Witness for the prosecution

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Movie
German title Witness for the prosecution
Original title The Talk of the Town
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1942
length 119 minutes
Rod
Director George Stevens
script Sidney Buchman ,
Sidney Harmon ,
Dale Van Every ,
Irwin Shaw
production George Stevens for Columbia Pictures
music Friedrich Hollaender
camera Ted Tetzlaff
cut Otto Meyer
occupation

Witness for the Prosecution (Original Title: The Talk of the Town ) is an American comedy drama starring Cary Grant , Jean Arthur and Ronald Colman from 1942. Directed by George Stevens .

action

A wool factory burns down in a small New England town, and foreman Bracken goes missing the next day. Owner Andrew Holmes, who knows the press and the judge behind him, accuses the city-known activist Leopold Dilg of arson and murder. Faced with the death penalty, Dilg managed to escape from prison. He hides in an initially empty holiday apartment that belongs to the teacher Nora Shelly. Nora is in the process of preparing the apartment for the next tenant: Michael Lightcap, a well-known criminal law professor from Harvard, would like to finish a book on legal philosophy there in peace.

Dilg, who injured his ankle while escaping, desperately asks Nora to help him. Skeptical at first, but in the end Nora agrees, especially since Leopold credibly assures her that she is innocent. Nora, Leopold and Sam Yates, a lawyer and old fellow Lightcap student who believes in Leopold's innocence, try to get Lightcap to get involved in the case. But the professor prefers to deal with legal theory rather than a real criminal case. Leopold, who initially appeared to Lightcap as the gardener Joseph, wins the professor's sympathy despite occasional differences of opinion about the American legal system. You have a lot of discussions about the nature of law. While Lightcap is of the opinion that legal texts should always be obeyed word for word, Leopold puts the influence of personal conscience and convictions at the center of business.

When Lightcap discovers the true identity of the alleged gardener, he wants to hand him over to the police in compliance with the law, if only in order not to endanger his own career - he has been offered the prospect of being elected to the Supreme Court . Leopold has to hide again. Lightcap is now developing interest in the case. He approaches Regina, the wife of the allegedly dead worker Bracken, where she reveals to him that Bracken is still alive and hiding in Chicago. Nora, Leopold and Lightcap can grab Bracken there and bring him back to the small town, where Bracken escapes them. Leopold is arrested again and brought to justice. To create facts, Andrew Holmes incites the small town, a mob forms in front of the courthouse and wants to lynch Dilg. But Michael manages to find the fugitive bracken in time and bring him to justice; Lightcap can calm the angry mob with a speech about the importance of a functioning constitutional state.

Bracken now witnesses the prosecution and confesses that the fire was started on behalf of Holmes - the damaged building was to be renovated with the sum insured and at the same time the annoying worker Dilg was to be removed as a scapegoat. Leopold is acquitted, Holmes and the corrupt judge are arrested, and Michael Lightcap is elected to the Supreme Court as announced.

Michael and Leopold had each proposed marriage to Nora in the course of events, without the young woman really being able to decide. Michael makes the decision for her and renounces a marriage to Nora in favor of the new dignity. She leaves the court with Leopold.

background

Since Alice Adams in 1935, George Stevens had risen to become one of the most important directors of the time. His prestige was so great in 1941 that he was able to negotiate a contract with Columbia Pictures that guaranteed him complete artistic freedom and the right to finalize the film. Along with Irene Dunne, Stevens was one of the very few people in Hollywood who got along well with the choleric studio boss Harry Cohn . After Frank Capra's departure, Cohn tried to secure continued prestige and recognition for his studio. The first film under the conditions was Penny Serenade , which showed Irene Dunne and Cary Grant as married couples who have to endure the loss of their only child. The production was nominated for an Oscar for Best Film of the Year .

It took Stevens a while to find the right material for the second production. Again he resorted to Cary Grant. He gave the lead female role to the studio's greatest female star, Jean Arthur . The notoriously shy actress developed something like trust in Stevens and the two were to work together again in The More the Merrier immediately afterwards . Stevens once called Arthur the greatest comedian he'd ever met. Arthur and Grant had already starred together in Only Angels Have Wings in 1939, directed by Howard Hawks . For Ronald Colman , the film was the long-awaited comeback. After several flops, the career of the 51-year-old, who had achieved fame in the silent film days at the side of Vilma Bánky, fell to the ground. At first he refused to take the part because he hated Cohn profoundly since filming Lost Horizon . It was also not easy for Colman to be announced only in third place next to the other stars. The quality of the script and Stevens' assurance that under no circumstances would he have direct contact with Cohn finally won him over. The success led Colman to the leading male role alongside Greer Garson and top billing in Years Found from the same year, which grossed even more money and was also nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture.

One problem with the shooting was the rivalry between Cary Grant and Ronald Colman. Nobody allowed the other to do more scenes and most of all, each of them wanted to get the girl in the end. Stevens solved the situation elegantly by shooting two alternate final scenes and leaving it up to the test audience to choose the man for Nora.

For a long time, the studio could not decide on a title for the film. So were Three's a Crowd , Mr. Twilight , Justice Winks an Eye and The Gentleman Misbehaves talking. The Talk of the Town was one of the great financial successes of the year and received a total of six Oscar nominations.

Reviews

Bosley Crowther read warm words for the actors in the New York Times :

“Cary Grant plays Leopold Dilg with a casualness that is a bit annoying, but Ronald Colman, the bearded professor, is one hundred percent a Harvard lawyer (that is, cultivated). [Jean] Arthur is charming as always in her uncertainty and Edgar Buchanan, Glenda Farrell and Rex Ingram convince as supporting characters. Witnessing the prosecution will make a lot of people laugh and feel good about themselves. The film may be wrong in its statement, but its comedy doesn't seem strained. "

The film service writes: "Intelligent and amusing comedy with witty dialogues and brilliant cast, which convincingly advocates the humane application of legal provisions."

Awards

The film was nominated in seven categories at the Academy Awards in 1943 , but received nothing:

  • Best movie
  • Best original story
  • Best adapted script
  • Best camera black and white
  • Best black and white production design
  • Best cut
  • Best film score

Web links

swell

  • Clive Hirschhorn: The Columbia Story. Hamlyn, London 2001, ISBN 0-600-59836-5 .
  • Marilyn Ann Moss: Giant. George Stevens, a Life on Film. University of Wisconsin Press, Madison, WI et al. 2004, ISBN 0-299-20430-8 .
  • John Oller: Jean Arthur. The Actress Nobody Knew. Limelight, New York NY 1997, ISBN 0-87910-278-0 .

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Review in the New York Times , English text: Mr. Cary Grant plays Leopold Dilg with a casualness which is slightly disturbing, but Ronald Colman as the bearded professor is 100 per cent Harvard Law. (Cultured, that is.) Miss Arthur is charming, as usual, in her bewilderment, and Edgar Buchanan, Glenda Farrell and Rex Ingram are rich in lesser character roles. The Talk of the Town is going to make a lot of people laugh and feel good. It may be off beam in its philosophy, but its quality of humor is not strained.
  2. ^ Witness for the prosecution. Retrieved April 20, 2019 .