You Only Live Once (1937)

January 23, 1937 (US) • Crime, Drama, Romance • 86m

Overview

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.

Director

Fritz Lang

Writers

Gene Towne, C. Graham Baker

Top Billed

Sylvia Sidney

Keywords

based on true story film noir ex-con wrongful conviction on the lam

Where to watch

Free / Included

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Shout! Factory Amazon Channel

Cineverse Amazon Channel

Rent

Amazon Video

Buy

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Top Billed Cast

Sylvia Sidney

Joan Graham

Henry Fonda

Eddie Taylor

Barton MacLane

Stephen Whitney

Jean Dixon

Bonnie Graham

William Gargan

Father Dolan

Jerome Cowan

Dr. Hill

Charles 'Chic' Sale

Ethan

Margaret Hamilton

Hester

Warren Hymer

Buggsy

Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams

Rogers

John Wray

Warden Wheeler

Walter De Palma

Monk Mendall (uncredited)

Ward Bond

Casey - Guard (uncredited)

Jack Carson

Attendant in First Gas Station

Shirley Coates

Ethel (uncredited)

Dick Elliott

Newspaper Editor (uncredited)

Jonathan Hale

District Attorney (uncredited)

Ethan Laidlaw

Tommy, a Prison Guard (uncredited)

Franklyn Farnum

Plainclothesman (uncredited)

James Flavin

State Trooper (uncredited)

Chuck Hamilton

Armored Car Guard Unloading Money (uncredited)

Earl Askam

Corridor Guard (uncredited)

Hooper Atchley

Teletype Operator (uncredited)

Stanley Blystone

Rafferty - Guard (uncredited)

Wade Boteler

Pat - Policeman with Package (uncredited)

Al Bridge

Guard (uncredited)

Don Brodie

Compositor (uncredited)

Raymond Brown

Engineer (uncredited)

George Burton

Convict Waiter (uncredited)

Jack Cheatham

Prison Hospital Guard (uncredited)

Russ Clark

Officer (uncredited)

David Clyde

Fireman (uncredited)

Harry Cording

Guard (uncredited)

Hal Craig

Bank Guard (uncredited)

Edgar Dearing

State Trooper Firing Machine Gun (uncredited)

Mary Anne Durkin

Warden's 14-Year-Old Daughter (uncredited)

Malcolm Graham

Warden's Secretary (uncredited)

Frank Hagney

Plainclothesman (uncredited)

Al K. Hall

Man in Auto Court Office (uncredited)

Ben Hall

Messenger with Package (uncredited)

Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian

Williams' Assistant (uncredited)

Jack Herrick

Convict Watching Baseball Game (uncredited)

Herbert Heywood

Brakeman in Diner (uncredited)

Al Hill

Attendant in Second Gas Station (uncredited)

Stanley King

Convict (uncredited)

Stanley Mack

Male Nurse (uncredited)

Wally Maher

Attendant in Second Gas Station (uncredited)

Frank Mills

Man Telling Eddie of Phone Call (uncredited)

Ted Oliver

State Trooper (uncredited)

William Pawley

Mr. Williams (uncredited)

Lee Phelps

Corridor Guard (uncredited)

James Pierce

Guard (uncredited)

Lon Poff

Halsey (uncredited)

Stanley Price

Sparks - Man in Diner (uncredited)

Mickey Rentschler

Ten-Year-Old Boy (uncredited)

William Ruhl

Guard (uncredited)

Allen D. Sewall

Chess-Playing Convict (uncredited)

Robert St. Angelo

Corridor Guard (uncredited)

Amzie Strickland

Young Woman (uncredited)

Henry Taylor

Kozderonas - Apple Vendor (uncredited)

Monte Vandergrift

Traffic Policeman (uncredited)

Max Wagner

Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)

Kathrin Clare Ward

Blonde Cook in Diner (uncredited)

E. Alyn Warren

Prison Chef (uncredited)

Lillian West

Mother (uncredited)

Charles Cahill Wilson

Police Inspector (uncredited)

Harry Wilson

Convict Watching Baseball Game (uncredited)

Crew

Frank Maher

Sound

Alfred Newman

Music Director

Frank Hagney

Stunts

Fritz Lang

Director

Gene Towne

Screenplay

C. Graham Baker

Screenplay

Walter Wanger

Executive Producer

Alfred Newman

Original Music Composer

Leon Shamroy

Director of Photography

Daniel Mandell

Editor

Alexander Toluboff

Art Direction

Helen Taylor

Costume Design

Chuck Hamilton

Stunts

Burnett Guffey

Assistant Camera

Hugo Friedhofer

Additional Music

Raffaello Penso

Music

Walter Wanger

Presenter

Hazel Adams

Stand In

Vance Griffith

Stand In

Joe Kenny

Stand In

Robert Mitchell

Stand In

Isabelle Sheridan

Stand In

Frank Maher

Sound Designer

Robert Lee

Assistant Director

Reviews

John Chard

⭐ 9/10

June 14, 2014

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

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Titanic

Saving Private Ryan

The Crash

The Intouchables

Status

Released

Original Language

Budget

$575

Revenue

—

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You Only Live Once (1937)

Gene Towne, C. Graham Baker

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

John Chard

Recommended Movies

Titanic

Saving Private Ryan

The Crash

The Intouchables

Status

Original Language

Budget

Revenue

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