| The Witness for the Defense | |
|---|---|
period advertisement | |
| Directed by | George Fitzmaurice |
| Written by | Ouida Bergère (scenario) |
| Based on | The Witness for the Defence by A. E. W. Mason |
| Produced by | Famous Players-Lasky |
| Starring | Elsie Ferguson Warner Oland Wyndham Standing |
| Cinematography | Arthur C. Miller and/or Hal Young |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 50 minutes |
| Language | Silent (English intertitles) |
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.[1]
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.[2]
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.
A print of The Witness for the Defense was discovered in the Gosfilmofond archive in Moscow.[1][3]
