Most critics warmly endorse Witness for the Prosecution, with praise clustering around Charles Laughton’s commanding, funny performance as barrister Sir Wilfrid. The reviews find Billy Wilder’s handling of Agatha Christie’s play sharp and assured, particularly in its dialogue, characterisation and courtroom storytelling. The barbed exchanges between Sir Wilfrid and Miss Plimsoll are a particular pleasure. Marlene Dietrich also earns strong notices, while the supporting performances help keep the legal proceedings lively.
Reservations centre on plot mechanics and the weight of the theatrical origins. Radio Times finds the intricate plotting slightly leaky without losing its enthusiasm. Time Out is the clear dissenter: it finds the drama heavy and argues that the plotting undermines Dietrich and Laughton’s credibility, while praising Tyrone Power and Alexander Trauner’s recreation of the Old Bailey. The spread therefore runs from wholehearted enjoyment to a mixed response, rather than outright rejection.