Witness For the Prosecution | Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich

Witness For the Prosecution | Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich | Mesmerizing!

DVDs:

Witness For the Pr...

	Witness For the Prosecution Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich MGM (Video & DVD), 2001 average customer review:based on 83 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton star in this brilliantly made courtroom drama (The Film Daily) that left audiences reeling from its surprise twists and shocking climax. Directed by Billy Wilder, scripted by Wilder and Harry Kurnitz and based on Agatha Christie's hit London play, this splendid, six-time Oscar-nominated* classic crackles with emotional electricity (The New York Times) and continues to keep movie lovers riveted until the final, mesmerizing frame. When a wealthy widow is found murdered, her married suitor, Leonard Vole (Power), is accused of the crime. Vole's only hope for acquittal is the testimony of his wife (Dietrich) but his airtightalibi shatters when she reveals some shocking secrets of her own! *1957: Best Picture, Actor (Laughton), Supporting Actress (Elsa Lanchester), Director, Sound, Film Editing

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Make that 83 people who love it

Though Thomas Wolfe advised against it, sometime heading home is a good thing. And what creates home more than those films you saw during your formative years? My first Marx Brothers, my first time with Bogart, my first gigantic plot twist all clank around in my brain even now. Sometimes, as with The Ipcress File, a return visit is massively disappointing. Sometimes though, a trip back is more exciting than imagined. Such a trip is Witness for the Prosecution, a film I loved when I first saw it, probably on TV way back when, and a film that looks even better today, especially in this lovely print.

How could anyone dislike this film? While others here praise Power and Dietrich, I find their performances somewhat stilted and artificial. The plot conclusion muddies those waters, but they do not carry this tale. I'm happy to be in the minority, as they cannot sink this battleship. While Billy Wilder makes a wonderful captain, steering and choosing and selecting with a deftness not often seen, it is Charles Laughton, in what is certainly one of the finest performances on screen, who elevates this tale from the mere plot-driven supriseroo (like Ten Little Indians) to the realm of classics. He is extraordinary, moving from condescending, arrogant, sneering, scowling, and cranky, to overwhelmed with his own ignorance and staggered by how badly he is mistaken. Breathtaking in the smallest mannerisms and slightest vocal inflections. Elsa Lanchester, who often played the dithering wacko, is the perfect blend of subservience and skill. The supporting cast is all excellent. Familiar faces from a hundred films walk in, do a great job, and depart. But watching the aging Laughton, a man who no one could have seen as a box office draw, triumph, is a treat. A fine film with a fine transfer to display its greatness.

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Mesmerizing!

DVD - MGM Entertainment - perfect print and audio. Thanks MGM! What a wonderful film! It's good, very good. Charles Laughton is a joy to watch and paired with Elsa Lanchester (his real-life wife) as his nurse is fun, fun, fun! Marlene Dietrich is in fine form. In fact, there's a darn good chance she'll take your breath away! This film is especially fun to watch for the very first time - from tip to tail, not missing a heartbeat. It's quite a ride!

An outstanding film

To put it concisely, this is an outstanding film, with first rate performances from the three leads, and the supporting cast. Not sure if there is a direct connection, but Charles Laughton's character seems to have been the inspiration for the outstanding Rumpole of the Bailey series.

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Witness for the Prosecution

This is one of the best movies ever made it keeps you glued to your chair and so many red herrings are thrown in to keep you guessing. The acting by the whole cast is superb and I never tire of watching it and always see soemthing new in it.

WITNESS FOR THE 'PROSECUTION'

I'm not going to spoil the plot since this Agatha Christie-based movie directed by Billy Wilder takes so many twists and turns, especially at the end. The AWARDS speak for themselves as to the quality of this film. Charles Laughton portrays the huge hunk of a man, barrister Sir Wilfrid, who, as the film opens, is returning home from an extended stay in the hospital for a near fatal heart attack. He is accompanied by his eccentric nurse whose sole job is to keep him away from everything he craves-cigars, brandy, women and high stress criminal cases. Of course, he immediately becomes intrigued with the case of Leonard Vole (Power) who is accused of killing a wealthy widow. His curiosity gets the best of him when he meets Christine Helm/Vole (Dietrich), Leonard's wife and only alibi, and so he decides to take Leonard's case. The rest of this fast-paced film concentrates on the courtroom drama with it famous surprises and great acting and is spiced with some very funny scenes and lines. Definitely one of the all time great courtroom films-put this at the top of the list. [...].

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