The Witness for the Prosecution

For other uses, see Witness for the Prosecution (disambiguation).

"The Witness for the Prosecution" is a short story and play by British author Agatha Christie. The story was initially published as "Traitor Hands" in Flynn's Weekly, edition of 31 January 1925. In 1933, the story was published for the first time in the collection The Hound of Death that appeared only in the United Kingdom. In 1948, it was finally published in the United States in the collection The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories.

Plot

Leonard Vole is arrested for the murder of Emily French, a wealthy older woman. Unaware that he was a married man, Miss French made him her principal heir, casting suspicion on Leonard. When his wife, Romaine, agrees to testify, she does so not in Leonard's defence but as a witness for the prosecution. Romaine's decision is part of a complicated plan to free her husband. She first gives the prosecution its strongest evidence, then fabricates new evidence that discredits her testimony, believing that this improves Leonard's chances of acquittal far more than her testimony for the defence. It is then revealed that Leonard Vole actually did kill Emily French.

Plot alteration

The original story ended abruptly with the major twist, Mrs. Vole's revelation that her husband was indeed guilty. Over time, Agatha Christie grew dissatisfied with this ending (one of the few Christie endings in which a murderer escapes punishment). In her subsequent rewriting of the story as a play she added a mistress for Leonard, who does not appear until the end of the play. The mistress and Leonard are about to leave Romaine (called "Christine" in the film and television versions) to be arrested for perjury, when Romaine grabs a knife^[1] and stabs Leonard dead.

Publishing history

1925: Flynn's Weekly, 31 January – as "Traitor Hands"
1933: The Hound of Death
1948: The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories
1993: The Mousetrap & Other Plays

In other media

Theatre

Main article: Witness for the Prosecution (play)

Witness for the Prosecution was adapted as a play by Agatha Christie. The play opened in London on 28 October 1953 at the Winter Garden Theatre, produced by Peter Saunders, and directed by Wallace Douglas. The premiere cast included Derek Blomfield as Leonard Vole, Patricia Jessel as Romaine Vole, and David Horne as Sir Wilfrid Robarts.

International adaptions

2002 Свидетель обвинения (Russia)
2005 Khara Sangaycha Tar (Marathi)
2011 Witness for the Prosecution (Japan)

Film

A movie version of Witness for the Prosecution was produced in 1957, with Tyrone Power as Leonard Vole, Marlene Dietrich as Christine Vole and Charles Laughton as Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C.. The film was adapted by Larry Marcus, Harry Kurnitz and the film's director, Billy Wilder.
In August 2016, Variety Magazine reported that Ben Affleck is in talks with Fox to direct and star in a remake of “Witness for the Prosecution". Christopher Keyser will write the script, and Affleck will produce with Matt Damon, Jennifer Todd and the Agatha Christie estate.^[2]

Television

Witness for the Prosecution was developed for BBC Television in 1949, with Dale Rogers as Leonard Vole, Mary Kerridge as Romaine Vole and Derek Elphinstone as Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C.. This version was directed by John Glyn-Jones and adapted by Sidney Budd.
A second version of Witness for the Prosecution was developed for CBS television in 1953, with Tom Drake as Leonard Vole, Andrea King as Romaine Vole and Edward G. Robinson as Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C.. This version was directed by Richard Goode and adapted by Anne Howard Bailey.
Another version of Witness for the Prosecution was developed for Hallmark television in 1982, with Beau Bridges as Leonard Vole, Diana Rigg as Christine Vole and Ralph Richardson as Sir Wilfrid Robarts Q.C.. This version was based on the Billy Wilder movie with adaptions by John Gay, and was directed by Alan Gibson.
The BBC have developed another version for Christmas 2016, with Kim Cattrall as Emily French, Billy Howle as Leonard Vole, Andrea Riseborough as Romaine Vole, Toby Jones as John Mayhew, and David Haig as Sir Charles Carter.^[3]

References

↑ Christie, Agatha (2000). The Mousetrap, & other plays. New York: Penguin Putnam Books. ISBN 978-0-451-20114-0.
↑ Ben Affleck Directing, Starring in ‘Witness for the Prosecution’ Remake
↑ Kim Cattrall, Toby Jones and Andrea Riseborough cast in Agatha Christie’s The Witness for the Prosecution

External links

Flynn's Weekly at Galactic Central

Works by Agatha Christie

Universe

Detectives	Hercule Poirot Miss Marple Tommy and Tuppence Ariadne Oliver Arthur Hastings Superintendent Battle Chief Inspector Japp Parker Pyne Mr. Harley Quin Colonel Race

Novels	The Mysterious Affair at Styles The Secret Adversary The Murder on the Links The Man in the Brown Suit The Secret of Chimneys The Murder of Roger Ackroyd The Big Four The Mystery of the Blue Train The Seven Dials Mystery The Murder at the Vicarage The Sittaford Mystery Peril at End House Lord Edgware Dies Murder on the Orient Express Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Three Act Tragedy Death in the Clouds The A.B.C. Murders Murder in Mesopotamia Cards on the Table Dumb Witness Death on the Nile Appointment with Death Hercule Poirot's Christmas Murder Is Easy And Then There Were None Sad Cypress One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Evil Under the Sun N or M? The Body in the Library Five Little Pigs The Moving Finger Towards Zero Death Comes as the End Sparkling Cyanide The Hollow Taken at the Flood Crooked House A Murder Is Announced They Came to Baghdad Mrs McGinty's Dead They Do It with Mirrors After the Funeral A Pocket Full of Rye Destination Unknown Hickory Dickory Dock Dead Man's Folly 4.50 from Paddington Ordeal by Innocence Cat Among the Pigeons The Pale Horse The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side The Clocks A Caribbean Mystery At Bertram's Hotel Third Girl Endless Night By the Pricking of My Thumbs Hallowe'en Party Passenger to Frankfurt Nemesis Elephants Can Remember Postern of Fate Curtain Sleeping Murder

As Mary Westmacott	Giant's Bread Unfinished Portrait Absent in the Spring The Rose and the Yew Tree A Daughter's a Daughter The Burden

Short story collections	Poirot Investigates Partners in Crime The Mysterious Mr Quin The Thirteen Problems The Hound of Death The Listerdale Mystery Parker Pyne Investigates Murder in the Mews The Regatta Mystery The Labours of Hercules The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories Three Blind Mice and Other Stories The Under Dog and Other Stories The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding Double Sin and Other Stories The Golden Ball and Other Stories Poirot's Early Cases Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories The Harlequin Tea Set While the Light Lasts and Other Stories

Plays	Black Coffee And Then There Were None Appointment with Death Murder on the Nile/Hidden Horizon The Hollow The Mousetrap Witness for the Prosecution Spider's Web A Daughter's a Daughter Towards Zero Verdict The Unexpected Guest Go Back for Murder Rule of Three Fiddlers Three Akhnaton Chimneys The Guinea Pig

Radio and television plays	Wasp's Nest The Yellow Iris Three Blind Mice Butter in a Lordly Dish Personal Call

Other books	The Road of Dreams Come, Tell Me How You Live Star Over Bethlehem Poems An Autobiography

Book Category

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