The Star Witness
Encyclopedia
The Star Witness is a feature film
directed by William A. Wellman
. It is a crime
drama
about a family that witness a crime and now have the gang
members after them to prevent them from being witnesses.
It was nominated for a Academy Award at the 5th Academy Awards
for Best Story
.
Feature film
In the film industry, a feature film is a film production made for initial distribution in theaters and being the main attraction of the screening, rather than a short film screened before it; a full length movie...
directed by William A. Wellman
William A. Wellman
William Augustus Wellman was an American film director. Although Wellman began his film career as an actor, he worked on over 80 films, as director, producer and consultant but most often as a director, notable for his work in crime, adventure and action genre films, often focusing on aviation...
. It is a crime
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
drama
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
about a family that witness a crime and now have the gang
Gang
A gang is a group of people who, through the organization, formation, and establishment of an assemblage, share a common identity. In current usage it typically denotes a criminal organization or else a criminal affiliation. In early usage, the word gang referred to a group of workmen...
members after them to prevent them from being witnesses.
It was nominated for a Academy Award at the 5th Academy Awards
5th Academy Awards
The 5th Academy Awards were conducted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences on November 18, 1932 at a ceremony held at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel...
for Best Story
Academy Award for Best Story
The Academy Award for Best Story was an Academy Award given from the beginning of the Academy Awards until 1957, when it was eliminated in favor of the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay, which had been introduced in 1940.-1920s:...
.
Cast
- Walter HustonWalter HustonWalter Thomas Huston was a Canadian-born American actor. He was the father of actor and director John Huston and the grandfather of actress Anjelica Huston and actor Danny Huston.-Life and career:...
...District AttorneyDistrict attorneyIn many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
Whitlock - Frances Starr...Ma Leeds
- Grant MitchellGrant Mitchell (actor)Grant Mitchell was an American stage actor on Broadway and character actor in many Hollywood films of the 1930s and 1940s...
...Pa Leeds - Sally BlaneSally BlaneSally Blane was an American actress. Blane was the sister of actresses Polly Ann and Loretta Young, and half-sister to actress Georgiana Young, the wife of actor Ricardo Montalban...
...Sue Leeds - Ralph InceRalph InceRalph Ince , was an American film director, actor and screenwriter of the silent era. He directed 171 films between 1910 and 1937. He also appeared in 110 films between 1907 and 1937....
...'Maxey' Campo - Edward J. NugentEdward J. NugentEdward Nugent was an American film actor. He appeared in 81 films between 1928 and 1937.He subsequently had a second acting career on Broadway. Brooklyn USA , the comedy Junior Miss , and See My Lawyer were some of his best roles...
...Jackie Leeds - Dickie Moore...Ned Leeds
- Nat PendletonNat PendletonNathaniel Greene "Nat" Pendleton was an American Olympic wrestler and film actor.-Early life:Pendleton was born in Davenport, Iowa to Adelaide E. and Nathaniel G. Pendleton. He studied at Columbia University where he began his wrestling career. He was twice Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling...
...Henchman Big Jack - George ErnestGeorge ErnestGeorge Ernest was an American actor. He appeared in over 60 films between 1930 and 1942.Born George Ruud Hjorth to a Norwegian mother and Danish father, the family moved to California when George was two and a half years old...
...Donny Leeds - Russell HoptonRussell HoptonRussell Hopton was an American film actor. He appeared in 110 films between 1926 and 1945.He was born in New York, New York and died of an overdose of sleeping pills in North Hollywood, California....
...Deputy Thorpe - Charles 'Chic' SaleChic SaleCharles "Chic" Sale , was an American actor and vaudevillian. Named at birth Charles Partlow Sale, he was a son of Frank Orville and Lillie Belle Sale, and brother of writer, actress Virginia Sale-Wren....
...Private 'Grandpa' Summerill - George IrvingGeorge Irving (American actor)George Henry Irving was an American film actor and director who made over 200 films in his lifetime. Some of his best known movies were Abe Lincoln in Illinois, Hearts Divided, A Night at the Opera, Son of Dracula, Hangmen Also Die!, Once Upon a Honeymoon, and Maid's Night Out.-Death:Irving...
...Judge (uncredited) - Allan LaneAllan LaneAllan "Rocky" Lane was a studio leading man and the star of many cowboy B-movies in the 1940s and 1950s. He appeared in more than 125 films and TV shows in a career lasting from 1929 to 1966...
...Young Deputy at the Leeds Home (uncredited)