Witness to Murder (1954)

A woman's sanity comes into question, after she claims to have witnessed a murder from her apartment window.

Director:

Roy Rowland

Writer:

Chester Erskine (original screenplay)

Stars:

Barbara Stanwyck, George Sanders, Gary Merrill

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Cheryl Draper
George Sanders	...	Albert Richter
Gary Merrill	...	Lawrence Mathews
Jesse White	...	Eddie Vincent
Harry Shannon	...	Captain Donnelly
Claire Carleton	...	May - Mental Patient
Lewis Martin	...	Psychiatrist
Dick Elliott	...	Apartment Manager
Harry Tyler	...	Charlie
Juanita Moore	...	Negress - Mental Patient
Joy Hallward	...	Fellow Worker
Adeline De Walt Reynolds	...	The Old Lady - Mental Patient (as Adeline de Walt Reynolds)

Storyline

Cheryl Draper (Barbara Stanwyck) sees a murder through her bedroom window, but no one will believe her. She is stalked by the suave killer ('George Sanders'), who first takes steps to convince police she is crazy, but she has ally in a sympathetic policeman (Gary Merrill).

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Plot Keywords:

murder | psychiatric patient | apartment | mind game | author | 

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Taglines:

ALL THE WAY DOWN, SHE KEPT SCREAMING ... "He Pushed Me ... He Pushed Me ... He Pushed Me ..."

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Film-Noir | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English German

Release Date:

15 April 1954 (USA)

Also Known As:

Testigo del crimen

Filming Locations:

Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Chester Erskine Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.75 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

About 1:10 into the film, Cheryl drives by the brightly lit facade of the Four Star Theatre on Wilshire Blvd., where Marlon Brando in Julius Caesar was enjoying its exclusive Los Angeles premiere engagement.

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Goofs

When Richter is reading the newspapers at his desk, the drapes are open because Cheryl sees him from her apartment. After Cheryl leaves his apartment with him leaning up against the desk, the drapes are closed behind him.

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Quotes

The Old Lady - Mental Patient: Show Mr. Peabody into the library please.

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Connections

References Julius Caesar (1953)

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Soundtracks

Nowhere Blues
Music by Herschel Burke Gilbert
Lyrics by Sylvia Fine

User Reviews

Tomorrow the World

This is the kind of cat and mouse thriller that we will never make again. It is a movie that went through a process. Someone had an idea, wrote the story, set the atmosphere, and produced a white knuckled mystery. Boy, do I miss film noir.

Barbara Stanwyck plays an intelligent professional woman who sees a woman murdered in the apartment across from her. She calls the police who come to the conclusion she was dreaming. Gary Merrill plays the weary, but sympathetic, detective who investigates. They question the suspect - George Sanders - but he eventually convinces them that she is unbalanced. She becomes more and more desperate for someone to believe her all the while she is being set up. She and Gary Merrill begin to fall in love. He wants to believe her, but George has spun an insidious web. Eventually she finds herself under suspicion and is sent to the cuckoo's nest for observation. There is bizarre confrontation between Barbara and George where he actually admits the murder and proclaims himself the savior of the 4th Reich! You'll have to take it from there.

Barbara Stanwyck was a little past her prime, but she still put out the passion and energy that made her famous. George Sanders really looked tired, but displayed that old world charm that makes little old ladies melt. Gary Merrill is such a likable guy, you tend to forget that he can't act.

There was not one car chase, not one explosion, and no one fired a pistol, never mind a Mach 10. Boy I miss these movies.