Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Entertainment/2020 March 30

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March 30

What was this in?

At least thirty years ago, I once watched a movie or episode of a TV series in which the character played by John Ritter was put on trial for murder. His lawyer gave him some sort of truth test, which he passed, and was acquitted, but immediately after the trial he admits to, or is found to be, guilty, and gloats, whereupon a woman he knows kills him in the courtroom. I have looked all over Mr. Ritter's work, but cannot find it. I know that he later did a made for TV film, based on a true story, in which his character poisoned two of his wives, but the thing I saw was on around the early nineties at the latest, but could have been made as far back as the seventies. By the time I watched it, I was of course aware of his being in Three's Company, but I am not sure whether he was also by the time doing Hooperman. I first thought it was a made for TV film, but it could be an episode of a TV series, since I got the impression that the lawyer was the main guy - so it could be the episode of Petrocelli that he was in within the seventies, yet I had the impression it was made more recently. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Christopher1968 (talk • contribs) 13:53, 30 March 2020 (UTC)‎

Sure you weren't thinking of the Ritterless Witness for the Prosecution (1957) or a remake of it? Clarityfiend (talk) 05:16, 31 March 2020 (UTC)

The Witness for the Prosecution#Television mentions a 1982 Hallmark TV adaptation that starred Beau Bridges, who in a bad light might be mistaken for Ritter. Clarityfiend (talk) 05:24, 31 March 2020 (UTC)

I'm sure that will be it.

Interestingly, Witness for the Prosecution (in any of its forms) doesn't show up among the 94 results of an IMDb "Not Guilty Verdict" keyword search. If someone here edits IMDb, they may wish to add that to the appropriate plot keyword lists. -- ToE 11:26, 31 March 2020 (UTC)

Now I did see Witness for the Prosecution (1957), but I am sure, only within the past few years, and it is in black and white, but the movie I am referring to was definitely in colour. As for it being Beau Bridges, this could be fair enough, because I am not as good at faces as I am at names, especially back then, and I might have absolutely convinced myself that it was John Ritter, when it could have been Mr. Bridges, whom I did not know back then, but knew of his father Lloyd Bridges from the show Forrester. Certainly I honestly believed it was Mr. Ritter, because I was suprised at him playing the villain when he had up to then been the good guy in things such as Three's Company, at least what I was aware of then. I am not sure whether or not other members of my family agreed at the time that it was John Ritter. I shall check this Beau Bridges thing, and thank You. Chris the Russian Christopher Lilly 03:28, 1 April 2020 (UTC)

A 1982 TV-movie would certainly have been in color, and the IMDB confirms here that it was. --69.159.8.46 (talk) 04:40, 1 April 2020 (UTC)