The Paradine Case

In 1946 London, Maddalena Paradine is accused of poisoning her rich, blind husband to death. Her defence barrister Anthony Keane firmly believes she is innocent. He falls in love with his beautiful Italian client, leading to a marital crisis. The only one besides himself who is sympathetic to the defendant is the wife of the judge, Thomas Horfield. Against his client’s will, Keane tries to pin the crime on the young, attractive valet of the murdered colonel … This psychological courtroom drama was Alfred Hitchcock’s last film for producer David O. Selznick. The production budget was driven up by differences of opinion about the script and the casting, as well as exterior shooting in England and the elaborate construction of a replica of London’s Old Bailey court at Selznick Studio.
David O. Selznick released The Paradine Case theatrically with a runtime of 114 minutes. Subsequent cuts meant that Ethel Barrymore, nominated for an Oscar as Best Supporting Actress, only appeared onscreen for three minutes. The restoration was based on a nitrate negative of the wide-release version held by New York’s Museum of Modern Art.