gavin6942 The public defender's secretary (Sylvia Sidney) and an ex-convict (Henry Fonda) get married and try to make a life together, but a series of disasters sends their lives spiraling out of control.When Fritz Lang came to America, he seemed to specialize in film noir. This was one of his earliest films. Unfortunately, because of the censors, we will likely never get to see his proper vision... as much as fifteen minutes have been cut for violence. Today, these scenes would probably be considered tame or laughable.The film today may be in the public domain (this is unclear), as the available copies are not as crisp as they could be (though not nearly as bad as hey could be, either). The film recorded a loss of $48,045, which is rather startling in retrospect -- how could Lang or Fonda be attached to a box office bomb?

nomoons11 I'll start off by saying that this film didn't really do a whole lot for me. It wasn't badly made it just was one of those ones that so graced the 30's that was about how bad the system was and no one could get a fair shake...i.e...the little guy can't win...problem is, this guy in this one over reacts to everything and just about gets what he deserves in the end.Sure in a perfect world the judicial system wouldn't be wrong ever. We don't live in that world. We're suppose to feel sorry for this guy who's a 3 time loser who goes through a few breaks after he gets out of prison but consistently makes bad decisions that get him back in prison. Of course he goes back to prison to get a death sentence for a crime he didn't do.To get him the point he gets to at the end of this film he first gets a job and in the first few days he gets out he decides to stop and look for a house for him and his girlfriend. He doesn't even consider that he's 90 minutes late checking in for his truck route. The boss fires him and he can't get a job. He starts to hang around his old cohort but doesn't go back to his life a crime. His cohort robs an armored car and kills 6 people. This friend of his decides to steal his hat before the crime and it's left at the scene to implicate him.From here on out we get "The Wrong Man" and "Bonnie and Clyde". If you were anything like me you won't feel a bit sorry for Eddie and his girlfriend in the end. It seems like they just walked into all of this by bad decisions.Decent film but it wasn't very moving. Try "I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang " or "Each Dawn I Die" for a better look into the wrong man imprisoned. This one's just a time piece with Henry Fonda, Sylvia Sydney and Fritz Lang tied to it. Whether you think it's "Crime doesn't Pay" type of film or even a "Wronged Man" film...it won't matter...just an average watch for me.

Boba_Fett1138 Fritz Lang is a director with an immensely big reputation, which has everything to do with his movies "Metropolis" and "M" but in all truth and honesty, most of his other movies were were merely average ones. This one included. It's a good movie but nothing about this movie makes it a special one or a must-see really.It has a decent enough story but definitely not a solid or credible one. The movie is being a bit melodramatic and forced with all of its events and emotions but then again, this really wasn't that uncommon for an 1930's movie. I liked some of the places the movie was taken its story but then the movie would do something stupid and silly again, which took me out of the movie and prevented me from connecting to its characters and everything that is going on with them.The movie ultimately tries to present itself as a love story, with only one big crime and dramatic twist to it. The combination of all these elements does work out well enough and also original. It still makes "You Only Live Once" definitely a good watch and for its time it also really isn't a bad attempt. The story works sort of renewing and original and also the twists and turns in it make this far from the typical genre attempt, from about that same time period this movie got made in.It takes some good approach with its directing and cinematography, which at times make you forget you are watching an '30's movie here. The movie can feel quite modern and raw at times, also because it's not a movie that is constantly busy with trying to wrap things up needly and create an happy ending for all of its main characters.The movie features a young Henry Fonda, with still lots of hair. It's one of his earliest movie roles and funny thing about him is that he never really played secondary characters but always had been the main lead, ever since the start of his acting career. And why not. He definitely had the right required skills and also looks for it and he also was quite good in this movie. Even though the story gets melodramatic at times, the actors still aren't overacting and keep things as real as possible. It's the reason why "You Only Live Once" still works out good and effectively, for most part.A good movie to watch but at the same time also one you could easily do without ever seeing.7/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

J. Spurlin Joan Graham is the secretary for Stephen Witney, an honest and dedicated public defender, who succeeds in doing something he would almost rather not do: get Joan's sweetheart, Eddie Taylor, out of prison. Eddie is a good man, but Joan's sister, Bonnie, and Stephen both agree that he is no good for Joan. Eddie was born trouble. Joan and Eddie get married and set out to prove the naysayers wrong. Eddie gets a good, steady job as a truck driver; but a series of disasters sends his life spiraling out of control and the fiercely loyal Joan's along with it.Fritz Lang directs this hard-hitting melodrama and, as always, fills it with striking images. The shot of Eddie (Henry Fonda) in his cell, with the shadows of the bars reaching out to meet the bored and uninterested guard, stands out. The shots of a wide-eyed and desperate Fonda asking Joan (Sylvia Sidney) for a gun are a triumph for Lang, Fonda and Lang's cinematographer, Leon Shamroy. Lang also gets excellent work out of his editor, Daniel Mandell, who helps Lang to juxtapose images in a suggestive way, e.g. the shots of the frogs with shots of Joan and Eddie.Standing back from the film and looking at is as a whole makes it something of a marvel. We begin with light comedy, proceed to an adorable romance and then follow the characters as their lives - and the film itself - grows steadily darker.