The Silent Witness is a 1932 American mystery film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring Lionel Atwill, Greta Nissen, and Helen Mack. It was adapted from a play by Jack DeLeon and Jack Celestin. The film's sets were designed by the art director Duncan Cramer who worked on many Fox Film productions of the era.
Contents
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."
Critical Response
International Photographer described the film as playing more like a stage production than a film but still called it "gripping."