtroom drama with enough classic twists and turns in its final act to wrap it all up very nicely.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/25

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Russ G

Sir Charles rallies from an alcoholic stupor to deliver a fine performance at a time when his career was in decline. It's another "Hitchcockian" film not directed by Sir Alfred though it's commonly believed that he did. Miss Dietrich and Tyrone Power are good as the scheming couple. Director Billy Wilder is better known for films like "Some Like It Hot" but of his films that could be compared to this one, Stalag 17 comes to mind.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/11/25

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

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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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