MovieChat Forums > I Want to Live! (1958) Discussion > She's guilty, alright. Guilty of overact...

She's guilty, alright. Guilty of overacting!

posted 16 years ago by Ralph Monroe
28 replies | jump to latest

I can't believe Susan Hayward won an Oscar for her performance in this movie. I mean, it was completely over the top. She actually reminded me of Don Knotts as Barney Fife when he pretended to be a hardened criminal! I gotta believe the only reason she won had more to do with Hollywood's sanctimonious attitude toward liberal causes than Hayward's acting skills. In fact, I think Milburn Drysdale as the prison warden did a better job of acting- he kept a straight face whenever Susan hammed it up.

So, to sum it up in legal terminology: Get lost, you bum.

[–] nzpedals 9 years ago

I can pick poor acting, overacting, amateurs just reading the lines.
SH is terrific, brilliant acting in all the scenes. It's like I was really there watching and listening.
All these negative comments? Maybe they would rather have the imitation/plastic acting of so many current """stars"""
Oh, but why didn't the husband testify? Spite? Out-of-it-drugged?

■-■
...it's a whole lot harder to shine.... than undermine.

[–] pystol007 8 years ago

All actors overacted back then. Nicole Kidman belongs in the 1950-60's. lol

[–] Trax-3 8 years ago

Nicole Kidman belongs in the 1950-60's. lol

Kidman is one of the few actors today who has actual old movie star quality, it's very rare and valuable in these days of general blandness.

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[–] Trax-3 8 years ago

Overacting does not necessarily mean bad acting. There was no false notes in her performance except maybe in a few spots towards the beginning but once the film got going all was great. She may be on an elevated level (though there are plenty of people who don't act much different in real life - people are often over the top) but there is nothing wrong with that, because the truth is still present. Strict naturalism is not the only way of conveying the truth.

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[–] lemonhead1 (424) 5 months ago

That was acting styles back then. Nobody ever says that about Elizabeth Taylor. I mean, come on....Have you seen her in "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" with that ridiculous fake Southern accent? It was horrible, but she makes the film work because she's Elizabeth Taylor!