Witness for the Prosecution
Witness for the Prosecution involves a complex Agatha Christie intrigue, snappy dialogues, refined verbal dues, a surprise ending, the gorgeous Marlene Dietrich and top-notch acting antics of Charles Laughton, assuring this court drama does not miss a single beat, keeping audiences breathlessly captivated from first to last frame. The opening situation seems fairly trite: Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power) is accused of murdering an elderly older woman to gain her inheritance. His devoted wife provides the alibi, but that where the predictable ends. Sir Wilfrid (Laughton) is Vole’s attorney, a stubborn aging gentleman with a razor-sharp tongue and unbending will. Wilder interweaves courtroom and genre scenes keeping viewers fresh and interested, unburdened of constantly following meanders of court proceedings.
awards
Złote Globy / Golden Globes 1958 – najlepsza aktorka drugoplanowa / best supporting actress
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder, one of the most important directors in the history cinema, noted writer and producer, was born in 1906, in the town of Sucha in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (present-day Sucha Beskidzka in Poland). After studying law, he opted for a career in journalism. Moving to Berlin, he became an assistant screenwriter. Hitler’s rise to power convinced Wilder to emigrate, first to France and then the United States. Moving behind the camera, he went on to work with the brightest actors of Hollywood’s Golden Age, winning six Oscars and top awards at Cannes and Venice. Wilder passed away in 2002.
Filmography
1934 Złe nasienie / Mauvaise graine / Bad Seed
1942 Major i mała / The Major and the Minor
1943 Pięć grobów na drodze do Kairu / Five Graves to Cairo
1944 Podwójne ubezpieczenie / Double Indemnity
1945 Młyny śmierci / Death Mills (dok., kr. m. / doc., short)
1945 Stracony weekend / The Lost Weekend
1948 Cesarski walc / The Emperor Waltz
1948 Sprawy zagraniczne / A Foreign Affair
1950 Bulwar Zachodzącego Słońca / Sunset Blvd.
1951 As w potrzasku / Ace in the Hole
1953 Stalag 17
1954 Sabrina
1955 Słomiany wdowiec / The Seven Year Itch
1957 W duchu St. Louis / The Spirit of St. Louis
1957 Miłość po południu / Love in the Afternoon
1957 Świadek oskarżenia / Witness for the Prosecution
1959 Pół żartem, pół serio / Some Like It Hot
1960 Garsoniera / The Apartment
1961 Raz, dwa, trzy / One, Two, Three
1963 Słodka Irma / Irma la Douce
1964 Pocałuj mnie, głuptasie / Kiss Me, Stupid
1966 Szczęście Harry’ego / The Fortune Cookie
1970 Prywatne życie Sherlocka Holmesa / The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
1972 Avanti!
1974 Strona tytułowa / The Front Page
1978 Fedora
1981 Najlepszy kumpel / Buddy Buddy