that malefic Senator from South Carolina. Here the severity of his lawyer by vocation takes your senses away with his masterful judicial way to see logic and it's such an incredible fun to watch him do it. Tyrone Power is a toy in his hands but not Marlene Dietrich who stands her ground, not merely as a character but as a presence on the screen. Billy Wilder visits early Hitchcock territory with wit and fun. Elsa Lanchester's nurse is the cherry on top of this delightful film.

for true movie lovers. Take it from me!

in Orson Welles' TOUCH OF EVIL, or they might tumble to the twist finale before they're supposed to! :- In fact, if I recall correctly, when WftP was shown on Turner Classic Movies, Robert Osborne mentioned in his intro that Welles helped Dietrich out with her WftP "Cockney informant" makeup as a favor! La Dietrich looks fabulous and keeps you fascinated even when she's coming across as the ultimate bitch; it's a shame she wasn't nominated for an Oscar along with co-stars Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester. Tyrone Power's usual slightly wooden delivery actually serves him well as the defendant; somehow it adds to defendant Leonard Vole's air of feckless innocence. Henry Daniell, John Williams, Ian Wolfe, Torin Thatcher, and particularly Norma Varden as the ill-fated Emily French provide able support, too, with Una O'Connor stealing her scenes as Mrs. French's loyal but "antagnistic" Scottish housekeeper. A young, brunette Ruta Lee provides a memorable moment or two. As sickly but sly barrister Wilfrid Robarts and his chipper but no-nonsense nurse, Miss Plimsoll, real-life husband and wife Laughton and Lanchester shine in the most engaging performances of their careers. The comic sparring chemistry between Sir Wilfrid Robarts and Miss Plimsoll, and the warmth and understanding that's grown between them by movie's end, had my husband Vinnie opining that if another movie was made featuring these characters, Miss Plimsoll would probably end up as Mrs. Robarts before it was over -- what a delightful series that could have been! Hey, at the very least, I'd have paid good money to see Billy Wilder direct Laughton, Lanchester, and Dietrich in a sequel in which Sir Wilfrid prepares for the trial of Christine Vole, a.k.a. Christine Helm! :-

how to entertain: Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich. Laughton, who plays Power's defense attorney, grabs the spotlight in the story but Dietrich almost steals the movie in her role as Power's wife. Laughton's dialog is terrific throughout, bringing a number of laughs to this serious film. He's just a joy to watch. Dietrich is even more riveting but just doesn't have anywhere near the same amount of screen time as Laughton.Not to be overlooked is Elsa Lanchester, playing Laughton's nurse. She, too, demonstrates her comedic talent and significantly adds to the fun of watching this film.If you like some fine drama, storyline twists, a little humor thrown in and great acting and dialog, this is a classic film to check out.

her entrance - and what an entrance! How marvelous that what amounts to a bit of Agatha Christie's usual fare becomes such an entertaining and at times right down riveting piece of film-making.

from a heart attack and against medical advice plunges into the case. Laughton also has to deal with the efforts of his assigned nurse Elsa Lanchester to keep him following doctor's advice.The original play this was taken from concentrated completely on the Power character and the machinations of his wife. Wilder built up the character of the nurse and barrister Sir Wilfred Robards so that they almost equaled the screen time of Mr. and Mrs. Vole. So much so that Charles Laughton was nominated for an Academy Award in 1957, but lost to Alec Guinness. Marlene Dietrich plays Mrs. Vole. She's a war bride over from Germany and she's got her own agenda going. Her performance and what her character does is the key to the whole film. Dietrich probably would have gotten an Oscar nomination herself, but due to the fact that if her performance was hyped up for Academy consideration, the element of surprise would have been lost in the film. Wilder in fact apologized to Marlene for that.The Anglo-Saxon legal system's goal is justice. Justice is served though not quite in the way it usually is in Witness for the Prosecution.

plays anguish about as smoothly as ripped sandpaper...and anguish is the unfortunate emotion he's got to play for most of the picture. Power has been accused of murdering a wealthy older woman. His wife Marlene Dietrich seems to be doing all she can to sell him out, appearing as...drum roll, please, drummer man...the star witness for the prosecution. Laughton is the brilliant and ailing English barrister defending Power. The plot twists 'n' turns a dozen ways from Sunday, just as it always does in Christie's best work.Amongst all the talk of bloody murder, there are running gags about cigars and alcohol. More dark wit---Laughton's character's poor health might cause him to drop dead at any moment. Wilder weaved thrills and smiles as well as any director. In this, he was wise to anchor the supporting cast with mainstays of the stiff upper lip. John Williams and Ian Wolfe Hirsch from "WKRP" , not to mention Laughton's control-freak assistant Elsa Lanchester who was also CL's real-life wife , are bloody good.Movies of this type have been ripped off so often that students of the "don't give away the ending" class are bound to figure it out. I did. That hardly mattered because there were STILL more surprises to come. Through all that plot, Dietrich winds up being the most fascinating character. Project back and you'll realize how well her performance works. But she & Power are merely the star attractions in 'Witness For The Prosecution'. The main dish is Charles Laughton. Considering how ironic and cynical our society has become, it's stunning that brilliant old pros like Wilder and Laughton aren't more popular today. After this movie, they've become personal heroes of mine.

both making sense and topping the one before it. In a time when people are impressed by films such as 'The Sixth Sense', Billy Wilder still shows us how to skilfully attribute a twist into a film's plot. The plot itself follows the story of Sir Wilfrid Robarts; an ace defence lawyer that has been told that his health won't allow him to tackle anything more than mundane cases, but is brought back into the fray when a case involving the murder of an elderly woman comes into his hands. Wilfrid must now juggle the case and his health as he attempts to keep the young man from being sent down.Like all Wilder films, this one is a very pleasurable viewing. Wilder manages to find a middle ground between substance and entertainment, and so this is a film that will please fans of both aspects. The film is deliriously entertaining throughout, with some truly great lines of dialogue most of which is very quotable and every twist adds a new level to the story. The substance comes from a multitude of angles, and themes of love, health, sacrifice and most notably, justice, are all more than prevalent. The acting is certainly of note in Witness for the Prosecution. Charles Laughton is absolutely sublime as the undermining and stubborn Wilfrid Robarts; his performance is very strong, and makes up the backbone of the film. The main supporting performance comes from Marlene Dietrich. I'm not a big fan of hers; despite having a great pair of legs, she just doesn't do anything for me, but in this film she brings sufficient coldness to her character and really makes it her own. The final main performance comes from Tyrone Power; he isn't as great as the other two, but does enough with his character to ensure he's believable. Highly recommended viewing!

she could map of shifting our expectations of who is providing truthful elements of what we see, or think we see. In this case, it is folded into a play within the play in the form of acting for the benefit of a jury. The twists are in the liar, the intent and the guilt.Funny thing about Wilder. He made competent movies of all types, including the two folded masterpieces: this and "Sunset Blvd." But he doesn't seem to have captured a lot of subsequent filmmakers in his wake, while Christie has, By the hundreds.Ted's Evaluation -- 3 of 3: Worth watching.