Matrixston Wow! Such a good movie.

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CommentsXp Best movie ever!

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Forn55 They don't make 'em like this any more, and perhaps that's not a bad thing.An entertaining, film noir potboiler, "Witness to Murder" is the kind of movie you might want to watch if you're in the mood to eat popcorn and yell at the screen. Hand-cuffed to a pedestrian screenplay, the movie nonetheless gives Stanwyck more than ample opportunity to ring the emotional changes and co-star Sanders to suavely menace her in the guise of nemesis. Even Merrill, known less for his acting abilities than for his square-jawed, photogenic charm, gives a reasonably creditable performance. But any moviegoer looking for ingenious plot-twists should search elsewhere; there's not a bend in this movie's narrative road that one can't see around. The real stars that shine here are the camera-work and the appropriately moody lighting.So pop your corn, turn the lights down low, and spend a pleasant 83 minutes. You won't be sorry you watched this movie, but in a couple days I'm betting you won't even remember the names of the characters in it.

dougdoepke The movie shows what a cast and crew of Hollywood veterans could do even as the B-movie was on its last legs. Sure, the material is derivative. For some reason these windowpane murders were popular plot lines at the time, especially with Rear Window (1954). Maybe that's because there's so much built-in suspense to proving that you're not just imagining or dreaming what you think you see. This movie manages the suspense in spades, thanks to journeyman director Rowland, cinematographer Alton, and a near-perfect cast that make it all seem so real.Pity poor Stanwyck! She spies super slick neighbor Sanders throttling a girl, but can't convince the cops since Sanders is ever one step ahead. Meanwhile, Sanders is at his coldly calculating and charming best, while Stanwick wobbles expressively as a woman in distress. Toss in Gary Merrill as a romantically inclined cop, and together they manage to breathe real life into familiar material.Hard to say enough about Alton's expressive photography. Some of those b&w compositions are darn near artistic; at the same time, they lend the dramatics a properly noirish atmosphere. No, there's nothing really new here, but it's so darn well done, you'll hardly notice. I'm just sorry that these intense little human dramas have been replaced on screen by special effects extravaganzas that entertain mainly 12-year olds.

vincentlynch-moonoi I prefer the more mature Barbara Stanwyck...like the one you see in this film. And, there's a fairly strong "second tier" supporting cast, including Gary Merrill, an underrated actor. And the great George Sanders.Stanwyck's character witnesses a murder through her bedroom window -- a la "Rear Window", reports it to the police, but there is no evidence to back up her story. The murderer -- George Sanders. One of the police officers that investigated the murder report is Gary Merrill, who then begins dating Stanwyck. What's scary is how easily Stanwyck was placed in the mental ward when she appears to be trying to frame Sanders, who is an ex-Nazi.I'm not particularly a fan of crime dramas, but this one is well done (despite some goofs, as outlined on this site). UNTIL the climax of the film. Then, while running away from Sanders. who is going to murder her, by making it look as if she committed suicide by jumping out of her bedroom window, Stanwyck decides to flee him by climbing up the stairs inside a sky scraper that is under construction. Really? You'd try to escape a murderer by running into a dead end??? And then, were that not enough, Stanwyck falls off the top of the skyscraper...onto a temporary wooden ledge, which then begins to splinter...and she is rescued by Gary Merrill who grabs her from above, just in the nick of time. Were it not for the ending of the film, I would give it a "7", but this is so dumb an ending that I'm dropping it to a "5". Oh, and while this is a minor matter, keep an eye on the back of Gary Merrill's neck (just behind and below the year) and see how from scene to scene he is rather shaggy (a real wolf man) or clean shaven. Yawn.

sol ***SPOILERS*** Actually released three months before the very similar 1954 Alfred Hitchcock color crime classic "Rear Window" the black & white crime thriller "Witness to Murder" has a woman Cheryl Draper, Barbara Stanwyck, watch in horror outside her window as her next door neighbor Albert Richter, George Sanders, strangle a woman later to be identified as Joyce Stewart, Lyn Thomas,in his apartment.Reporting the incident to the police Cheryl is shocked to find out that there's no evidence or a dead body to have Richter arrested for the crime he "supossidtly" committed. The well spoken, in both German & English, and sophisticated Richter an ex-Nazi and now both historical writer and engaged to marry mega rich widow Mrs. Overhill plans to put the squeeze on Cheryl by either making her look or driving her insane in order to get her out of his hair. Richter plans start a new Nazi movement, with Mrs. Overhill's millions, here in the USA with him becoming the leader or "Fuhrer" of it.The accusations about Richter by Cheryl go completely over the head of investigating LAPD detective Larry Mathews, Gary Merrill, who despite falling in love with Cheryl can't believe a word she says. That's how skillful Richter spins a web of deception in making Cheryl look as nutty as a fruitcake in her accusations against him! Richter is so good in making Cheryl look nuts that she's put against her will into the psycho ward of the L.A Municipal Hospital for mental observation!What turns out to be Richter biggest mistake is his thinking that he's actually an invincible "Aryan Superman" or Nazi and in his complete and total arrogance admits to Cheryl his crime in him tinkling that no one would believe her! This off the wall nut-case felt that Joyce, a local hooker, had outlived her usefulness and thus disposed of her like he would a used Kleenex tissue after having a last fling with her!We as well as Cheryl get a real good insight in how Richter's sick mind works when in the middle of a sentence he breaks out in his native German boasting how his crazed and Nazi like ideas will become the new world religion with him being the "Big Man" in charge of it!***SPOILERS*** Cheryl running for her life as well as freedom,in her about to be put in a mental asylum, with both Richter and the LAPD that includes Larry Mathews in pursuit is trapped on top of a 30 floor high-rise construction site with Richter, in trying to make it look like a suicide, about to push her off. It's then that Larry realizes that Cheryl was right about Richter all along and instead of having her arrested and put away tries to keep Richter from murdering her! As a reward for his both insanity and criminality, both in Germany and here in the USA, Richter gets a final send-off when he slips and falls, in his attempt to murder Larry, by dropping down or getting shafted an 300 foot elevator shaft and in the process breaking dozens of wooden boards as well as all his bones before he finally hits bottom!