The Witness for the Defense


The Witness for the Defense is a 1919 American silent drama directed by George Fitzmaurice and starring Elsie Ferguson, Warner Oland, and Wyndham Standing.

Production background

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.
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 art direction credit for William Cameron Menzies.

Cast

A print of this film was discovered in the Gosfilmofond Archive in Moscow.