Laemmle Theatres and the Anniversary Classics Series present a 65th anniversary screening of Billy Wilder’s courtroom classic, Witness for the Prosecution, based on Agatha Christie’s popular stage play, featuring the Mistress of Mystery’s celebrated surprise ending. At the time of its release, the studio took the unprecedented step of cautioning viewers not to reveal the surprise twists of the movie’s finale. The screening is Tuesday, October 18 at the Royal at 7 pm.
The movie, adapted by Wilder, Harry Kurnitz, and Larry Marcus, was an enormous box office success in 1957 and 1958 and went on to earn six top Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor Charles Laughton, and Best Supporting Actress Elsa Lanchester (who was married to Laughton in real life). Tyrone Power, in his last completed film, and the legendary Marlene Dietrich round out the star-studded lead cast.
Laughton plays a barrister in London’s Old Bailey, who is recovering from a heart attack and advised to avoid any strenuous cases. But when he learns of a tantalizing murder trial about to begin, he cannot resist the opportunity. Power plays a former airman accused of murdering a wealthy older woman who had made him the beneficiary of her will. Dietrich plays Power’s wife, who supposedly can provide an airtight alibi for the night of the murder. But Laughton soon discovers more complexities in the case, and the challenges excite his interest.
The courtroom scenes are the heart of the movie, but Wilder’s skill keeps the film from ever seeming static. What’s more, he works wonders with the imposing cast. Writing in the Times of London, Kevin Maher said, “Marlene Dietrich was never better than she is here.” New York Times critic Bosley Crowther declared, “The air in the courtroom fairly crackles with emotional electricity, until that staggering surprise in the last reel.” Leonard Maltin hailed Witness for the Prosecution as a “fantastically effective London courtroom suspenser… Dietrich is peerless as the wife of the alleged killer, Laughton at his best as defense attorney, and Lanchester delightful as his long-suffering nurse.” Agatha Christie herself considered it the finest film derived from one of her stories.
The lone surviving cast member, Ruta Lee, joins us for a Q&A. Her role is a brief but crucial one that contributes to the impact of the shattering conclusion. Lee will share memories of the four stars and of Wilder. She will also reminisce about other highlights of her long career. In the 1950s she sang and danced in several musical films, including ‘Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,’ ‘Anything Goes,’ and ‘Funny Face.’ Her other films of that era include ‘Marjorie Morningstar’ and the popular Rat Pack vehicle ‘Sergeants 3.’ She also appeared in many of the most popular TV series of the time, including ‘Perry Mason,’ ‘Maverick,’ ‘Twilight Zone,’ ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents,’ and ‘The Fugitive.’ She was also a regular on game shows ‘Hollywood Squares,’ ‘High Rollers,’ and ‘Match Game.’ Later she performed on stage and in nightclubs, in the TV version of ‘Sweet Bird of Youth’ with Elizabeth Taylor, the hit series ‘Roseanne,’ and the movie ‘Funny Bones’ with Jerry Lewis. Expect juicy reminiscences of her lengthy career and her many costars.