Witness for the Prosecution (1957) – An aging English barrister in ill health (Charles Laughton) is hired to defend an American (Tyrone Power) accused of killing an elderly friend. His wife (Marlena Dietrich) initially provides her husband with an alibi but her story becomes gradually more
complicated as she is called as a witness for the prosecution. The lawyer has to find his way through the maze surrounding the case while protecting his health and fending off his bossy nurse (Elsa Lanchester).
Why I Like It: This has got all the right buttons pushed for me. Great cast, Billy Wilder directing and a story by Agatha Christie. Wilder did the screenplay adaptation and gives his usual polished treatment. The story moves, the dialogue crackles and just when you think you’ve figured it out, something new darts onto stage. Wilder wraps it up in a great twist ending.
Why You Will Like It: In addition to the above you won’t want to miss the great performances especially Laughton and Dietrich. Each one carefully works all the angles they have as they try to find the outcome they want. Dietrich is icy and remote, Laughton is a force of nature. Also worth watching is the interplay between Laughton and Lanchester. They were husband and wife in real life (and would do more than a dozen movies together) and they have perfected their verbal fencing techniques. Both are outstanding actors of great skill and they are clearly having fun here. Laughton’s character tormenting his nurse on his stair lift is a pure delight.
What you get here is a great combination of comedy and tense court room drama. The movie picked up six Oscar nominations.
Rated – released before the modern rating system, suitable for most audiences.
Rating – ***** Highest Recommendation
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