The Witness for the Defense

For the 1913 novel by A. E. W. Mason, see The Witness for the Defence.
The Witness for the Defense
Ad for the film on the cover of a 1919 issue of Wid's Daily
Directed byGeorge Fitzmaurice
William J. Scully (asst. director)
Written byOuida Bergère (scenario)
Based onThe Witness for the Defence
by A. E. W. Mason
Produced byAdolph Zukor
StarringElsie Ferguson
Warner Oland
Wyndham Standing
CinematographyArthur C. Miller
and/or
Hal Young
Production
company
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • September 14, 1919 (1919-09-14)
Running time
50 minutes
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)

The Witness for the Defense is a 1919 American silent drama film directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Elsie Ferguson, Warner Oland, and Wyndham Standing.[1][2]

Plot

Cast

Production background

The film is based on the 1913 novel The Witness for the Defence by A. E. W. Mason. Mason's story was performed as a play on Broadway in 1911 and starred Ethel Barrymore.[3]

Location shooting for the film was carried out in Miami, Florida, though the location was doubling for India.[2]

The film is the earliest of prolific director George Fitzmaurice's to survive and is likewise the only silent film of Elsie Ferguson that remains extant. The film is also the first feature length film art direction credit for William Cameron Menzies.

Preservation

A complete print of The Witness for the Defense is held by the Gosfilmofond in Moscow.[1][4]

References

  1. ^ a b Progressive Silent Film List: The Witness for the Defense at silentera.com
  2. ^ a b "The Witness for the Defense". afi.com. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
  3. ^ The Witness for the Defense as produced on Broadway by Charles Frohman at the Empire Theatre December 4, 1911 to January 1912, 64 performances; IBDb.com
  4. ^ "American Silent Feature Film Database: The Witness for the Defense". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
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