Witness for the Prosecution
“The most electrifying entertainment of our time!”
Synopsis
An ailing barrister is thrust back into the courtroom in what becomes one of the most unusual and eventful murder cases of the lawyer's career when he finds himself defending a man being tried for the murder of a socialite.
Trailers, Teasers & Extra Featurettes
Official promotional previews, behind-the-scenes footage, and exclusive clips.
WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (Masters of Cinema) New & Exclusive TrailerOfficial
Type: Trailer • Published 2018-07-05
Top Cast
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Tyrone Power
Leonard Vole
Marlene Dietrich
Christine
Charles Laughton
Sir Wilfrid
Elsa Lanchester
Miss Plimsoll
John Williams
Brogan-Moore
Henry Daniell
Mayhew
Ian Wolfe
Carter
Torin Thatcher
Mr. Myers
Norma Varden
Mrs. French
Una O'Connor
Janet
Francis Compton
Judge
Philip Tonge
Inspector Hearne
Ruta Lee
Diana
Patrick Aherne
Court Officer (uncredited)
Walter Bacon
Bar Patron (uncredited)
Eddie Baker
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Benjie Bancroft
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
John Barton
Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
Release History & Theatrical Window
December 17, 1957
Wide Cinema Exhibition
May 18, 2004
Physical Home Media
Financials & Box Office Performance
Production Budget
$3M
Filming & production cost
Worldwide Gross
$9M
Total global ticket sales
Box Office Return
3x
+$6M net gain
Theatrical Status
Mega Hit
Box office tier
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Screenplay & Story
- Harry Kurnitz, Billy Wilder
- Original Score
- Matty Malneck
- Original Title
- Witness for the Prosecution
- Country of Origin
- United States of America
- Spoken Languages
- German, English
- Runtime
- 1h 56m
- Production Budget
- $3M
- Worldwide Gross
- $9M
- Production Studios
- Edward Small Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Billy Wilder
Harry Kurnitz, Billy Wilder, Lawrence B. Marcus, Agatha Christie
Matty Malneck
Russell Harlan
Daniel Mandell
Arthur Hornblow Jr., Edward Small
Department Leadership Roster
Harry Kurnitz
Screenplay
Billy Wilder
Screenplay
Billy Wilder
Director
Alexandre Trauner
Production Design
Daniel Mandell
Editor
Arthur Hornblow Jr.
Producer
Joe King
Costume Design
Edith Head
Costume Design
Russell Harlan
Director of Photography
Adele Parmenter
Costume Design
Matty Malneck
Original Music Composer
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
NR: Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.
Tous publics — Universal audience.
Universal — Suitable for all audiences.
Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Witness for the Prosecution.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Witness for the Prosecution.
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films
Letterboxd's Top 500 Films. Ranks narrative feature films by average member rating (minimum 25,000 ratings). Excludes documentaries, shorts, and TV series. Letterboxd 官方 Top 500 电影榜单： 根据用户平均评分排名的剧情长片（最低2.5万评价门槛）。已排除纪录片、短片及剧集。 *(Updated via Automated ETL Pipeline: 2026-10-19 07:35:07 UTC+8)*
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Frequently Asked Questions About Witness for the Prosecution
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Witness for the Prosecution about?
An ailing barrister is thrust back into the courtroom in what becomes one of the most unusual and eventful murder cases of the lawyer's career when he finds himself defending a man being tried for the murder of a socialite.
Who directed Witness for the Prosecution?
Witness for the Prosecution was directed by Billy Wilder.
Who stars in Witness for the Prosecution?
The principal cast of Witness for the Prosecution includes Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, John Williams.
When was Witness for the Prosecution released and how long is it?
Witness for the Prosecution was released in 1957 with a total runtime of 1h 56m.
What was the box office and production budget of Witness for the Prosecution?
Witness for the Prosecution had a reported production budget of $3M and grossed $9M at the worldwide box office (3 return on budget, classified as a blockbuster success).
Who composed the musical score for Witness for the Prosecution?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Witness for the Prosecution was composed by Matty Malneck.
Is Witness for the Prosecution based on a book or true story?
Witness for the Prosecution is adapted from the following source material: Novel: "Agatha Christie".
What is the age rating and content advisory for Witness for the Prosecution?
Witness for the Prosecution holds official age classifications: CA: 14A; DE: 12 (FSK 12 — Restricted to viewers aged 12 and older.); FR: U (Tous publics — Universal audience.); GB: U (Universal — Suitable for all audiences.); US: NR (Not Rated — Evaluated outside standard classification boards.).