Summary
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.
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 C. Wilson
Police Inspector (uncredited)
Harry Wilson
Convict Watching Baseball Game (uncredited)
Crew
Director
Fritz Lang
Screenplay
C. Graham Baker
Screenplay
Gene Towne
Reviews
John Chard
June 14, 2014
9
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
Media
Status:
Released
Original Language:
English
Budget:
$575.00
Revenue:
$0.00
