{"id":20111,"date":"2011-10-18T13:12:15","date_gmt":"2011-10-18T20:12:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20111"},"modified":"2021-01-25T12:32:47","modified_gmt":"2021-01-25T19:32:47","slug":"witness-for-the-prosecution-1957","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20111","title":{"rendered":"Witness for the Prosecution (1957)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Wilfrid the Fox! That&#8217;s what they call him, and that&#8217;s what he is!&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Poster-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-20112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Poster-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Poster.jpg 333w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAn ailing barrister (Charles Laughton) receiving full-time care from a nurse (Elsa Lanchester) reluctantly agrees to defend a man (Tyrone Power) accused of murdering a wealthy dowager (Norma Varden).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Billy Wilder Films<\/li>\n<li>Charles Laughton Films<\/li>\n<li>Courtroom Dramas<\/li>\n<li>Elsa Lanchester Films<\/li>\n<li>Lawyers<\/li>\n<li>Marlene Dietrich Films<\/li>\n<li>Murder Mystery<\/li>\n<li>Play Adaptation<\/li>\n<li>Tyrone Power Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary boldly asserts &#8212; and I think I may agree &#8212; that &#8220;there is no courtroom drama more enjoyable than this adaptation of <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Witness_for_the_Prosecution_%28play%29\">Agatha Christie&#8217;s play<\/a>,&#8221; directed as a &#8220;high comedy&#8221; by Billy Wilder (who co-wrote the script with Harry Kurnitz). He notes that &#8220;like all Christie stories, this [one] has innumerable twists and a surprise ending&#8221;, and argues that &#8220;the most fun comes from trying to figure out if the obvious overacting by the defendant and witnesses is being done by the actors or by the characters they&#8217;re portraying&#8221;. He specifically highlights Laughton&#8217;s central turn as &#8220;an aged London barrister with a heart condition&#8221;, noting that he &#8220;is just marvelous, making a difficult role &#8212; one which most actors (and you&#8217;d expect, Laughton) would have hammed up &#8212; seem easy&#8221;, and pointing out that &#8220;his comical scenes with wife Elsa Lanchester, who plays his doting nurse, are gems&#8221;. In addition to Laughton&#8217;s noteworthy performance, this &#8220;well cast&#8221; film features a host of fine supporting performances &#8212; including that given by Dietrich, who, &#8220;in her last strong movie role, seems comfortable working again with Wilder&#8221; (she starred in his <em>A Foreign Affair<\/em> back in 1948). Tyrone Power, meanwhile &#8212; in his final role before dying of a heart attack at the age of just 44 &#8212; is appropriately &#8220;foppish&#8221; in the critical role of Leonard Vole. <\/p>\n<p>Naturally, the less said about the plot of this gripping whodunit, the better. If you haven&#8217;t seen it in a while (and have thus forgotten all the many plot twists), you&#8217;re in for a treat; enjoy!<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Charles Laughton as Sir Wilfrid: &#8220;I&#8217;m constantly surprised that women&#8217;s hats don&#8217;t provoke more murders&#8221;<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Laughton.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Laughton.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"288\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20147\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Laughton.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Laughton-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Laughton-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Marlene Dietrich as Christine Helm Vole<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Dietrich.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Dietrich.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"288\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20146\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Dietrich.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Dietrich-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Dietrich-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Tyrone Power as Leonard Vole<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Power.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Power.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"288\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20148\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Power.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Power-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Power-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Norma Varden as Mrs. French<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Varden.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Varden.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"288\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20149\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Varden.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Varden-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Varden-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Elsa Lanchester as Nurse Plimsoll<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Lanchester.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Lanchester.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"288\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Lanchester.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Lanchester-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-Lanchester-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Una O&#8217;Connor as Janet<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-OConnor.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-OConnor.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"480\" height=\"288\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-20151\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-OConnor.png 480w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-OConnor-128x76.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/Witness-for-the-Prosecution-OConnor-300x180.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A wonderfully suspenseful and tightly crafted script\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a top-notch murder mystery and courtroom drama.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0051201\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.mrqe.com\/movie_reviews\/witness-for-the-prosecution-m100030100\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s942pros.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.digitallyobsessed.com\/displaylegacy.php?ID=1889\">Digitally Obsessed Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/21268\/witness-for-the-prosecution#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles (spoiler alerts)<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/aU2pe7yO6ug\">Tired Old Queen at the Movies Video Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Wilfrid the Fox! That&#8217;s what they call him, and that&#8217;s what he is!&#8221; Synopsis: An ailing barrister (Charles Laughton) receiving full-time care from a nurse (Elsa Lanchester) reluctantly agrees to defend a man (Tyrone Power) accused of murdering a wealthy dowager (Norma Varden). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Billy Wilder Films Charles Laughton Films Courtroom Dramas Elsa Lanchester Films Lawyers Marlene Dietrich Films Murder Mystery Play Adaptation Tyrone Power Films Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary boldly asserts &#8212; and I&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=20111\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20111"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20111\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65911,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20111\/revisions\/65911"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}