Henry Fonda gets the role of a lifetime as Eddie Taylor, who gets out of jail, only to go right back for a crime that he didn't commit. Practically the only person on his side is his wife Joan Graham (Sylvia Sidney). They have to spend the rest of the movie trying to flee the law.
"You Only Live Once" not only looks at the flaws in our criminal justice system, but also shows hope amid desperation. Fritz Lang uses the same kinds of camera angles that made "Die Nibelungen", "M" and "The Big Heat" so great. Also starring are Barton MacLane - who later played Gen. Peterson on "I Dream of Jeannie" - and Margaret Hamilton (aka The Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz"). A perfect movie.