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.

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.

The Witness for the Defense

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.

The Witness for the Defense

Cast

Preservation status

A print of The Witness for the Defense was discovered in the Gosfilmofond archive in Moscow.

The Witness for the Defense

References

External links

The Witness for the Defense as restored and presented by the University of North Dakota (with stills and clips from the movie)

1919 films

American silent feature films

1919 drama films

Films directed by George Fitzmaurice

Silent American drama films

Films based on British novels

American black-and-white films

1910s rediscovered films

Films with screenplays by Ouida Bergère

1910s American films

1910s English-language films