Your Witness

Robert Montgomery, by 1950 better known as an actor than as a director, takes on both duties in EYE WITNESS (or YOUR WITNESS, in the US movie circuit) - and I have to say that he does remarkably well.

To that end, he is ably assisted by the UK postwar-evocative cinematography of Gerald Gibbs, and screenplay by Hugo Butler and Ian Hunter, telling of US Major and lawyer Adam Heyward flying to the UK to save from the gallows a UK Army sergeant who had saved his life behind German lines during World War II.

Of course, upon arrival in the UK he finds that the English spoken there is different (some chuckles at the interpretation of words and expressions), that lawyers and judges dress and address colleagues and the public rather more formally than in Uncle Sam, and he meets a host of British characters played by supporting thespians of the highest grade, including Michael Ripper as the wrongly accused friend Heyward does his utmost to rescue from the noose, Felix Aylmer as judge, James Hayter as trial witness, Stanley Baker as a copper, Leslie Banks as Colonel Summerfield, pretty Shelagh Fraser as Ellen Foster, and many others in a supporting cast bristling with talent and sobriety to give the film an authentic British background.

Montgomery delivers a quietly effective performance, bemused at times, serious at other times, always with an eye on stunningly beautiful Patricia Wayne.

Though perhaps 10-15 minutes longer than it needed to be, dialogue is interesting throughout, B&W photography highly accomplished, especially the bucolic setting, which the extremely pleasant score by Malcolm Arnold only enhances.

After showing courage in directing and acting in LADY IN THE LAKE four years ealier, in which he appeared only in reflections in the mirror, Montgomery comes full circle as a talented director in this his final film, before turning to TV work.

Certainly worth watching.

This thriller moves at a snail's pace towards its very predictable conclusion.The first half of the film dwells on differences between American and British court procedures.This film was not only the swan song Of Robert Montgomery but also Leslie Banks.There is a brief glimpse of Stanley Baker at the early stages of his career.It is difficult though to realise that the Robert Montgomery who directed this film is the same one who directed the impressive Lady In the Lake.The fact that this was his last film wad probably more to do with the fact that he had bigger fish to fry.In any event at his age he was unlikely to attract many leading roles.Produced by Hitchcock colleague Joan Harrison.

I watch a lot of 40's and 50's films these days and I caught this on TPTV, a great channel for older movies and TV shows..... I thought this might be the typical fayre of these British films with a 'high profile' American actor, this was not the case.

There's some great humour regarding the language differences and the very different way of life of the English countryside..... the court scenes also highlight this chasm between America and Britain at this time. Indeed, it still happens today but not to such an extent. I recall myself when in the USA, struggling to get a cup of coffee because the staff couldn't understand my London accent or another guy asking me what I thought of the hire car I was driving, it was the newest model and thinking I was a local he asked me what was new about this model, to which I replied that "I didn't know because it was a hire car"..... he looked at me for a moment and then asked " How much higher is it..?" ..... to which I burst out laughing and he left quite indignantly, thinking I was laughing at him ...!

This film highlights these differences in a humorous and also frustrating way, for all involved.... The American star is also not typical in that he doesn't start solving clues or bulldozing through people to find the truth.... He's just an ordinary guy who adapts and because of that, he is able to gain people's trust and confidence.... That I think is highlighted in the final scene from the court proceedings and the manner in which he teased out the vital testimony of the 'star' witness .... and most importantly in the final scenes after the court case is over...

It's a good story and kept me interested and enjoying throughout..... Robert Montgomery was also the director and I think that this as well as his role as the star made this film all the better..... a very different film than most of the time and because of that well worth watching....

In his final film Robert Montgomery's boredom is only too apparent in this uninvolving courtroom drama that however boasts a cast that manages to include both Leslie Banks and Stanley Baker.

It bears a striking resemblance to the similarly titled 'Hostile Witness' (also directed by and starring a visitor from Hollywood, on that occasion Ray Milland), even down to the judge being played by Felix Aylmer; the later film's most obvious concession to the passage of time being that that was in colour.

Robert Montgomery's final screen appearance,which he also directed,is a slow moving mystery which spends far too much of the running time on irrelevant scenes pointing up the supposed differences between the British and American character. Montgomery meets a gallery of UK stereotypes such as garrulous publican,dim witted police sergeant and stuffy judge.

The plot concerns RM travelling to England to help clear an old army buddy of a murder charge. There is some mild suspense during the last twenty minutes when the identity of a secret witness is revealed. Leading lady Patricia Cutts (called Patrcia Wayne here) is one of those rather horsey English blondes with a cut glass accent. Her acting is rather stilted and there is little chemistry between her and Montgomery. It's a far cry from his wonderful acting/direction job on Lady In The Lake.