The Silent Witness (1932 film)
American mystery film
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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.
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Jack Celestin (play)
Douglas Z. Doty
Greta Nissen
Helen Mack
| The Silent Witness | |
|---|---|
| |
| 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 |
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Plot
An 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
- 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
International 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
International Photographer described the film as playing more like a stage production than a film but still called it "gripping."[5]
