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Witness For the Prosecution | 
 enlarge | Director: Billy Wilder
Actors: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, John Williams (ii)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $4.46
You Save: $10.52 (70%)
New (34) Used (17) Collectible (2) from $4.46
Rating:  83 reviews
Sales Rank: 2248
Format: Anamorphic, Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), French (Original Language), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Dubbed)
Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.5
MPN: D1002744D
ISBN: 0792851668
UPC: 027616869425
EAN: 9780792851660
ASIN: B00005PJ6Z
Theatrical Release Date: 1957
Release Date: December 11, 2001
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: BRAND NEW, Factory Sealed items direct from the Studios. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. Quick International Airmail!
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Amazon.com essential video
Billy Wilder cowrote and directed this brilliant 1957 mystery based on Agatha Christie's celebrated play about an aging London barrister (Charles Laughton) who's preparing to retire when he takes the defense in the most vexing murder case of his distinguished career. In his final completed film (he died of a heart attack less than a year later), Tyrone Power plays the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy widow, and Marlene Dietrich plays the wife of the accused, whose testimony--and true identity--holds the key to solving the case. A classic of courtroom suspense, Witness for the Prosecution is one of those movies with enough double-crossing twists to keep the viewer guessing right up to the very end, when yet another surprise is deftly revealed. This being a Billy Wilder film, the dialogue is first-rate and the acting superb, with both Laughton and his offscreen wife Elsa Lanchester (playing the barrister's pesty nurse) winning Academy Awards for their performances. Although later films would concoct even more complicated courtroom scenarios, this remains one of the best films of its kind and a model for all those films that followed its lead. --Jeff Shannon
Description
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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| Customer Reviews: Read 78 more reviews...
Make that 83 people who love it July 8, 2008
J. C Clark (Overland Park, KS United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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.
WITNESS FOR THE 'PROSECUTION' June 21, 2008
Loves To Read (Twin Cities, MN USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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. [...].
Mesmerizing! April 19, 2008
Debra Delaney (Arkansas, USA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
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!
Witness for the Prosecution January 28, 2008
Gail E. Vann (Australia)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
An outstanding film January 5, 2008
New York Reviewer (New York)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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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