The Witness Chair_
"WHO WOULD BELIEVE THAT A WOMAN LIKE THIS WOULD KILL A MAN?"
Late one night, secretary Paula Young (Ann Harding) leaves the office of her boss, Stanley Whittaker (Douglas Dumbrille, locking the door and taking the stairs to avoid being seen by the elevator operator (Frank Jenks). The next morning, the cleaning lady finds Whittaker's dead body, an apparent suicide. Police Lieutenant Poole (Moroni Olsen) finds a letter signed by Whittaker in which the deceased states he embezzled $75,000. Soon, however, he suspects otherwise and, after investigating, arrests widower James "Jim" Trent (Walter Abel), the vice president of Whittaker.
Starring
Ann Harding, Walter Abel, Douglass Dumbrille
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
No streaming data available yet.
Check availabilityDROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
The Witness Chair was released 90 years ago in 1936.
Overview
Late one night, secretary Paula Young (Ann Harding) leaves the office of her boss, Stanley Whittaker (Douglas Dumbrille, locking the door and taking the stai...
The Witness Chair is a Drama, Romance film with a runtime of 1h 4m.
CAST (20)
Ann Harding
Paula Young
Walter Abel
James Trent
Douglass Dumbrille
Stanley Whittaker
Margaret Hamilton
Grace Franklin
FS
Frances Sage
Constance Trent
Moroni Olsen
Lt. Poole
William Benedict
Benny Ryan
Paul Harvey
Martin
Frank Jenks
Roy Levino
Murray Kinnell
Defense Attorney Conrick
Charles Arnt
Mr. Henshaw
Maxine Jennings
Tillie Jones
William Bailey
Court Bailiff
Barlowe Borland
Mr. O'Neil
Alan Curtis
Reporter in Coutroom
JG
Jack Gargan
Laughing Reporter
Fred Kelsey
Detective Costigan
Mike Lally
Prosecutor's Assistant
Louise Latimer
Reporter in Courtroom
Edward LeSaint
Judge McKenzie
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Witness Chair about?
Late one night, secretary Paula Young (Ann Harding) leaves the office of her boss, Stanley Whittaker (Douglas Dumbrille, locking the door and taking the stairs to avoid being seen by the elevator operator (Frank Jenks). The next morning, the cleaning lady finds Whittaker's dead body, an apparent suicide. Police Lieutenant Poole (Moroni Olsen) finds a letter signed by Whittaker in which the deceased states he embezzled $75,000. Soon, however, he suspects otherwise and, after investigating, arrests widower James "Jim" Trent (Walter Abel), the vice president of Whittaker.
How long is The Witness Chair?
The Witness Chair has a runtime of 64 minutes (1h 4m).
Who stars in The Witness Chair?
The cast of The Witness Chair includes Ann Harding, Walter Abel, Douglass Dumbrille, Margaret Hamilton, Frances Sage.
What is the rating of The Witness Chair?
The Witness Chair has a rating of 6.2 out of 10 based on 6 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Drama
Romance