1957 | Approved | 1h 56m | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Blame it on Perry Mason. No, not the character nor the actor who played him, but on the TV series of the same name. Episodes were broadcast ad nauseam while I was growing up. It somewhat spoiled the entire legal drama/thriller genre for me, for years to come.
More recently, watching a couple of exceptional legal dramas managed to jar me out of my jadedness concerning the genre, including 1957’s “12 Angry Men” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” from 1963. These films were so well-developed and finely tuned that they single-handedly changed my entire outlook.
Right around that same golden era, another legal masterpiece with considerable gravitas was produced as well. Directed by Billy Wilder, “Witness for the Prosecution” is Agatha Christie’s runaway success of a play by the same name. If that isn’t enough, it also features an ensemble cast that is more than adequate to bring the play to the silver screen….