Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

The plot for "Make Haste to Live" had promise...but ultimately the film made little sense and this annoyed me. It really could have been a good film.Crystal Benson was married to a violent mobster, Steve (Stephen McNally). He slapped the snot out of her and she was naturally afraid of him. Ultimately, she escaped and the law thought that he'd killed her and disposed of the body. So, even without a corpse, he was convicted and spent 18 years in prison. Now, he's out...and looking to exact his revenge on her...now that he's found her.While this sounds like a great plot, somehow the writing was not up to snuff. When Steve shows up in the small New Mexico town where she lives, she doesn't tell anyone who his is nor that he's threatening to kill her. Instead, inexplicably, he passes him off as her brother...and allows him to hang around her and her daughter....a young lady who doesn't know that her 'uncle' is actually her horrible father. Why doesn't Crystal tell EVERYONE he's out to kill her, he's a mobster AND why she ran?! This just doesn't make sense and the film became tedious...tedious because the solution to the problem seems simple yet the heroine seems inexplicably dim.

Dorothy McGuire (Crystal Benson), Stephen McNally (Steve), Mary Murphy (Randy Benson), Edgar Buchanan (sheriff), John Howard (Josh), Ron Hagerthy (Hack), Pepe Hern (Rudolfo Gonzales), Eddy Waller (Spud Kelly), Carolyn Jones (Mary Rose), Argentina Brunetti (Mrs Gonzales).Director: WILLIAM A. SEITER. Screenplay: Warren Duff. Based on the 1950 novel by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon. Photography: John L. Russell Jr. Film editor: Fred Allen. Music: Elmer Bernstein. Art director: Frank Hotaling. Set decorators: John McCarthy Jr, George Milo. Costumes: Adele Palmer. Make-up: Bob Mark. Special effects: Howard Lydecker, Theodore Lydecker. Optical effects: Consolidated Film Industries. Hair styles: Peggy Gray. Assistant director: Robert Shannon. Sound recording: Earl Crain Sr, Howard Wilson. Associate producer: William A. Seiter. Executive producer: Herbert J. Yates.Copyright 4 March 1954 by Republic Pictures Corp. New York opening at the Victoria: 25 March 1954. U.S. release: 1 August 1954. U.K. release: 19 April 1954. Australian release through 20th Century-Fox: 22 September 1954. Sydney opening at the Park (ran one week). Approx. 8,100 feet. 90 minutes.SYNOPSIS: Dorothy McGuire plays the successful editor of a small town paper in New Mexico. Her security, and the happiness of her teenage daughter, are threatened when her husband is released from jail. COMMENT: An attractively photographed and appealingly acted thriller which suspense-fully builds to a fine climax. Both principal antagonists are perfectly cast, and it's good to see Mary Murphy in an early role, even if she has little to do. The director makes effective use of his locations. All told, it's a neat job.MY SECOND VIEW: Slow thriller. The script is over-weighted with dialogue and yet it doesn't succeed in generating much interest in the principal characters (and none at all in the subsidiary ones). Part of the fault lies in the casting — none of the principals are very convincing — and an even greater part in the ponderous direction. Something might have been made of the climactic chase sequence but it drags on far too long to retain interest and the sets are too obviously tatty.

Make Haste to Live is directed by William A. Seiter and adapted to screenplay by Warren B. Duff from the novel written by Gordon and Mildred Gordon. It stars Dorothy McGuire, Stephen McNally, Mary Murphy and Edgar Buchanan. Music is by Elmer Bernstein and cinematography by John L. Russell.A gangster is sentenced to prison for killing his wife, but she isn't dead, she's alive and well and raising her daughter in New Mexico. It's now 18 years later and he's out of the big house; and he wants revenge!Elmer Bernstein's superb musical score opens up the picture and Russell uses film noir filters to photograph the gripping opening sequences. It's a handsome beginning, the promise of a film noir gem is palpable, sadly the entire middle hour is plodding in pacing and ridiculous in plotting. There's some neat touches, McNally is permanently angry and sinister, which makes for good fun, McGuire works hard to maintain interest, Buchanan's gruff sheriff steps outside of the norm and the odd scene, such as that involving a fairground, have noirish leanings. The finale as well is of high quality, but patience is tested throughout and there's the over riding feeling that the cast, Bernstein, Russell and the audience deserve a far better script. 5/10

I expected "Sleeping with the Enemy" but this wasn't it. The tension wasn't there. I just wasn't afraid for the good guys or scared of the bad guy. I had hoped that the bottomless pit shown in the opening scene would play a bigger part, but it didn't - and it would have made a grand finale! But the ending was very disappointing!