I Want to Live! (1958)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Robert Wise

Writers:

Nelson Gidding (screenplay) and
Don Mankiewicz (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

18 November 1958 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Barbara Graham's Last Scream From Gas Chamber...

Plot:

Barbara Graham is a woman with dubious moral standards, often a guest in seedy bars. She has been sentenced for some petty crimes...

Plot Keywords:

Police | Bar | Execution | Newlywed | Femme Fatale

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 7 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Susan Hayward	...	Barbara Graham
Simon Oakland	...	Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery
Virginia Vincent	...	Peg
Theodore Bikel	...	Carl G.G. Palmberg
Wesley Lau	...	Henry L. Graham
Philip Coolidge	...	Emmett Perkins
Lou Krugman	...	John R. 'Jack' Santo
James Philbrook	...	Bruce King
Bartlett Robinson	...	District Attorney Milton
Gage Clarke	...	Attorney Richard G. Tibrow
Joe De Santis	...	Al Matthews
John Marley	...	Father Devers
Raymond Bailey	...	San Quentin Warden
Alice Backes	...	Barbara, San Quentin Nurse
Gertrude Flynn	...	San Quentin Matron
Russell Thorson	...	San Quentin Sgt.
Dabbs Greer	...	San Quentin Capt.
Stafford Repp	...	Police Sgt.
Gavin MacLeod	...	Police Lt.
Wendell Holmes	...	Detective
Gerry Mulligan	...	Jazz Combo Member
Shelly Manne	...	Jazz Combo Member
Red Mitchell	...	Jazz Combo Member
Art Farmer	...	Jazz Combo Member
Frank Rosolino	...	Jazz Combo Member
Pete Jolly	...	Jazz Combo Member
Bud Shank	...	Jazz Combo Member
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Leonard Bell	...	San Francisco hood (uncredited)
Olive Blakeney	...	Corona warden (uncredited)
Peter Breck	...	Ben Miranda (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Man in Photo with Barbara and Peg (uncredited)
King Donovan	...	(uncredited)
Lew Gallo	...	Undercover Cop at Bar (uncredited)
Paul Genge	...	Police Inspector (uncredited)
Brett Halsey	...	Sailor at party (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Loafer with Cigar (uncredited)
Jason Johnson	...	Bixel, the Landlord (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Reporter in Courtroom (uncredited)
Mike Lally	...	Reporter in Courtroom (uncredited)
Rusty Lane	...	Judge (uncredited)
S. John Launer	...	San Quentin officer (uncredited)
Len Lesser	...	Charlie, Newspaperman (uncredited)
Jon Lormer	...	San Quentin Doctor (uncredited)
Herbert Lytton	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
James Maloney	...	Prison Dentist (uncredited)
Marion Marshall	...	Rita (uncredited)
Ken Mayer	...	Drunk at Party (uncredited)
William Mims	...	Sucker at Card Game (uncredited)
Joe Ploski	...	Courtroom Spectator (uncredited)
George Putnam	...	Himself - TV Newsman (uncredited)
Gene Roth	...	Eric, Machinist (uncredited)
Herman Rudin	...	(uncredited)
Evelyn Scott	...	Personal effects clerk (uncredited)
Dan Sheridan	...	Police broadcaster (uncredited)
Bill Stout	...	Himself - TV Newsman (uncredited)
Hope Summers	...	Ethel, Policewoman on bus (uncredited)
Hal Taggart	...	Juror (uncredited)
Lorna Thayer	...	Corona guard (uncredited)
Jack Weston	...	NCO at Party (uncredited)
Than Wyenn	...	San Francisico hood (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Wise

Writing credits
Nelson Gidding		(screenplay) and
Don Mankiewicz		(screenplay) (as Don M. Mankiewicz)
Ed Montgomery		(newspaper articles)
Barbara Graham		(letters)

Produced by
Walter Wanger	....	producer

Original Music by
Johnny Mandel		(as John Mandel)

Film Editing by
William Hornbeck

Casting by
Lynn Stalmaster

Set Decoration by
Victor A. Gangelin		(as Victor Gangelin)
Ted Haworth		(settings) (as Edward Haworth)

Makeup Department
Emmy Eckhardt	....	hair stylist
Jack Stone	....	makeup artist
Thomas Tuttle	....	makeup artist (as Tom Tuttle)
Lillian Ugrin	....	hair stylist (as Lillian Hokom Ugrin)

Production Management
Forrest E. Johnston	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
George Vieira	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Fred Lau	....	sound recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Lionel Lindon	....	photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Angela Alexander	....	costumer
Wesley Jeffries	....	costumer

Music Department
Johnny Mandel	....	conductor (as John Mandel)

Other crew
Ed Montgomery	....	presenter (as Edmund S. Montgomery)
Stanley Scheuer	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Figaro

Distributors

• United Artists (1958) (USA) (theatrical)
• ClassicLine (2007) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1968) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Also Known As:

The Barbara Graham Story (USA) (working title)
Anni Rotzah Leich'yot (Israel: Hebrew title) [iw]
Antakaa minun elää! (Finland) [fi]
Jag vill leva (Sweden) [sv]
Je veux vivre! (France) [fr]
Jeg vil leve! (Denmark) [da]
Laßt mich leben (West Germany) [de]
Non voglio morire (Italy) [it]
Quero Viver! (Brazil) [pt]
Quiero vivir (Spain) [es]
Thelo na ziso! (Greece) [el]

Runtime:

120 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Finland:(Banned) (1959) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (original rating) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | West Germany:12 | UK:15 (video rating) (1998) | UK:X (original rating) (cut)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Figaro

Trivia:

Inveterate researcher that he is, Robert Wise was determined to capture every grisly element of an execution for the climax of his movie. He visited San Quentin prison and asked for permission to see the gas chamber and witness an actual execution. After he'd seen it and had his art director photograph it and take measurements for set replication purposes, he was still uncertain about how he would structure the last act. He went back to the prison and made one final request for a detailed account of the entire execution procedure. This is what is painstakingly documented in the movie's climax.

Goofs:

Continuity: Keep an eye on the scene when the cops flush out the bad guys from the warehouse by calling them out one by one. As Graham cleans herself up in the mirror, the right side of her face is shown to be heavily scratched and her left cheek is clear, but as soon as she turns away to give herself up, the pattern is reversed.

Quotes:

Carl G.G. Palmberg: Life's a funny thing.
Barbara Graham: Compared to what?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Golden Girls: Sophia's Wedding: Part 1 (#4.6)" (1988)

Powerful It Is.

Susan Hayward's powerful performance as Barbara Graham has been much written about, and it is the single best part of this film. But there are so many other perfectly pitched performances surrounding her as well, mostly by actors relatively unknown even to film buffs, or early turns by actors whose faces, if not names, did find a national audience--Virginia Vincent as Peg (she played the mother in The Hills Have Eyes), Gas chamber guard Dabbs Greer (the Rev. on Little House on the Prairie and Picket Fences), and especially Raymond Bailey who plays the San Quentin warden. His understated forthrightness and humaneness are a far cry from his later manic turn as Mr Drysdale on The Beverly Hillbillies (with the addition of a toupee). Robert Wise handles the execution preparations with a clinicism that turns the stomach more than any posturing would do, bringing the horror of impending death home. And following the clock's second with a moving camera closeup, instead of just cutting to the clock on the wall, done so many times, is craftsmanship of the highest order.