
I Want to Live!
1958 · Movie · NR · 120 min · ★ 6.9 · 89% critics
A troubled woman tries to leave her old life behind, but when she is tied to a murder case, she ends up facing a harsh legal fight and a terrifying wait on death row. The story follows her struggle to be heard as the case draws public attention.
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Details
- Years
- 1958
- Release date
- 1958-11-18
- Language
- English
- Rated
- NR
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 89/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.9/10 (116 votes)
About
You may like this if you want a grim, emotionally intense crime drama with a strong central performance and a focus on public pressure and the justice system; Not for you if you prefer lighter stories or less bleak material, and you might also like Birdman of Alcatraz.
Pros: powerful lead performance; tense courtroom drama; strong period atmosphere | Cons: heavy-handed message; uneven sympathy; some dated moments
Themes
- death penalty
- death row
- biography
- framed for murder
- fallen woman
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1959
- Academy Award — Best Film Editing · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Sound · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Cinematography, Black-and-White · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Actress · 1959 · nominated
Show all 7 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Director · 1959 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1959 · nominated
Cast & crew

Susan Hayward
as Barbara Graham

Simon Oakland
as Edward S. 'Ed' Montgomery

Virginia Vincent
as Peg

Theodore Bikel
as Carl G.G. Palmberg

Wesley Lau
as Henry L. Graham

Philip Coolidge
as Emmett Perkins

Lou Krugman
as John R. 'Jack' Santo

James Philbrook
as Bruce King

Bartlett Robinson
as District Attorney Milton

Gage Clarke
as Attorney Richard G. Tibrow
Directed by Robert Wise