Witness for the Prosecution
A veteran British barrister must defend his client in a murder trial that has surprise after surprise.
Directed by Billy Wilder · Crime · Drama · Mystery · 116 min · 1958
Trailer
Director
Billy Wilder
Studio
Edward Small Productions
Release
06 Feb 1958
Runtime
116 min
Genres
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Full Plot
Ailing barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts is thrust back into the courtroom in what becomes one of the most unusual and eventful murder case of the lawyer's career when he finds himself defending Leonard Vole, a man being tried for the murder of a wealthy woman. With Robarts choosing to represent him, the two find themselves up against Leonard's cold-hearted wife, Christine - who, in a surprising turn of events, chooses to appear in court against her husband.
Cast & Characters
Leonard Vole, the accused
Tyrone Power
Christine Vole/Helm, the accused's wife
Marlene Dietrich
Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C., senior counsel for Leonard
Charles Laughton
Miss Plimsoll, Sir Wilfrid's private nurse
Elsa Lanchester
Janet McKenzie, Mrs. French's deaf housekeeper and a prosecution witness
Una O'Connor
Mr. Brogan-Moore, Sir Wilfrid's junior counsel in the trial
John Williams
Mr. Mayhew, Leonard's solicitor who instructs Sir Wilfrid on the case
Henry Daniell
Mr. Myers Q.C., the Crown prosecutor
Torin Thatcher
Chief Inspector Hearne, the arresting officer
Philip Tonge
H. A. Carter, Sir Wilfrid's chief clerk and office manager
Ian Wolfe
Mr. Justice Wainwright, the judge
Francis Compton
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $3.0M, Witness for the Prosecution has grossed $9.0M worldwide — about 3.0x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Billy Wilder has directed 5 films in our catalog, including Some Like It Hot, The Apartment.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Witness for the Prosecution
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Producers bought rights to the play for $450,000.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The defence barrister was emphasized in the play adaptation.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Witness for the Prosecution holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (160,177 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 76/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 3, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (160,177 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 76/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Witness for the Prosecution's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Witness for the Prosecution holds a 100% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Witness for the Prosecution's IMDb rating?+
Witness for the Prosecution has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 160,177 votes.
What is Witness for the Prosecution's Metacritic score?+
Witness for the Prosecution has a Metascore of 76/100 on Metacritic.
Is Witness for the Prosecution good? What are critics saying?+
Witness for the Prosecution holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (160,177 votes), 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 76/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Witness for the Prosecution?+
Witness for the Prosecution has a runtime of 116 min.
Who directed Witness for the Prosecution?+
Witness for the Prosecution was directed by Billy Wilder.
Where can I watch Witness for the Prosecution?+
Witness for the Prosecution is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, MGM Plus Amazon Channel, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "Witness for the Prosecution" is largely positive. The majority of reviews praise the movie's classic interpretations, characters, pacing, and performances, with some critics expressing surprise at its entertainment value and Charles Laughton's charisma. Reviewers also highlight the film as a masterclass in suspense building around a trial.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Great thriller with superb classical interpretations. The plot moves sometimes too lazily.
Andres Gomez · 8/10**Why don't they make THESE movies anymore?** Apart from being a **GREAT** courtroom drama_(which some people don't think this movie is)_, this movie is so much **FUN** and **ENTERTAINING** to watch.Especially because of the characters of _Charles Laughton_ and _Elsa Lanchester_.…
Shreyance Parakh · 10/10I'm constantly surprised that women's hats don't provoke more murders. Leonard Steven Vole finds himself on trial for the murder of a wealthy widow from whom he has inherited a fortune. Top barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts takes up the defendants case, but he, along with everyone el…
John Chard · 9/10I might be asking for trouble here, but did Charles Laughton ever actually make a bad film? He leads this one as the brilliant but curmudgeonly barrister "Sir Wildred Robarts" with oodles of charisma and style. Marlene Dietrich portrays the evil, manipulative "Christine Vole" mar…
CinemaSerf · 8/10**Witness for the Prosecution (1957)** _Directed by Billy Wilder_ Billy Wilder's adaptation of Agatha Christie's courtroom drama is superbly crafted entertainment, a masterclass in pacing, performance, and the art of building suspense around a trial. Charles Laughton is phenomena…
badelf · 8/10
From the trailer's comments
This movie and Nightmare Alley cement the excellent reputation of Tyrone Power, that Man was a powerful Actor.
@tss77 · 8 likesExcellent new trailer
@philipw7682 · 8 likesWow! 🎉 What a great movie for a rainy Sunday afternoon!!! 🌧 🍿
@bjklein444 · 0 likesGreat film.
@BadGuyRants · 0 likesIts 1:36 in the morning and I just finished it, it was very good.
@RealClassics277 · 0 likesplease release sunset boulevard!!
@inesmartins4880 · 2 likes
