With 'I Want to Live!" Susan Hayward finally won her Oscar (on her 5th nomination) for playing Barbara Graham (1923-1955), the 3rd woman executed by gas chamber in California. Graham, whose criminal history included prostituton, check fraud, parole violation and perjury, but previously never anything violent, was convicted of first degree murder in the death of Mabel Monohan, a widow who Graham and three others were attempting home invasion robbery upon.
Graham always maintained her innocence on the murder charge. Edward S. Montgomery, a Pulitzer Prize winning reporter who covered the case, and on whose work this film is partiality based (though in some areas the film takes great liberties) at first thought her gulity, then changed his mind and became an advocate for commuting her death sentence. Interestingly Ms. Hayward, who gave Ms. Graham a rather sympathetic performance in the film, gave an interview late in life where she acknowledged that her personal research on the matter lead her to conclude that Barbara was in fact guilty of the murder.
The film itself takes no position on Graham's guilt or innocence, but rather presents her as largely a victim of circumstance who was done wrong by the legal system on procedural grounds. The film is capably directed by Robert Wise in the semi-documemtary style of many a 'serious' film of the 40's and 50's, which is not a style I love. Hayward is strong, she makes the film, though shout out to Theodore Bikel who steals his scenes in a small role as a terminally ill psychologist who believes Graham innocent. ***
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