Key Witness is a black-and-white 1960 American neo-noir[2] crime film directed by Phil Karlson and starring Jeffrey Hunter, Pat Crowley, and Dennis Hopper.
Aware that he is the only witness against them, the gang members, led by young "Cowboy" Tomkins, seek out his identity and terrorize his family and him to keep him from testifying against them.
A police detective, Torno, fears he will lose his only witness, but Fred stands up to the gang, despite wife Ann's hysteria.
Cowboy gives the Morrows until midnight to change their minds, while gang members Ruby, Muggles and Apple and he throw a rock through the family's window and slash their car's tires.
In court, though, Fred changes his testimony after learning Ann has been attacked by Ruby, and their child is held at gunpoint by Muggles.