Even Dennis Hopper doesn't look very punkish in this lame, dated yarn. In fact, Hopper and his male co-punks look like they just left men's prayer breakfast at the local Baptist church! And "man" is indeed the operative word, since most of them appear a lot closer to thirty than eighteen. And Johnny Nash, as the "colored boy" who endures the gang's racially derogatory jibes, even acts like he'd be more at home in Sunday school--or at a high school chess club meeting. It's hard to swallow the cinematic assertion that this bunch could get involved in murder, assault, grand larceny, and conspiracy to kidnap. But, while any thuggishness of appearance is downplayed, their behavior is so over the top that it emerges as farcical. Joby Baker, as a nastily oh-so-cool hepcat, is reminiscent of Mark Rydell in the 1956 feature Crime in the Streets. (Moreover, Baker plainly states that he doesn't like girls.) The actors, however, can scarcely be blamed for this lumpy melodrama. Jeffrey Hunter and Frank Silvera deliver straight, low-key efforts, and Terry Burnham, as Hunter's little daughter, puts in a fine performance. Pat Crowley, on the other hand, could emerge only as overwrought when she is scripted to fret about unwashed dishes as her family flees for its life. Despite the movie's incongruity of characters, the plot--though utterly predictable--does move along at a steady pace. At times, though, it feels overedited, as with an apparent reluctance to deal in detail with attacks on Hunter's family. The film's value lies in its interest as an unintentional parody of Fifties depictions. As such, it is well worth a look-see.

Very rarely shown, I was fortunate to have seen it at its release.Several dozen onlookers witness a daring gang murder, but only LA businessman Fred Morrow agrees to testify. His family is tormented by the youthful thugs, the police being unable to protect them from the gang's attacks and ever increasing violence. Will Morrow hang tough and perform his civic duty or will he recognize his mistake and develop amnesia, thereby allowing one of B-movie Hollywood's most brazen killers to go free? The theme music ("Ruby Duby Du"), written by Charles Wolcott, is absolutely haunting, and is far and away my favorite instrumental.Jeffrey Hunter, Dennis Hopper, Pat Crowley, Johnny Nash and Susan Harrison make for a top-notch cast.Four years after its release I met a person who likewise considered "Key Witness" his favorite movie. Forty-two years later we remain best friends.

Pretty good movie and relative to the times. But It was the song "Ruby Duby Du" that I remember. Its one of those tunes that once it gets into your head you can not stop it. I remember it being played throughout the movie but that was 46 years ago; maybe it was just the play on the radio and of course; bought the 45 as well. It was a hit song at the time. The gang leader's girl was named Ruby. As far as the film, story, itself; I remember the impression that movie gave me was one of helplessness or "how to fight such a terrible gang of young people". After all, its just a dad and his family. This was a movie about young thugs and a family. I could relate to the family but was frightened by the cold heartlessness of the gang. I remember the scene where the gang had entered the family's home and scratched the words "Key Witness" on the roof of their automobile inside the attached garage. That scene, for me, started the scary meanness threaded throughout the rest of the story. And oh yes, "the circle" with the father in the middle and finally one of the gang members went back-to-back with the dad as the movie's second hero. As I recall the daughter kinda liked that boy. Only the "Ruby Duby Du" song helped ease the tenseness for this 11 year old in 1960. I downloaded that song just a couple of years ago. Pretty cool dad...daddy-o.Al

Got it on TCM between Maltese Falcon (1941) and The Secret Partner (1961). Boy, did this `witness' suck!It's 100% predictable, it's over-played, it's boring. Everything in this movie sucked. Dennis hopper must have played his worst role here. The patriotic trash is all over this movie.`A guy witnesses a murder in a community where no one's cooperating with police of fear. He stands by his testimony despite pressure from the bad guys and girls'. It you are willing to spend ~90min on this stupidity – go ahead.Definitely a bad movie. 3/10