CLASSIC FILM YOU’VE NEVER SEEN: WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION

Billy Wilder’s 1957 courtroom masterpiece will leave you guessing

Based on the stage play of the same name by Agatha Christie, and often mistaken for a Hitchcock film on account of its taut suspense and twists, Witness for the Prosecution is actually director Billy Wilder’s 1957 courtroom masterpiece. The film examines a seedy man (played by Tyrone Power) accused of murder and his not-what-she-appears wife (played by Marlene Dietrich) who will stop at nothing to save him from prosecution.

These two film veterans were in top form and delivered truly powerhouse performances. Although a matinee idol in the 30s and 40s, by the late 50s, Power had grown tired of being typecast as the hero in period drams. Witness allowed him to play against type as the cad. Unfortunately, it would be his last completed film before his untimely death due to a heart attack in 1958 at the young age of 44.

Dietrich commands the screen in every scene she’s in and has never looked lovelier. By this time in her career, she became more selective in her movie roles, preferring live shows over film. But, nevertheless, as Power’s conniving wife, she delivers a roller coaster performance that will keep you guessing about her allegiance.

They are joined by Charles Laughton, who plays Sir Wilfrid Robarts, a senior barrister, just recovering from a heart attack, but reluctantly takes on the case. A curmudgeon throughout the film, Laughton takes on the weight of the world trying to save Power from the gallows.

Wilder, already a Hollywood powerhouse at the time, had previously directed such enduring classics such as Sunset Boulevard, Stalag 17 and Sabrina, before turning his attention to this slow build thriller.

Although considered a genuine legal nail-biter, what makes Witness thoroughly entertaining and relatable is the humor sprinkled throughout, thanks to a stellar supporting cast, including Laughton’s real-life wife who plays his doting nurse.

If you’re a fan of Jagged Edge, A Few Good Men or Primal Fear, give Witness for the Prosecution a try. You won’t be disappointed.

Watch the trailer.