Witness for the Prosecution

Rating

Director

Billy Wilder

Screenplay

Billy Wilder, Harry Kurnitz, Larry Marcus (Play: Agatha Christie)

Length

1h 56m

Starring

Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, John Williams, Henry Daniell, Ian Wolfe, Torin Thatcher, Nora Varden, Una O’Connor

MPAA Rating

Approved

Review

There have been several adaptations of Agatha Christie’s works, but only a small number of them have been cinematic masterpieces. Witness for the Prosecution is one of those few.

The starry cast features Tyrone Power as Leonard Vole, a man arrested for the murder of a childless woman who named him as a sole beneficiary in her will. Ailing advocate Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton) takes the case to defend him. Marlene Dietrich plays Vole’s wife Christine who provides his alibi, but ultimately testifies for the prosecution instead of the defense. Laughton’s wife, Elsa Lanchester, plays the part of Miss Plimsoll, Sir Robarts’ private nurse.

Christie’s play of the same name forms the foundation of the mystery, which director Billy Wilder co-wrote with Billy Marcus and Harry Kurnitz. They masterfully take the core elements of the play, which itself had been rewritten from the more bleak ending of the short story on which it’s based, and throws in the Miss Plimsoll character so that Laughton and Lanchester could appear together. Their prickly interactions add flavor to the film even if it wasn’t entirely necessary.

Throughout her long career as a writer, Christie wrote dozens of short stories and novels, a handful of romance novels under a pseudonym, and even dabbled in playwriting. She mostly adapted her own stories to radio and the stage, but even tried her hand at original works for the theater. Witness for the Prosecution is based on her short story “Traitor’s Hands,” which was published in a pulp magazine before being combined with other works in a compilation. The play’s ending involves one of the characters getting away with murder, but that was thought to be too dark and was rewritten prior to its stage debut. That was perfectly fine for Wilder and company because under the production code, such a result wasn’t acceptable. Still, Wilder plays within the confines of the code while also tweaking the end further.

Wilder was working at the top of his craft when this film released and it showcased his ability to manipulate the audience in his thriller with twists and turns that kept them guessing. He was helped by the stirring performances of Laughton and Dietrich who play the audience with deft hands. Power has charm and it’s clear why the character fits his personality, but it isn’t on the same level as the others. Una O’Connor was the only actor to reprise their stage-originated role as the deceased’s maid.

Witness for the Prosecution is one of the best adaptations of Christie’s work with only Murder on the Orient Express (1974) giving it a run for its money.

Review Written

August 8, 2023