Witness for the Prosecution
The audience was begged to keep the secret.
Ailing barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts is thrust back into the courtroom in what becomes one of the most unusual and eventful murder cases of the lawyer's career when he finds himself defending Leonard Vole, a man being tried for the murder of a wealthy woman. With Robarts choosing to represent him, the two find themselves up against Leonard's cold-hearted wife, Christine - who, in a surprising turn of events, chooses to appear in court against her husband.
Where to watch Witness for the Prosecution (US)
Please don't tell the ending
Billy Wilder turned an Agatha Christie play into a courtroom thriller, with Charles Laughton as the barrister and Marlene Dietrich as the wife. Laughton's real-life wife Elsa Lanchester plays his nurse. Tyrone Power was in his last completed film. Audiences were asked not to reveal the ending, and they mostly kept the secret.
Laughton owns every scene
The twist is the point, so we won't say a word about it. What you can know is that Laughton is a delight, Dietrich is cool as ice, and the courtroom scenes crackle. It's the kind of film that sends you straight back to rewatch the beginning.
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Cast and crew
Director: Billy Wilder
Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton
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