I Want to Live!

Critics Consensus

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92%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 13

83%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 2,204

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Movie Info

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.

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Cast

Susan Hayward
as Barbara Graham
Simon Oakland
as Ed Montgomery
Theodore Bikel
as Carl G.G. Palmberg
Virginia Vincent
as Peg
Wesley Lau
as Henry Graham
Phillip Coolidge
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
Dabbs Greer
as San Quentin Captain
Raymond Bailey
as Warden
Alice Backes
as Nurse
Gertrude Flynn
as Matron
Russell Thorson
as Sergeant
Stafford Repp
as Sergeant
Gavin MacLeod
as Lieutenant
Peter Breck
as Ben Miranda
Marion Marshall
as Rita
Olive Blakeney
as Corona warden
Lorna Thayer
as Corona guard
Evelyn Scott
as Personal effects clerk
Jack Weston
as NCO
Leonard Bell
as San Francisco Hood
George Putnam
as Himself
Bill Stout
as Newsman
Brett Halsey
Jason Johnson
as Bixel
Rusty Lane
as Judge
S. John Launer
as San Quentin officer
Dan Sheridan
as Police broadcaster
Wendell Holmes
as Detective
Gerry Mulligan
as Musician
Art Farmer
as Musician
Bud Shank
as Musician
Frank Rosolino
as Musician
Pete Jolly
as Musician
Red Mitchell
as Musician
Shelly Manne
as Musician
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Critic Reviews for I Want to Live!

All Critics (13)

View All Critic Reviews (13)

Audience Reviews for I Want to Live!

  • Oct 23, 2013
    Wow! Susan Hayward really blows the lid of this before-its-time film. Hayward's character is just full of surprises as a survivor seemingly willing to do anything in order to live. Great acting.
    John B Super Reviewer
  • Sep 02, 2012
    Robert Wise's venture conveying that the truth can be adjusted. Quite a deceptive story of miscarriage of justice for someone who learns about this factual case from the movie. And Susan Hayward's performance was way too mediocre to be Oscar-worthy. As a work of fiction based on actual events, the movie isn't an absolute rubbish. The last half hour is a drag, though.
    familiar s Super Reviewer
  • Jan 25, 2009
    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 Want to Live 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.
    Randy T Super Reviewer
  • Aug 07, 2007
    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 Want to Live stands out for one enormous 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 its Susan Hayward's heart-wrenching portrayal that will haunt you long after the movie has ended. She won an Oscar for this performance and deserved every bit of it.
    Kevin S Super Reviewer
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