Witness for the Prosecution

BBC2 2.35PM - 4.30PM ★★★★

MYSTERY THRILLER

Based on an Agatha Christie play, this courtroom drama, directed by Billy Wilder, is notable for Tyrone Power’s star turn and its showcasing of Charles Laughton as the crusty Old Bailey lawyer who defends Power on a murder charge. Laughton’s reallife wife, Elsa Lanchester, adds a comic touch as his nurse, while Marlene Dietrich makes one of the most effective of her latter-day appearances. Dir: Billy Wilder 1957, U SEX VIOLENCE LANGUAGE