Not A Classic, But Not Bad

A Fool For A Client

Hostile Witness (1969) – A wealthy barrister is a murder suspect when his neighbor is killed. Did the neighbor kill the lawyer’s daughter? Is it all a set-up? Will the barrister’s ego end up destroying him?

Directed by Ray Milland

Starring Ray Milland, Sylvia Syms, Felix Aylmer

Why I Liked It – A better than average courtroom thriller.

Have you ever wondered what difference a great director makes? Compare this movie to Billy Wilder’s classic “Witness for the Prosecution”. Both are intricate English courtroom thrillers with twists at the end. But “Witness for the Prosecution” stands a full head above this one. Milland had a series of television and movie directorial credits to his name, but he was best described as capable. His work here is solid, but the movie never grabs you the way Wilder’s did. That’s a grossly unfair comparison, because Wilder is one of the greatest directors of all times. Plus, Milland doesn’t have anywhere near the star power in his cast. There’s no Dietrich, Lancaster, or Laughton to give scenes wings. Comparisons of the two movies sprang to mind within the first few minutes of watching it. And this movie simply cannot compete.

That aside, this is a solid, better-than-average thriller. Based on a modestly successful play, it feels a little “stage constricted” to me. Milland never uses the “space” that a film screen offers for storytelling. He plays Simon Crawford, Q.C., whose beloved daughter is killed by a hit-and-run driver. Overwhelmed by grief, Crawford swears to find the man who killed her and kill him himself. Rumors spread that the guilty party may be his neighbor and friend. The police arrest Crawford when someone murders his friend in what might be a staged burglary. In trying to be clever with his defense, he nearly gets convicted. Milland is fine as the ego driven barrister, as are the members of the supporting cast. (Quick note to Dr. Who fans: Richard Hurndall, who played the First Doctor in “The Five Doctors” after the death of William Hartnell, plays Police Superintendent Eley). The story has a nice array of mistakes, and secrets which carry the move past most of its flaws. “Hostile Witness” offers a more “Hollywood ending” than Wilder’s classic, but that doesn’t rob the movie of its charm.

You can watch “Hostile Witness” on MGM+, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Sling, Roku, and Philo.

Rating – **** Recommended

I could not find a trailer for this movie.