Witness For The Prosecution

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Jul 1, 2024, 7:14:53 AM7/1/24

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Witness for the Prosecution is a 1957 American legal mystery thriller film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, and Elsa Lanchester. The film, which has elements of bleak black comedy and film noir, is a courtroom drama set in the Old Bailey in London and is based on the 1953 play of the same name by Agatha Christie. The first film adaptation of Christie's story, Witness for the Prosecution was adapted for the screen by Larry Marcus, Harry Kurnitz, and Wilder. The film was acclaimed by critics and received six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. It also received five Golden Globes nominations including a win for Elsa Lanchester as Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Additionally, the film was selected as the sixth-best courtroom drama ever by the American Film Institute for their AFI's 10 Top 10 list.[2]

Senior barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts, who is recovering from a heart attack, agrees to defend Leonard Vole despite the objections of Robarts' private nurse Miss Plimsoll, as Sir Wilfrid's doctor has warned him against taking any criminal cases. Vole is accused of murdering Emily French, a wealthy, childless widow who had become enamored of him and had named him as the main beneficiary in her will. Strong circumstantial evidence points to Vole as the killer, but Sir Wilfrid believes Vole to be innocent.

witness for the prosecution

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When Sir Wilfrid speaks with Vole's German wife Christine, he finds her rather cold and self-possessed, but she does provide an alibi, although it is not entirely convincing. He is greatly surprised when, during the trial, she is summoned as a witness by the prosecuting barrister.

While a wife cannot be compelled to testify against her husband, Christine was still married to Otto Helm, a German man now living in East Germany in the Russian Zone, when she wed Vole (who was in the Royal Air Force and part of the occupation forces in Germany and had married her to help her escape Germany). She testifies that Vole privately confessed to her that he had killed Mrs. French, and her conscience forced her to finally tell the truth.

During the trial in the Old Bailey, Sir Wilfrid is contacted by a mysterious woman who, for a fee, provides him with letters written by Christine to a mysterious lover named Max. The handwriting is genuine, and the woman has a legitimate reason for providing the letters: her face has been scarred and slashed, supposedly by Max. The letters include an account of Max and Christine's plan to kill Leonard, which convinces the jury that Christine had deliberately perjured herself. Leonard is acquitted, much to the crowd's delight.

However, Sir Wilfrid is troubled by the verdict. He is proved correct when Christine, brought into the courtroom for safety after being assailed by the departing crowd for her conduct, tells him that he had help winning the case. Sir Wilfrid had told Christine before the trial that any alibi contributed by a loving wife would not be believed by the jury, so she played a hateful, double-crossing wife and proffered testimony implicating her husband and then forged the letters to the non-existent Max and assumed a disguise to play the mysterious woman who contributed the letters, discrediting her own testimony and leading to the acquittal. She admits that she saved Leonard, although she knew that he was guilty, because she loves him. She accepts that she may be tried for perjury.

Leonard, who has overheard Christine's admission, cheerfully confirms that he indeed killed Mrs. French. Sir Wilfrid is infuriated but helpless to stop Leonard because of double jeopardy laws (since overturned in the United Kingdom) that would prevent a retrial. Christine is shocked to discover that Leonard has been having an affair with a younger woman for whom he plans to abandon Christine, feeling he and Christine are now even because they have saved each other's lives.

Producers Arthur Hornblow and Edward Small bought the rights to the play for $450,000. The play was adjusted to emphasize the character of the defense barrister.[3] Billy Wilder was signed to direct in April 1956.[4] According to Wilder, when the producers approached Marlene Dietrich about the part, she accepted on the condition that Wilder direct. Wilder said that Dietrich liked "to play a murderess" but was "a little bit embarrassed when playing the love scenes."[5]

Vivien Leigh was considered for the role of Christine Vole.[6] Laughton based his performance on Florance Guedella, his own lawyer, an Englishman who was known for twirling his monocle while cross-examining witnesses.[3]

The management of this theater suggests that, for the greater entertainment of your friends who have not yet seen the picture, you will not divulge to anyone the secret of the ending of Witness for the Prosecution.[9]

The effort to keep the ending a secret extended to the cast. Billy Wilder did not allow the actors to view the final ten pages of the script until it was time to shoot those scenes. The secrecy reportedly cost Marlene Dietrich an Academy Award, as United Artists did not want to call attention to the fact that Dietrich was practically unrecognizable as the Cockney woman who hands over the incriminating letters to the defense.[11]

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "... [T]here's never a dull or worthless moment. It's all parry and punch from the word 'Go!', which is plainly announced when the accused man is brought to Mr. Laughton at the beginning of the film. And the air in the courtroom fairly crackles with emotional electricity, until that staggering surprise in the last reel. Then the whole drama explodes. It's the staging of the scenes that is important in this rapidly moving film ... It's the balancing of well-marked characters, the shifts of mood, the changes of pace and the interesting bursts of histrionics that the various actors display."[4]

Agatha Christie "herself considered it the finest film derived from one of her stories."[12][13] It currently holds a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 40 reviews with an average rating of 8.7/10.[14] In TV Guide's review of the film, it received four and a half stars out of five, the writer saying that "Witness for the Prosecution is a witty, terse adaptation of the Agatha Christie hit play brought to the screen with ingenuity and vitality by Billy Wilder."[15]

The criminal justice system could not work without your help as a witness. Information provided by victims and witnesses aids in the identification and arrest of suspects. Your testimony is important for successful prosecution. Please keep the Victim-Witness Coordinator advised of your current mailing address and telephone contact numbers.

Before the trial, you will have a chance to discuss the case and your testimony with the Deputy Prosecutor handling the trial. You may also be contacted by the defense attorney or an investigator working for the defense attorney. The defense attorney and the defense investigator have the right to contact and interview witnesses. You have the right to request that a Deputy Prosecutor and/or a victim advocate attend the defense interview. Please contact the Victim-Witness Coordinator or the Deputy Prosecutor handling the case if you have questions.

A trial may last several days. The Victim-Witness Coordinator will keep you advised of the expected day and time of your testimony. If you are testifying in Superior Court, please check-in at the Prosecuting Attorney's Office when you arrive at the Courthouse. You may have to wait for your time to testify. The Prosecuting Attorney has a waiting area available for you.

When it is time for your testimony, you will be escorted to the Court where you will sign in at the Clerk's office and enter the Courtroom. The Deputy Prosecutor will call your name as the next witness and you will be asked to step forward, take an oath, and be seated at the witness stand.

Cross-examination is conducted by the defense attorney. Answer the questions asked as accurately and courteously as possible. Remember, the purpose of cross-examination by the defense attorney is to test your perception, recollection, and credibility. Don't let yourself get upset with the defense attorney who is asking the questions! Becoming upset or acting discourteously can lead to your testimony being considered less believable.

The criminal justice system is far from perfect. It works best however when witnesses on both sides of the case are willing and prepared to testify honestly to the facts surrounding the incident. Thank you for assisting our service to the criminal justice system!

The Douglas County Prosecuting Attorney's Office understands the trauma and confusion of being a victim or witness to a crime. Please call the office at 745-8535, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm if you have any questions regarding your expected testimony.

I was a witness in a criminal trial for the defense. I went and spoke to law enforcement to advise them of what happened just prior to the alleged crime At the trial the defense attorney asked for a separation of witnesses. I was subpoenaed in the courtroom, forced to leave, and then never called as a witness. The prosecution and defense attorney left out what I told them. Other witnesses for the prosecution supported what I said and they were called and told not to appear. The only defense offered was the burden of proof. Also, the evidence offered was closed in a paper sack and never opened in court. The DNA expert testified what was in the bag was what her analyst ran a DNA trace on, but she testified she did not see the contents at the lab and she could not see through the closed bag

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