Your Witness

Brian Keith does the job here, as a district attorney whom you won't forget. I usually dislike and avoid court room plots, but this one proposes something totally new, unpredictable, and that's the least we can expect in AH PRESENTS show. The last minute is exquisite and above all unforeseeable, ironic, the trademark of this amazing series.

Tidy little episode about a middle-aged wife seeking to divorce her philandering husband, a big-shot defense attorney currently working a hit-run case and in no hurry to get divorced. The script is so tightly focused on the bickering husband and wife that we are spared the cliché of having to meet the attorney's current squeeze or even the defendant in the hit-run case. We do, however, get to meet an eye witness to the hit-run, a Good Samaritan who is taken apart on the stand by the sharp-tongued attorney. A 1947 nickel on the sidewalk outside the courthouse leads to a highly satisfying conclusion involving classic revenge. Brian Keith plays against type as the nasty attorney, including roughing up his wife in one surprisingly shocking scene.

'Aldred Hitchcock Presents' "Your Witness" (1959)

Opening thoughts: Norman Lloyd directed nineteen 'Alfred Hitchcock Presents' episodes, was a producer for most of the series' run and even acted in five episodes (his biggest role being in "Design for Loving"). His output was very up and down, but not unwatchable. Absolutely loved the premise for Season 4's thirty first episode "Your Witness", then again this is coming from somebody who has always been a fan of any film, series and episode set in the courtroom. Another interest point was seeing Brian Keith playing against type as by far the nastiest character he ever played.

"Your Witness" turnes out to be a truly excellent episode. It is easily the best of the four episodes Lloyd directed at this point, being the only one to be above good, the others being decent , very weak and average. Would go as far to say to call it one of his best episodes overall and a strong example of against type working brilliantly. Also a high point of Season 4 along with the likes of "Poison", "The Crooked Road", "Man with a Problem" and "The Last Dark Step".

Good things: Nearly everything. Keith is the main reason to see "Your Witness" and he steals the show effortlessly. He never had a nastier or more loathsome character before, during and since and he plays him to the hilt chillingly, while the role is very juicy and larger than life it didn't unbalance the atory. Leora Dana gives an affecting performance as one of the most easy to relate to female lead characters of the series for some time. Her chemistry with Keith scintillates and there is a particularly unsettling scene that was quite bold back then.

Lloyd's direction here is some of his best and tighest. Hitchcock's bookending is humorously ironic and gels with the story with ease, with no sense of jarring or disjointed-ness. It is more than solidly made visually, not looking cheap and boasting some nice atmosphere in the photography. "Funeral March of a Marionette" was an inspired and perfect choice for the series' main theme.

Furthermore, "Your Witness" is brilliantly written. Taut, thought provoking and hard boiled, with no signs of melodramatic soap, rambling or irrelevant fat. The story is enormously absorbing and suspenseful from beginning to end, never simplistic or muddled. Really loved the uncompromising, gritty approach to a tough subject.

Bad things: My only complaint is that for my tastes William Hansen is a little too bland as a character that is rather anonymous, even for one that is not meant to be hugely interesting.

Closing thoughts: Otherwise, absolutely excellent.

9/10.

I recently have begun working my way through all the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" episodes and "Your Witness" is one of the few I'd already seen. And, it was every bit as good as I remember.

The story is set in a courtroom and a cutthroat defense attorney, Arnold (Brian Keith), is doing everything he can to get a young punk off the hook for vehicular manslaughter. So, when a witness goes on the stand, Arnold does everything he can to make this old man seem like a liar and a blithering idiot. Amazingly, the judge doesn't do much to stop his horrible attack on a man who isn't even on trial.

At the same time, Arnold's poor wife is in the courtroom and she thinks back of her recent problems with him. It seems he's been cheating on her and instead of owning up to it, he attacks her and treats it as if it's her fault! What a jerk...and viewers will undoubtedly think the same.

So how do these two stories intersect? Well, I don't want to ruin the show for you but suffice to say Arnold gets his!!

This is a very well written episode. I also think it works so well because Keith does a great acting job. He certainly is NOT like 'Uncle Bill' from "Family Affair" but a man who is very easy to hate...so he did a great job.

Aces all around. Arnold (Keith) is a hotshot attorney who's found a younger woman and expects wife Naomi (Dana) to put up with it. Meanwhile, he's ruthlessly defending a rich man's son in a hit and run case. Poor Naomi, he dominates her at home and dominates the trial in court. She's had about all she can stand, but what's a respectable woman to do.

First-rate acting, especially the hard-put Naomi who's hardened expression says everything. Excellent turn by Keith also. His clever attorney is insufferably smug, so confident in his abilities wherever he goes. Then too, shouldn't forget William Hansen as the meek witness. He's one of those easily overlooked supporting players who add so much, yet remains relatively anonymous. Happily, it's an above average script that doesn't telegraph an ending, while Arnold's witness interrogation reflects as much on Arnold as it does on the witness-- not an easy screen writing trick. Anyway, it's a very satisfying 30-minutes, in solid Hitchcock style.