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Witness for the Prosecution



Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Director: Billy Wilder
Writers: Agatha Christie, Billy Wilder(screen play)
Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery


A aging British lawyer must come out of revetment to defend a client accused of murder. The case, has twist, after twist, after twist.

I love that photo...Charles Laughton is one of the most charismatic actors ever to grace the silver screen. If he wasn't cast in this movie, it wouldn't have worked so well....and Marlene Dietrich is spot on as a stony, cold woman. I always enjoy her performances, she's unique and adds a lot to the movie.



IMO this movie is about two things, riveting and rich performances and brilliant writing by Billy Wilder. I love how Billy Wider lightens an otherwise heavy story with some comic elements. The over zealous nurse, (played by Laughtons' real life wife, Elsa Lanchester...and the cigar bit, all add interesting dimensions to the story.



I know a lot of people don't care about film history, I do. This was Tyrone Power's last film, he died of a heart attack less than a year latter during a dueling scene for his next movie. Tyrone was not usually taken seriously by critics as they felt he was nothing more than a handsome, leading man. But this movie proves Tyrone was indeed an excellent actor. Tyrone said of all the pictures he made he was only proud of three of them, Witness for the Prosecution was the film that he was most proud of. It's rather sad to think how in only a very short time after this film he would be gone.

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