I Want to Live! (1958)

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 | Parole | Female Bonding | Arrest

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]
Yasamak istiyorum (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]

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:

Based on the life of Barbara Graham, whose murder trial and controversial execution in 1955 made her a cause celebre.

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:

Police Inspector: We have a tough, ugly job to do and you're making it tougher and uglier for all of us.
Barbara Graham: My heart bleeds for you. How can I help you Inspector, buy a few tickets to the policemen's ball?

Movie Connections:

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

A Role That Comes Along Once in a Lifetime

I Want to Live was a film from it's inception was guaranteed to create controversy. There are all kinds of opinions about the death penalty and it's application all over the world. Barbara Graham's story, so fresh in the minds of the movie going public in 1958, was going to be a source of controversy.

Did she actually kill the widow Monahan? The film cleverly sidesteps that issue in the screenplay. What exactly was Graham's role in the botched robbery? All the people who could actually tell us are dead. Should a woman be subject to capital punishment. Ethel Rosenberg went to the electric chair on less evidence than Graham and for a crime that was not a homicide.

But all these questions aside, there is one absolute in this film. Susan Hayward gave a performance that must have been inspired by the angels. From the first half of the film dealing with her early life, the homicide she was charged with until the second half covering her sentence and her attempts to avoid the gas chamber, Hayward will keep you glued to your seat.

I can't imagine another actress in this part. She of course was the Best Actress for 1958, but in my lifetime only Hillary Swank in her role in Boys Don't Cry was the Oscar ever conceded before the envelope was opened at the ceremony. EVERYONE knew that both Hayward and Swank were winners going in, that's how good both of them were.

Susan Hayward was simply the best at her job. She had a number of great parts in Fifties and a few clinkers at the height of her career. But to get the Oscar for the part that was her signature role, made the ceremonies in 1959 a great occasion.

She's got a good cast of supporting players in I Want to Live, Simon Oakland, Theodore Bikel, Wesley Lau, Phillip Coolidge. But it is Hayward's film totally.

A part like Barbara Graham given to an actress like Susan Hayward only comes along once or twice in a lifetime. Don't miss this one, however you feel about capital punishment.