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CrimeDramaRomance

You Only Live Once

- A terrifying drama of love and murder!

Based partially on the story of Bonnie and Clyde, Eddie Taylor is an ex-convict who cannot get a break after being released from prison. When he is framed for murder, Taylor is forced to flee with his wife Joan Graham and baby. While escaping prison after being sentenced to death, Taylor becomes a real murderer, condemning himself and Joan to a life of crime and death on the road.

Release Date : 1937-01-23

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Walter Wanger ProductionsUnited Artists

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Sylvia Sidney

Character Name : Joan Graham

Original Name : Sylvia Sidney

Gender : Female

Henry Fonda

Character Name : Eddie Taylor

Original Name : Henry Fonda

Gender : Male

Barton MacLane

Character Name : Stephen Whitney

Original Name : Barton MacLane

Gender : Male

Jean Dixon

Character Name : Bonnie Graham

Original Name : Jean Dixon

Gender : Female

William Gargan

Character Name : Father Dolan

Original Name : William Gargan

Gender : Male

Jerome Cowan

Character Name : Dr. Hill

Original Name : Jerome Cowan

Gender : Male

Charles 'Chic' Sale

Character Name : Ethan

Original Name : Charles 'Chic' Sale

Gender : Male

Margaret Hamilton

Character Name : Hester

Original Name : Margaret Hamilton

Gender : Female

Warren Hymer

Character Name : Buggsy

Original Name : Warren Hymer

Gender : Male

Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

Character Name : Rogers

Original Name : Guinn "Big Boy" Williams

Gender : Male

John Wray

Character Name : Warden Wheeler

Original Name : John Wray

Gender : Male

Walter De Palma

Character Name : Monk Mendall (uncredited)

Original Name : Walter De Palma

Gender : Male

Ward Bond

Character Name : Casey - Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Ward Bond

Gender : Male

Jack Carson

Character Name : Attendant in First Gas Station

Original Name : Jack Carson

Gender : Male

Shirley Coates

Character Name : Ethel (uncredited)

Original Name : Shirley Coates

Gender : Male

Dick Elliott

Character Name : Newspaper Editor (uncredited)

Original Name : Dick Elliott

Gender : Male

Jonathan Hale

Character Name : District Attorney (uncredited)

Original Name : Jonathan Hale

Gender : Male

Ethan Laidlaw

Character Name : Tommy, a Prison Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Ethan Laidlaw

Gender : Male

Franklyn Farnum

Character Name : Plainclothesman (uncredited)

Original Name : Franklyn Farnum

Gender : Male

James Flavin

Character Name : State Trooper (uncredited)

Original Name : James Flavin

Gender : Male

Chuck Hamilton

Character Name : Armored Car Guard Unloading Money (uncredited)

Original Name : Chuck Hamilton

Gender : Male

Earl Askam

Character Name : Corridor Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Earl Askam

Gender : Male

Hooper Atchley

Character Name : Teletype Operator (uncredited)

Original Name : Hooper Atchley

Gender : Male

Stanley Blystone

Character Name : Rafferty - Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley Blystone

Gender : Male

Wade Boteler

Character Name : Pat - Policeman with Package (uncredited)

Original Name : Wade Boteler

Gender : Male

Al Bridge

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Bridge

Gender : Male

Don Brodie

Character Name : Compositor (uncredited)

Original Name : Don Brodie

Gender : Male

Raymond Brown

Character Name : Engineer (uncredited)

Original Name : Raymond Brown

Gender : Male

George Burton

Character Name : Convict Waiter (uncredited)

Original Name : George Burton

Gender : Male

Jack Cheatham

Character Name : Prison Hospital Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Cheatham

Gender : Male

Russ Clark

Character Name : Officer (uncredited)

Original Name : Russ Clark

Gender : Male

David Clyde

Character Name : Fireman (uncredited)

Original Name : David Clyde

Gender : Male

Harry Cording

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Cording

Gender : Male

Hal Craig

Character Name : Bank Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Hal Craig

Gender : Male

Edgar Dearing

Character Name : State Trooper Firing Machine Gun (uncredited)

Original Name : Edgar Dearing

Gender : Male

Mary Anne Durkin

Character Name : Warden's 14-Year-Old Daughter (uncredited)

Original Name : Mary Anne Durkin

Gender : Female

Malcolm Graham

Character Name : Warden's Secretary (uncredited)

Original Name : Malcolm Graham

Gender : Male

Frank Hagney

Character Name : Plainclothesman (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Hagney

Gender : Male

Al K. Hall

Character Name : Man in Auto Court Office (uncredited)

Original Name : Al K. Hall

Gender : Male

Ben Hall

Character Name : Messenger with Package (uncredited)

Original Name : Ben Hall

Gender : Male

Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian

Character Name : Williams' Assistant (uncredited)

Original Name : Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian

Gender : Male

Jack Herrick

Character Name : Convict Watching Baseball Game (uncredited)

Original Name : Jack Herrick

Gender : Male

Herbert Heywood

Character Name : Brakeman in Diner (uncredited)

Original Name : Herbert Heywood

Gender : Male

Al Hill

Character Name : Attendant in Second Gas Station (uncredited)

Original Name : Al Hill

Gender : Male

Stanley King

Character Name : Convict (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley King

Gender : Male

Stanley Mack

Character Name : Male Nurse (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley Mack

Gender : Male

Wally Maher

Character Name : Attendant in Second Gas Station (uncredited)

Original Name : Wally Maher

Gender : Male

Frank Mills

Character Name : Man Telling Eddie of Phone Call (uncredited)

Original Name : Frank Mills

Gender : Male

Ted Oliver

Character Name : State Trooper (uncredited)

Original Name : Ted Oliver

Gender : Male

William Pawley

Character Name : Mr. Williams (uncredited)

Original Name : William Pawley

Gender : Male

Lee Phelps

Character Name : Corridor Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Lee Phelps

Gender : Male

James Pierce

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : James Pierce

Gender : Male

Lon Poff

Character Name : Halsey (uncredited)

Original Name : Lon Poff

Gender : Male

Stanley Price

Character Name : Sparks - Man in Diner (uncredited)

Original Name : Stanley Price

Gender : Male

Mickey Rentschler

Character Name : Ten-Year-Old Boy (uncredited)

Original Name : Mickey Rentschler

Gender : Male

William Ruhl

Character Name : Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : William Ruhl

Gender : Male

Allen D. Sewall

Character Name : Chess-Playing Convict (uncredited)

Original Name : Allen D. Sewall

Gender : Male

Robert St. Angelo

Character Name : Corridor Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Robert St. Angelo

Gender : Male

Amzie Strickland

Character Name : Young Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Amzie Strickland

Gender : Female

Henry Taylor

Character Name : Kozderonas - Apple Vendor (uncredited)

Original Name : Henry Taylor

Gender : Male

Monte Vandergrift

Character Name : Traffic Policeman (uncredited)

Original Name : Monte Vandergrift

Gender : Male

Max Wagner

Character Name : Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)

Original Name : Max Wagner

Gender : Male

Kathrin Clare Ward

Character Name : Blonde Cook in Diner (uncredited)

Original Name : Kathrin Clare Ward

Gender : Female

E. Alyn Warren

Character Name : Prison Chef (uncredited)

Original Name : E. Alyn Warren

Gender : Male

Lillian West

Character Name : Mother (uncredited)

Original Name : Lillian West

Gender : Female

Charles C. Wilson

Character Name : Police Inspector (uncredited)

Original Name : Charles C. Wilson

Gender : Male

Harry Wilson

Character Name : Convict Watching Baseball Game (uncredited)

Original Name : Harry Wilson

Gender : Male

Reviews

J

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Eddie and Joan were two good looking people… You Only Live Once is directed by Fritz Lang and written by C. Graham Baker and Gene Towne. It stars Sylvia Sidney, Henry Fonda, Barton MacLane, Jean Dixon and William Gargan. Music is by Alfred Newman and cinematography by Leon Shamroy. He has been pounding on the door of that execution chamber since the day he was born. One of Fritz Lang's first American productions is a cracker-jack proto-noir, a leading light (darkly shaded of course) in the sub-genre of fugitive lovers on the lam pictures. Story leans on the legend of Bonnie and Clyde and finds Fonda as three times jailbird Eddie Taylor. After strings are pulled and promises made, Eddie gets released into the arms of his adoring gal, Jo Graham (Sidney). Determined to go straight and settle down with Jo, Eddie finds a society not ready to forgive and forget, worst still, he's old comrades in criminal arms have cooked something up and it's not going to be good news for Eddie. Cue the Romeo & Juliet factor as two lovers love each other so much they will stop at nothing to be together and to try and make the other one happy. Lang brings his expressionistic bent to the tragi noir tale, drifting fogs, mists and spider web shadows across key scenes. Canted angles feature, reflections in a psychological eye also play their part, while the protection of animals theme – and the continuing frog motif - further strengthens the otherworldly – cum - nightmarish aura that so often permeated Lang's movies. The action scenes are deftly marshalled by the director, with a smoke grenade led robbery and a prison escape particularly worthy of luring you to the end of your seat. Lang also gets fine performances from his lead actors, Sidney is not done too many favours by the screenplay, where she is saddled with one of those compliant love interest roles, but she brings a quality to her scenes with Fonda that earns respect. Fonda is great in what is a two-fold role, shifting skilfully between a tender lover to an embittered man, he's a triumphant fulcrum for all the various strands that Lang is weaving together. It has been argued that it's a film that's too morally grey, but as film noir lovers will tell you, this is no bad thing, especially when Lang marries up his superb visuals with alienation, fatalism and pessimism. Historically important to film noir and Lang fans, You Only Live Once is an ambiguous gem. 9/10