Runtime: 83 minutes
Directed by: Roy Rowland
Starring: Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, Gary Merrill, Jesse White, Harry Shannon
From: United Artists
My first movie for Noirvember, but not the last that’ll be observed during November. The film was a DVR recording from a TCM airing way back this past March; what captured my attention was the two leads: Barbara Stanwyck & George Sanders. The scenario will also remind you of an all-time classic-Witness had the misfortune of releasing only a few months beforehand.
Babs witnessed Sanders strangling a woman in his apartment through the window of her apartment during the opening credits-Murder wasted nary a second in starting the plot. He hides the evidence so the police don’t believe her story, events happen, law enforcement believe she’s a “hysterical woman” (thankfully, that plot device wasn’t as insulting as you might presume), he manipulates the scenario to get away with murder, etc. She befriends police Lieutenant Gary Merrill, a predominantly TV actor best known for All About Eve. Note that Sanders portrayed an unsuccessful author… and an ex-Nazi!
This detail can’t be avoided any longer: Witness to Murder is no Rear Window. That is not a massive slight as it can be argued by many-me included-that Window is one of the best of all time. Aside from a lengthy sequence that perhaps should have been truncated, the movie was a pretty good time. Stanwyck, Sanders & Merrill all perform quite well in their parts. The finale is rather bold & unforgettable.
However, it was the cinematography from John Alton which was the standout. A veteran of films like Raw Deal, T-Men and The Big Combo, naturally the movie looked great-not just the interplay between light & shadow-the images always setting the mood. Witness to Murder is worthy of a shot for genre fans.
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