I Want to Live! (1958)

100% of critics liked it
(11 reviews)
82% of users liked it
(2,019 ratings)

Grim, almost unbearably intense, I Want To Live is the story of the life and execution of Barbara Graham (Susan Hayward) a perjurer, prostitute, liar and drug addict. The product of a broken home, Graham works as a shill, luring gullible men into crooked card games. She attempts to go straight,… More Grim, almost unbearably intense, I Want To Live is the story of the life and execution of Barbara Graham (Susan Hayward) a perjurer, prostitute, liar and drug addict. The product of a broken home, Graham works as a shill, luring gullible men into crooked card games. She attempts to go straight, marries the wrong man, and has a baby. When her life falls apart, she returns to her former profession and is involved in a murder. Despite her claims of innocence, she is convicted and executed. Robert Wise directs the uniformly fine cast with grim efficiency, telling Graham's story in a series of adroitly crafted scenes that won him a well-deserved Academy Award nomination. However, the film belongs to Susan Hayward who gives a intense, shattering performance without one false note. Her performance is so grimly focused that she is, at times, almost unbearable to watch. The final scenes, which lead up to Graham's execution, are exhausting in their emotional intensity as the audience is spared nothing of Graham's agony, despair and desperation when she finally loses the long battle to save her life. Whether one sees Graham as a murderer or a hapless victim of society, the power and relentless, sordid reality of her story leaves an indelible memory in the mind of the viewer. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr.
Directed By: Robert Wise
Written By: Nelson Gidding, Don Mankiewicz
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Jan 1, 1958 Wide
On DVD: May 7, 2002
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Susan Hayward won the 1958 Oscar for her most famous role, as real-life Barbara Graham who was excuted in a gas chamber, in Robert Wise's gritty noir melodrama, one of Hollywood's first detailed accounts of capital punishment.
Steve Crum, Dispatch-Tribune Newspapers
Stunning drama that cries out for death penalty reform...with excellent Susan Hayward in lead.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Serves as a telling indictment of capital punishment.
Matt Bailey, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
Director Wise is content to let Hayward take the film in her teeth from the moment she appears in the film and not let it go until she collapses in the gas chamber two hours later.
Jeremy Heilman, MovieMartyr.com
As Hayward's steely visage begins to splinter from the burden of her stress, the beauty of her performance emerges.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bob S

Right up there with Suddenly Last Summer for Scenery Chewing Performance By An Actress. Still a very watchable flick.
Lady D

What of course makes the idea of this film intriguing is that this is a woman heading for a Death Sentance in a time where that would be dominated by Men. Based on the true story of party girl Barbara Graham this film shows a woman high on the excitement of the wrong side of the law… More
What of course makes the idea of this film intriguing is that this is a woman heading for a Death Sentance in a time where that would be dominated by Men. Based on the true story of party girl Barbara Graham this film shows a woman high on the excitement of the wrong side of the law and being charged for a murder she may or may not have committed. The story is rather drawn out and despite our main character being quite Bold and brassy for the era, the film isn?t particularly exciting viewing, from a true crime prespective it is an interesting story and would perhaps warrant a remake in more graphic detail.
Randy T

Great films distinguish themselves in a number of different ways. Some of them are perfectly cast. Others have tremendous cinematography. Still others may have great scripting, direction or editing. <i>I Want to Live</i> stands out for one reason, Susan Hayward's… More
Great films distinguish themselves in a number of different ways. Some of them are perfectly cast. Others have tremendous cinematography. Still others may have great scripting, direction or editing. <i>I Want to Live</i> stands out for one reason, Susan Hayward's performance. Hayward shines in this true story about a woman convicted of murder and sentenced to die in California's gas chamber. There are numerous supporting characters in this dramatization but it's Susan Hayward's heart-wrenching portrayal that will haunt you even after the credits roll.

Cast

            Susan Hayward as Barbara Graham

            Simon Oakland as Ed Montgomery

            Virginia Vincent as Peg

            Theodore Bikel as Carl Palmberg

            Wesley Lau as Henry Graham

            Philip Coolidge as Emmett Perkins

            Lou Krugman as Jack Santo

            James Philbrook as Bruce King

            Bartlett Robinson as District Attorney

            Gage Clarke as Richard Tibrow

            Joe De Santis as Al Matthews

            John Marley as Father Devers

            Raymond Bailey as San Quentin Warden

            Alice Backes as San Quentin Nurse

            Gertrude Flynn as San Quentin Matron

            Russell Thorson as Sergeant

            Dabbs Greer as San Quentin Captain

            Stafford Repp as Sergeant

            Gavin MacLeod as Lieutenant

            Olive Blakeney as Corona warden

            Peter Breck as Ben Miranda

            Art Farmer
            
            Brett Halsey
            
            Wendell Holmes as Detective

            Jason Johnson as Bixel

            Rusty Lane as Judge

            S. John Launer as San Quentin officer

            Shelly Manne as Musician

            Marion Marshall as Rita

            Red Mitchell
            
            Gerry Mulligan
            
            George Putnam as Himself [uncredited]

            Evelyn Scott as Personal effects clerk

            Dan Sheridan as Police broadcaster

            Lorna Thayer as Corona guard

            Jack Weston as NCO

            Bill Stout as Newsman

            Phillip Coolidge
            
See full cast