#61 Witness For The Prosecution

In Summary

With the combined forces of an Agatha Christie novel and legendary comedy director Billy Wilder, there was little chance Witness For The Prosecution would be a bad film.

Following the court proceedings of a man, Leonard Vole, accused of the murder of a rich widow, the master barrister, Sir Wilfrid Robarts, takes one last case before a health-enforced retirement in order to get Vole off the charges.

How does Sir Wilfrid know Vole is innocent? Through his masterful technique of reflecting light off his monocle into the eye of his adversary.

Convinced of his innocence, the rest of the film follows Sir Wilfrid's attempts to prove it to a court of law, all while sidestepping the attentions of his overbearing nurse and partaking in the pleasures of drinking and smoking that the doctors have forbidden for him.

The plot is thickened when Vole's wife, Christine - a German migrant, played by Marlene Dietrich - chooses to act as a witness for the prosecution, seemingly leaving Sir Wilfrid's case in tatters. However, 'Wilfrid the Fox' has one or two more tricks up his sleeve to eventually leave the prosecution's case in tatters.

A film packed with bombastic confrontations and breakneck plot twists, Witness For The Prosecution, brings all of the fun of a great Agatha Christie play to the screen with great flair and immense charm.

A Memorable Quote

I am constantly surprised that women's hats do not provoke more murders.

Things You May Not Know

• At the time of the film's release, Agatha Christie stated that it was the only film adaptation of her work that she liked. She went on to state that she also approved of the 1974 adaptation of Murder On The Orient Express.
• The final ten pages of the script were kept from the cast until the final days of shooting.
• It cost around $90,000 just to film one scene that included Marlene Dietrich's famous legs.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
Witness For The Prosecution is an incredibly fun and charming film that steers into its inherent ludicrousness with great joy. With several over-the-top characters and plot points, the film also somehow avoids becoming completely zany or twee, striking the right tone between comedy and the mystery behind the murder.

Witness For The Prosecution is a film you'll be glad that you've watched.