It takes a special kind of filmmaker to take a courtroom drama and turn it into a dark comedy while still retaining an effectual mystery that can still surprise audiences more than sixty years later. Billy Wilder, acclaimed director or Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard was more than capable of it, co-writing the script from an Agatha Christie story. Upon release it was advertised heavily with the tagline “You’ll talk about it! - but please don’t tell the ending!” A similar announcement plays over the end credits admonishing audiences to not divulge to anyone the secret of the ending. The strategy worked and the film made more than four times its budget back. It did this by not only having a first rate mystery but also a wicked sense of humor throughout.
The film opens with senior barrister Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton), returning home after some time in hospital recovering from a heart attack. He is an excitable person who gets easily worked up during exciting criminal cases which has led to his doctor forbidding him from taking on any more criminal cases. Despite this, and over the objections of his private nurse, Miss Plimsoll (Elsa Lanchester), he agrees to defend Leonard Vole (Tyrone Power). Vole has been accused of murdering Emily French (Norma Varden), a childless widow who became enamored with him and named him as the primary beneficiary in her will. There is strong circumstantial evidence pointing to Vole being the killer, but Sir Wilfrid believes he is innocent.
Vole’s German wife, Christine (Marlene Dietrich), comes across cold but does provide her husband with an alibi for the murder, albeit a weak one. When the trial begins Sir Wilfrid is surprised to find that Christine has been called as a witness as a wife cannot be compelled to testify against her husband. The prosecution reveals that Christine and Leonard are not really married as she was still married to another man in East Germany and thus could testify against Leonard. When questioned, she claims Leonard came home later than originally stated and that he had blood on him and confessed to her of the murder. Her testimony is damning and all but assures that Leonard will be convicted. But an anonymous phone call offers, for a price, some new evidence that may prove that Christine is lying on the stand.
There’s no doubt about it that Charles Laughton is the focus of the film. His career was long and varied and he handles the gruffness of Sir Wilfrid, giving him a harsh edge without making him unlikable. His battles with his nurse are some of the real highlights of the film as she calls him out for sneaking cigars and brandy and refusing to step back and relax. He makes a deal with her to take an extended vacation to Bermuda as soon as the case is over but it’s obvious that that will never happen. He’s often leaving Miss Plimsoll flustered and frustrated but she also meets his stubbornness face to face and refuses to give up on him. Some of the funniest moments come when she thinks she has him behaving only to turn her back to him allowing him to sneak away. She states he was not discharged from the hospital but expelled and I can believe it.
While going through the particulars of the case we get several flashbacks that tell the story of how Leonard met Christine in a bar in Germany during the war when she was performing for a group of men who got upset that she wore pants rather than showing off her legs like the advertisements outside suggested. A brawl ensues where one of her pant legs is torn open, exposing her perfect leg, and the bar gets trashed. Leonard is charming and seduces her with some of his military rations. Nothing else of their relationship is shown but it is inferred that the two got an unofficial marriage at some point although Leonard isn’t aware that it is illegitimate. Some time later, Leonard has a chance encounter with Emily French. He dazzles her with his charming personality but, aside from three very brief encounters, we aren’t told what he could have done to convince her to change her will in his favor. The film is more interested in creating this mystery, with a crazy twist at the end, that it doesn’t spend enough time developing the key players sufficiently.
The film asks us to not spoil the ending and I will not do that here, either, despite it having released over sixty years ago. If you’ve seen it already you know the twist and if you haven’t then I won’t ruin it for you. Needless to say a lot of stuff you think you know going into the final fifteen minutes gets upended and everything comes into question. Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power ham things up sufficiently while Sir Wilfrid struggles through his physical weaknesses and his sense of pride. The ending is a real shocker marred only by limitations of the time it was made. Charles Laughton plays the emotions of the moment perfectly and his ultimate decision fits in perfectly with the dark humor. His health is failing him and, by refusing to take it easy, he may die soon. Indeed Laughton himself was nearing death at this point and it shows in his physicality and mannerisms. He would garner a Best Actor nomination for this role. Marlene Dietrich is equally good but unfortunately a key moment was kept secret to avoid spoiling the surprise and it reportedly cost her a nomination from the Academy.
Call this film a dark comedy; call it a mystery courtroom thriller. Both distinctions would be correct. This is a well made mystery with plenty of trademark Billy Wilder humor to liven up the characters. It’s best when that humor is character driven and not slapstick like Leonard literally knocking down Christine’s roof in Germany while trying to sit down. That whole scene is played too broadly with Leonard swapping coffee and sugar for kisses. But this is a minor offense in an otherwise brilliant picture that is as fun to watch as it is surprising. The mystery is pretty basic but that’s what makes the reveal all the more surprising. It makes for a fun ride without the curse of being too predictable.
Academy Award Nominations:
Best Picture: Arthur Hornblow Jr
Best Director: Billy Wilder
Best Actor: Charles Laughton
Best Supporting Actress: Elsa Lanchester
Best Film Editing: Faniel Mandell
Best Sound Recording: Gordon E. Sawyer
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Release Date: January 30, 1958
Running Time: 116 Minutes
Not Rated
Starring: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester
Directed By: Billy WIlder
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