The Silent Witness is a 1932 American mystery film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Lionel Atwill, Greta Nissen, and Helen Mack.[1] It was adapted from a play by Jack DeLeon and Jack Celestin.[2][3] The film's sets were designed by the art director Duncan Cramer who worked on many Fox Film productions of the era.
| The Silent Witness | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
| Directed by | Marcel Varnel |
| Written by | Jack DeLeon (play) Jack Celestin (play) Douglas Z. Doty |
| Starring | Lionel Atwill Greta Nissen Helen Mack |
| Cinematography | Joseph H. August |
| Edited by | Jack Murray |
Production company | Fox Film Corporation |
| Distributed by | Fox Film Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
.jpg)
Plot
editAn Englishman takes the blame for his son who he believes guilty of murdering his lover. The real truth surrounding the case is only revealed by a silent witness.
Cast
edit- Lionel Atwill as Sir Austin Howard
- Greta Nissen as Nora Selmer
- Weldon Heyburn as Carl Blake
- Helen Mack as Sylvia Pierce
- Bramwell Fletcher as Anthony Howard
- Mary Forbes as Lady Howard
- C. Montague Shaw as Inspector Robbins
- Wyndham Standing as Sir John Lawson, Barrister
- Alan Mowbray as Arthur Drinton
- Herbert Mundin as Henry Hammer
- Billy Bevan as Horace Ward
- Lumsden Hare as Colonel Grayson
Release
editInternational Photographer, which gave the film a good review, posited that Atwill might be a hard sell to movie audiences despite his obvious talent and years of stage experience: "The difficulty of the exhibitor will be to get his patrons to see Atwill. Once he has them started the rest will be easy."[4]
Critical Response
editInternational Photographer described the film as playing more like a stage production than a film but still called it "gripping."[5]
References
edit- ^ BFI.org. Accessed April 6, 2023.
- ^ The Silent Witness, afi.com. Accessed April 6, 2023.
- ^ Goble, p. 954
- ^ Blaisdell, George. "Looking In on Just a Few New Ones." The International Photographer Vol. 3 No. 12 p32. February, 1932. Accessed 7 May 2023.
- ^ Blaisdell, George. "Looking In on Just a Few New Ones." The International Photographer Vol. 3 No. 12 p32. February, 1932. Accessed 7 May 2023.
Bibliography
edit- Goble, Alan. The Complete Index to Literary Sources in Film. Walter de Gruyter, 1999.
- Turim, Maureen. Flashbacks in Film: Memory & History. Routledge, 2013.
External links
edit
