You Only Live Once (1937)
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- Passed
- 1h 26min
- Crime, Drama
- 29 Jan 1937 (USA)
- Movie
The public defender's secretary and an ex-convict get married and try to make a life together, but a series of disasters sends their lives spiraling out of control.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Sylvia Sidney | ... |
Joan Graham
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| Henry Fonda | ... |
Eddie Taylor
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| Barton MacLane | ... |
Stephen Whitney
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| Jean Dixon | ... |
Bonnie Graham
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| William Gargan | ... |
Father Dolan
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| Jerome Cowan | ... |
Dr. Hill
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| Charles 'Chic' Sale | ... |
Ethan
(as Chic Sale)
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| Margaret Hamilton | ... |
Hester
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| Warren Hymer | ... |
Buggsy
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| Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams | ... |
Rogers
(as Guinn Williams)
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| John Wray | ... |
Warden
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| Walter De Palma | ... |
Monk
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Earl Askam | ... |
Corridor Guard (uncredited)
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| Hooper Atchley | ... |
Teletype Operator (uncredited)
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Allen Black | ... |
Baby Taylor (uncredited)
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| Stanley Blystone | ... |
Rafferty - Guard (uncredited)
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| Ward Bond | ... |
Casey - Guard (uncredited)
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| Wade Boteler | ... |
Pat - Policeman with Package (uncredited)
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| Al Bridge | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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| Don Brodie | ... |
Compositor (uncredited)
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Raymond Brown | ... |
Engineer (uncredited)
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George Burton | ... |
Convict Waiter (uncredited)
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| Jack Carson | ... |
Attendant in First Gas Station (uncredited)
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| Jack Cheatham | ... |
Prison Hospital Guard (uncredited)
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Russ Clark | ... |
Officer (uncredited)
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| David Clyde | ... |
Fireman (uncredited)
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Shirley Coates | ... |
Ethel (uncredited)
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| Harry Cording | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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Hal Craig | ... |
Bank Guard (uncredited)
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| Edgar Dearing | ... |
State Trooper Firing Machine Gun (uncredited)
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Mary Anne Durkin | ... |
Warden's 14-Year-Old Daughter (uncredited)
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| Dick Elliott | ... |
City Editor (uncredited)
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| Franklyn Farnum | ... |
Plainclothesman (uncredited)
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| James Flavin | ... |
State Trooper (uncredited)
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Malcolm Graham | ... |
Warden's Secretary (uncredited)
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| Frank Hagney | ... |
Plainclothesman (uncredited)
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| Jonathan Hale | ... |
District Attorney (uncredited)
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Al K. Hall | ... |
Man in Auto Court Office (uncredited)
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Ben Hall | ... |
Messenger with Package (uncredited)
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| Chuck Hamilton | ... |
Armored Car Guard Unloading Money (uncredited)
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Oscar 'Dutch' Hendrian | ... |
Williams' Assistant (uncredited)
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Jack Herrick | ... |
Convict Watching Baseball Game (uncredited)
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Herbert Heywood | ... |
Brakeman in Diner (uncredited)
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| Al Hill | ... |
Attendant in Second Gas Station (uncredited)
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Earl 'Hap' Hogan | ... |
Trusty (uncredited)
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Betty Ruth Huff | ... |
Eight-Year-Old Girl (uncredited)
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Stanley King | ... |
Convict (uncredited)
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| Ethan Laidlaw | ... |
Tony aka Tommy - a Guard (uncredited)
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Robert Lee | ... |
Jason (uncredited)
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Stanley Mack | ... |
Male Nurse (uncredited)
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Wally Maher | ... |
Attendant in Second Gas Station (uncredited)
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| Frank Mills | ... |
Man Telling Eddie of Phone Call (uncredited)
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Roberta Mountjoy | ... |
Warden's Eight-Year-Old Daughter (uncredited)
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Ted Oliver | ... |
State Trooper (uncredited)
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William Pawley | ... |
Mr. Williams (uncredited)
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Lee Phelps | ... |
Corridor Guard (uncredited)
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| James Pierce | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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| Lon Poff | ... |
Halsey (uncredited)
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| Stanley Price | ... |
Sparks - Man in Diner (uncredited)
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| Mickey Rentschler | ... |
Ten-Year-Old Boy (uncredited)
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William Ruhl | ... |
Guard (uncredited)
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Allen D. Sewall | ... |
Chess-Playing Convict (uncredited)
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| Claire Sinclair | ... |
Mrs. Wheeler (uncredited)
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| Robert St. Angelo | ... |
Corridor Guard (uncredited)
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Jean Stoddard | ... |
Stenographer (uncredited)
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| Amzie Strickland | ... |
Young Woman (uncredited)
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| Henry Taylor | ... |
Kozderonas - Apple Vendor (uncredited)
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| Monte Vandergrift | ... |
Traffic Policeman (uncredited)
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| Max Wagner | ... |
Dan - Corridor Guard (uncredited)
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| Kathrin Clare Ward | ... |
Blonde Cook in Diner (uncredited)
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| E. Alyn Warren | ... |
Prison Chef (uncredited)
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Lillian West | ... |
Mother (uncredited)
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| Charles C. Wilson | ... |
Police Inspector (uncredited)
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| Harry Wilson | ... |
Convict Watching Baseball Game (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Fritz Lang | ||
Written by
| Gene Towne | ... | (screenplay) & |
| C. Graham Baker | ... | (screenplay) (as Graham Baker) |
Produced by
| Walter Wanger | ... | executive producer (uncredited) |
Music by
| Alfred Newman | ... | (uncredited) |
Cinematography by
| Leon Shamroy | ... | (photographed by) |
Editing by
| Daniel Mandell | ||
Art Direction by
| Alexander Toluboff | ||
Costume Design by
| Helen Taylor | ||
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Robert Lee | ... | assistant director |
Sound Department
| Frank Maher | ... | sound |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Burnett Guffey | ... | assistant camera (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Eugene Joseff | ... | costume jeweller (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Alfred Newman | ... | musical director |
| Hugo Friedhofer | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) |
| Raffaello Penso | ... | composer: stock music (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Walter Wanger | ... | presenter |
| Hazel Adams | ... | stand-in: Sylvia Sidney (uncredited) |
| Vance Griffith | ... | stand-in: Barton MacLane (uncredited) |
| Joe Kenny | ... | stand-in: William Gargan (uncredited) |
| Robert Mitchell | ... | stand-in: Henry Fonda (uncredited) |
| Isabelle Sheridan | ... | stand-in: Jean Dixon (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- United Artists (1937) (United States) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1937) (Canada) (theatrical) (as United Artists Corporation, Ltd.)
- United Artists (1937) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as United Artists Corporation, Ltd.)
- United Artists (Australasia) (1937) (Australia) (theatrical)
- Les Artistes Associés (1937) (France) (theatrical)
- Artisti Associati (1937) (Italy) (theatrical)
- United Artists (1937) (Sweden) (theatrical) (as United Artists A/B)
- Los Artistas Unidos de América del Sur (1937) (Argentina) (theatrical)
- Masterpiece Productions (1948) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Monark Film (1950) (Sweden) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Masterpiece Productions (1950) (United States) (tv)
- New Star Film (1951) (Belgium) (theatrical) (reissue)
- Yleisradio (YLE) (1960) (Finland) (tv)
- Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1970) (Finland) (tv) (as MTV1)
- NHK-BS2 (1991) (Japan) (tv)
- Image Entertainment (2003) (United States) (DVD)
- Emerald (2006) (Argentina) (DVD) (as part of the pack 'Sendas torcidas / Sólo se vive una vez')
- Kinowelt Home Entertainment (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
- Sandrew Metronome Distribution (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
- Kadokawa (2020) (Japan) (Blu-ray)
- The Criterion Channel (2021) (United States) (tv) (digital)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
Joan is the secretary to the public defender in a large city. She is in love with a career criminal named Eddie, and she believes that he is a basically good person who just had some tough breaks. She uses her influence to get him released early, and he tries to go straight after marrying her, but things don't work out, and they both go on the lam.
Written by Tim Horrigan |
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| Taglines | Here's stark, spell-binding drama...raw, human, fervent...speaking right out -- pulling no punches...a dramatic thunderbolt that will shock you right out of your smugness! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $575,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | While his previous film Fury (1936) -- his first American film -- had gone down well with critics, the Hollywood brass were unsure what to make of Fritz Lang and his politicized films. To the rescue came his Fury star Sylvia Sidney, who loved working with him and urged her producer Walter Wanger to consider him for the directing job on this film. Ironically, Lang gained a reputation on this film for being difficult to work with, resulting in his not working for another 18 months. See more » |
| Goofs | At about the 30 minute mark, Eddie is looking out the window of the flophouse with a cigarette between the fingers of his right hand. A man enters, telling him that there's a phone call for him. Eddie flicks the cigarette out the window, but the next shot shows him running down the stairs with it still between the fingers of his right hand where it remains for the entire phone conversation until he drops it to the floor. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into Dillinger (1945). See more » |
| Soundtracks | A Thousand Dreams of You See more » |
| Quotes |
Joan Graham:
Anywhere's our home. On the road. Out there on a cold star. Anywhere's our home. See more » |