I love this movie so much

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Just perfect...

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

A very good plot is offset by horrendous acting in this film.As far as the gang of criminals, bring in West Side Story, Rebel Without A Cause or even The Deadend Kids. The acting by many of the thespians is quite amateurish.Jeffrey Hunter is miscast as a man who witnesses a murder and agrees to testify. The gang goes on a campaign of terror and harassment against his family. The gang members act in an inane way and don't take their parts serious enough.The problems of urban decay are barely shown here. The cleaning lady, mother of one of the reluctant members of the gang, speaks as though she is a guidance counselor.The weaknesses of our criminal justice system are exposed here. The film might have been better served if it had been told in documentary-like form.

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

Key Witness verges on the point of hysteria, and lacks credibility throughout, but it's still a riveting drama, directed by Phil Karlson in typically tough fashion.Most of the performances are over-the-top, but as the witness to a gang stabbing, Jeffrey Hunter gives a standout performance. Without overacting, he brings plenty of energy and intensively to his role, playing an Everyman driven to the breaking point by the mob terrorizing him and his family. Next to Brainstorm (1965), this is his best work.Although the film may infuriate you with its pat ending, you shouldn't be bored for an instant.