 
The Ida Lupino Files

Organized by

Cine Suffragette

Translated and revised by

Larissa Oliveira

Letícia Magalhães

Rafaella Britto

Cover

Cine Suffragette

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# Index

Introduction \- By Julie Grossman 4

Ida Lupino: A Trailblazing Career Woman - By Dr. Annette Bochenek 11

The Hard Way: The Rebellious Nature of Ida Lupino - By Angela Petteys 16

Ida Lupino: In her Own Words - By Marsha Collock 20

Ida Lupino's Breakthrough Role in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) - By Amanda Garrett 24

 When Fictive Madness Leads to Real-Life Success: Ida Lupino's Portrayal of Lana Carlsen in 'They Drive by Night' - By Virginie Pronovost 29

 Ida Lupino, Director - By Molly Silverman 44

 Not Wanted (1949): Revisiting Ida Lupino's progressive agenda 70 years later - By Larissa Oliveira 48

 Never Fear (1950) - By Raquel Stecher 54

 Ida Lupino's Outrage (1950): How Society Dealt with Sexual Assault Back Then - By Larissa Oliveira 61

 Life after the outrage - By Beatriz Saldanha 66

 Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951) - By Samantha Brasil 71

 Ida Lupino: Breaking Ground - By Emily Graziano 76

 Beware, My Lovely (1952) - By Carol Saint Martin 80

 To the Person Who Dissed Ida Lupino on Social Media - By Ruth Kerr 82

Notes: 85

 The Bigamist (1953) - By Letícia Magalhães 86

 Noir in Ida Lupino's work - By Luiza Lusvarghi 90

 Ida Lupino directs The Fugitive and creates Classic Television - By Patricia Nolan-Hall 100

 The Trouble with Angels (1966) - By Letícia Magalhães 107

 Ida Lupino's last song - By Rafaella Britto 111

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###  Introduction \- By Julie Grossman

Ida Lupino would have turned 100 in 2018. Many of us were very happy to see that the centenary of Lupino's birth occasioned a flurry of publications and social-media postings on the remarkable achievements of this pioneering artist. The year before, Therese Grisham and I published Ida Lupino, Director: Her Art and Resilience in Times of Transition (Rutgers University Press, 2017), the first full-length monograph devoted to Lupino's film and television directing. My comments here are drawn in large part from our work in that volume. Our hope in writing Ida Lupino, Director was that the continual rediscovery of Ida Lupino's landmark role in the history of media would finally give way to a continued appreciation and understanding of her place in history, that the resilience we identify as one of her trademarks as an artist and media-maker might be reflected in a more resilient and permanent acknowledgment of her legacy. In 2019, Kino Lorber brought out a boxed set of four of Lupino's films in Blu-Ray with audio commentary by film historians, which goes a long way in this regard.

Most viewers of Classic Hollywood film know Ida Lupino from her poignant and charismatic performances in films such as They Drive By Night (1940), High Sierra (1941), The Hard Way (1943), Road House (1948), and On Dangerous Ground (1951). In the classic noir Road House, Lupino slaps the face of Cornel Wilde's character because of his arrogance and presumptuousness. Calling him "Silly boy," Lupino's Lily Stevens shows her intelligence, humor, and toughness. In all her roles, these qualities are embodied by Lupino's expressive performance style that transcends the stereotype of the femme fatale. At the same time, Lupino came by her hardboiled persona in film noir honestly. She was an independent and hard worker who had been performing since she was a young child. Coming from England to Hollywood as a fifteen-year-old actor in 1933, she wanted out of the acting limelight by the end of the 1940s, seeking a different artistic challenge. Amidst the burgeoning of independent studios in postwar Hollywood after the anti-monopoly Paramount decree, in 1949, Lupino formed The Filmakers (sic) independent film company with then-husband Collier Young and writer Malvin Wald. She wanted to make social-problem films focused on real social issues faced in postwar America. She wished to portray a realism she linked with Italian neo-realism (she admired, for example, the work of Roberto Rossellini) and to offer opportunities to young actors not in the Hollywood mainstream. Out of that philosophy emerged five fascinating films about gender and postwar America, then, years later in 1966, a sixth about smart yet mischievous young girls at a convent finding their way through adolescence.

The first film Lupino directed, Not Wanted (1949), was about unwed pregnancy, starring Sally Forrest as Sally Kelton, who falls for a bounder pianist played by Leo Penn. Sally gets pregnant and struggles with what to do and also with her mental state when the father of the baby leaves town. This film was supposed to be directed by Elmer Clifton, but he had a heart attack days into production, and Lupino took over. As isn't surprising given the subject matter, this film required complex negotiations with censors at the Production Code Administration (PCA), and Lupino was characteristically savvy both in her tone in relating to the censors and in her creative means of making changes to the film that wouldn't compromise its intentions. (For example, the censors didn't want the birth scene filmed, so Lupino shot it from a subjective perspective, from Sally's point of view.)

Never Fear, also released in 1949 and also starring Sally Forrest, was about catastrophic illness, a dancer struck with polio. Inspired by Lupino having contracted polio herself in 1934, the film was made several years before Jonas Salk's vaccine was discovered and available. The most striking scene in this film is an intricate and graceful wheelchair dance at the Kabat-Kaiser Institute, where many scenes were shot on location in Santa Monica. Lupino's third-directed film, made in 1950, is called Outrage and starred Mala Powers as a young woman who works as a bookkeeper in a factory who is raped after work one evening. The stalking scene with the rapist chasing her down empty streets behind the factory is remarkably expressionistic. Lupino's treatment of the rape and its traumatized aftermath for this young woman was in 1950 far ahead of its time.

Lupino's next film Hard, Fast and Beautiful—directed in 1951—is about a young female tennis star; the film exposes "shamateurism," the practice before the open era in tennis when amateurs weren't allowed to make money from tennis, so were given goods and services and prizes by sponsors and hotels to make being on the tour lucrative. Another film about the failure of social institutions – often for Lupino family and marriage, this time sports – Hard Fast and Beautiful is also a tennis version of a Mama Rose story in which young Florence Farley is exploited by her agent Fletcher Locke (Carleton Young) and her mother Millie Farley (Claire Trevor), who is unhappy in marriage and lives vicariously through her talented daughter. Like the others before, this film is focused on the lives of women in post-war America: showing their vitality but also the traps laid for them in a culture dominated by specious myths of the American Dream that don't obtain for so many individuals living on the margins. The films are about women struggling with adversity, tapping their inner resources, as Lupino herself did as the only woman directing films in the postwar U.S. period. She was the second woman, Dorothy Arzner being the first, admitted into the Directors Guild Association (DGA).

In 1953, Lupino directed The Hitch-Hiker, the only classic film noir directed by a woman. Lupino had just had a baby two months earlier, when she went tramping around the U.S. Southwest to make this film about a spree killer based on real-life William Billy Cook. Cook had killed a family of five and their dog in 1950 and another motorist as well. He also kidnapped Forrest Damron and James Burke, whose story is represented in the film. Production-code censors were very resistant to this film, in part because Cook was awaiting trial and execution and the Department of Justice thought Lupino and her company The Filmakers were meddling. Lupino visited Billy Cook in San Quentin to acquire rights to his story, an excursion she found terrifying.

The film presents the randomness of violence on the American road and the idea that danger lurks in often unidentified ways in postwar America. Lupino makes use of the symbolism of Emmett Myers's (William Talman) paralyzed eyelid in this regard. Because one eye is always open, Gil and Roy never know if the killer is awake or asleep and whether they can run away or not. Gil and Roy (Frank Lovejoy and Edmond O'Brien) seem to represent an idea of the leisure afforded by postwar domesticity. The buddies are off for a few days on holiday, though Gil hasn't left "Maudie and the kids" since the war. The film questions postwar quietude, suggesting instead a continuity between wartime trauma and violence in postwar America. Safe havens like the American roads of the Southwest may be themselves deranged, unsafe, populated by serial killers. Lupino's films, especially Outrage and The Hitch-Hiker might be seen as forerunners to movies like US (Jordan Peele, 2019) that similarly reveal the violent fissures within the American psyche and social landscape that are only barely papered over by clichéd domestic rituals.

The Bigamist, also released in 1953, represented another first for Lupino: she became the first woman in the sound era to direct herself. The Bigamist establishes Los Angeles and San Francisco as modern spaces of strife and alienation. In these settings, Harry Graham (Edmond O'Brien), a refrigerator-freezer sales person, is a lost soul. He is a quiet rival to his successful and ambitious wife Eve (notably sharing a name with the biblical Eve). Though Harry and Eve work together in the business, his repressed anxiety about his masculinity leads him to marry a second wife, Phyllis Martin (played by Lupino herself). Joan Fontaine plays Eve, who was at the time married to Collier Young, the producer and Lupino's ex-husband; the strange marital status of the filmmakers aligns with the film's questioning of conventions of marriage. The Bigamist is a moody film that surprisingly presents its male protagonist and both of his wives in ways that allow and encourage viewers to empathize with all three of them as they try desperately to attain happiness in a puzzling and isolating social world. In 1966, Lupino directed The Trouble with Angels, a coming-of-age film that takes place in a convent and whose serious focus on female space, maturation, and bonds belies its tagline as "the habit forming comedy the whole family can enjoy!"

Many readers will no doubt remember Lupino's appearances in television in the 1950s and 1960s. Personally, I'm a great fan of her Sunset Boulevard-inflected performance as Barbara Jean Trenton in "The 16-Millimeter Shrine" episode of The Twilight Zone (and of course Lupino was the only woman to direct an episode of that show, "The Masks"). However, Lupino was a groundbreaker not only as a filmmaker but also in her work directing and producing in television. From 1957-58, she co-produced and starred in the astonishingly contemporary media and celebrity satire Mr. Adams and Eve. And throughout the 50s and 60s, she directed a plethora of episodes across genres: comedies like Gilligan's Island, The Donna Reed Show, Bewitched, and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir; mysteries, thrillers, and crime dramas, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents (she was dubbed "The Female Hitch"), The Twilight Zone, Thriller, The Fugitive, and The Untouchables; westerns, such as The Virginian and Have Gun-Will Travel; and anthology dramas, such as Screen Directors Playhouse and Four Star Playhouse (Lupino was one of the "four stars" in this production company, with Charles Boyer, David Niven, and Dick Powell). Lupino brought her signature filmmaking talent – composing scenes and directing actors with keen sensitivity – to the small screen, paving the way for contemporary women in television, such as Lesli Linka Glatter, Andrea Arnold, and Jill Soloway, among many others. At the end of our book on Lupino, Therese Grisham and I wonder about what kind of work Lupino would be doing now. No doubt she'd be continuing to explore stories about women grappling with social and conventional gender roles, characters on the margins, bewildered by desires that have no outlet or that are thwarted by convention and oppressive or unhelpful social institutions. She'd champion young actors and navigate the thorny challenges of continued gender inequality and the creative opportunities made possible by an explosion of media platforms. A feminist auteur, Lupino would engage and bend familiar genres to challenge her viewers, grappling with social problems with empathy, insight, and wit.

Julie Grossman is a professor at the Departments of English and Communication and Film Studies at the Le Moyne College, where she is also the director of the Film Studies Program. She co-wrote  Ida Lupino, Director: Her Art and Resilience in Times of Transition with Therese Grisham, and in 2020 she publishes the books Twin Peaks, in collaboration with Will Scheibel, and Femmes Fatales.

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###  Ida Lupino: A Trailblazing Career Woman \- By Dr. Annette Bochenek

While there are many actresses who are lauded for their work in front of the camera, classic Hollywood had its share of women working behind the camera, as well. In other cases, there were even women who had experiences in both aspects of film-making, with actress, singer, director, and producer Ida Lupino being one of them.

Lupino was born in Herne Hill, London, to Stanley Lupino and Connie O'Shea. Her father was a music hall comedian of the theatrical Lupino family, which included performer Lupino Lane, while her mother was an actress. With entertainment in her blood, Lupino started to perform at a young age and even wrote her first play at the age of seven. She toured with a traveling theatrical company when she was young and had already begun to memorize female lead roles in many of Shakespeare's works by the time she was 10 years old. After developing experience on the stage, with her first appearance in 1934 as the lead in _The Pursuit of Happiness_ , Lupino Lane aided Ida in finding work in films at British International Studios.

At heart, Lupino wanted to become a writer but ultimately decided to pursue acting to please her father and follow in his footsteps. At 14, she appeared in her first film, _Her First Affaire_ , and went on to carry out many more lead roles in Warner Brothers' Teddington Studios. Lupino soon found herself nicknamed the "English Jean Harlow" by the time she appeared in the Paramount film _Money for Speed_ (1934) in a role that showed her off as good girl and a bad girl. A talent scout saw only the good girl portion of her role and she was soon encouraged to try out for the lead role in _Alice in Wonderland_ (1933). Most of her roles, however, featured her playing immoral women, which led her to feel uncomfortable with both her roles and the overall profession. Nonetheless, Lupino was offered a five-year contract with Paramount.

Sadly, polio was spreading throughout the Hollywood community through contaminated swimming pools and Lupino contracted the illness in 1934. The disease impacted her ability to work and her contract with Paramount was dissolved. Nonetheless, Lupino persevered through the illness and focused upon showcasing her intellectual skills by directing, producing, and writing films. Lupino saw a renewed potential in herself that extended far beyond physical appearances. When faced with physical ailments, she relied upon dictation to write short stories, children's books, and compose music. One of her compositions, "Aladdin's Suite", was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in 1937. The piece was composed while she was on bed rest.

After appearing in _The Light That Failed_ (1939) for Columbia, for which she demanded an audition by running into the director's office unannounced, she began to find roles as a serious dramatic actress. Much of the time, she took on roles refused by Bette Davis, dubbing herself the "poor man's Bette Davis."

Lupino also began to appear in femme fatale roles, such as _They Drive by Night_ (1940) and _High Sierra_ (1941). Her only comedic lead role would be in _Pillow to Post_ (1945). In between the two films, Lupino frequently argued with Jack Warner because she would refuse roles that she felt were beneath her. In other cases, she would also try to make script revisions. After rejecting an offer to star in _Kings Row_ (1942), her Warner Brothers contract was suspended. While she secured roles again, her time at the studio was tense. Lupino exuded a tough, no-nonsense acting style but never broke through as a major star. As a result, both Lupino and Warner Brothers made no steps to renew her contract. She would leave the studio in 1947, moving on to work at 20th Century Fox, where she would perform musical numbers in _Road House_ (1948). In the same year, she became an American citizen.

When Lupino found her contract suspended, she indulged in watching the filming and editing process. Soon enough, she developed an interest in directing. Working as an actress often required long waits in between takes, causing Lupino to become bored and notice that the work she found intriguing was happening behind the camera. As a result, she and her then-husband, Collier Young, formed a company called The Filmakers, to produce and direct low-budget films. Her first job as a director would occur on the set of _Not Wanted_ (1949) – a film that Lupino co-produced and co-wrote. The intended director, Elmer Clifton, suffered a mild heart attack, causing Lupino to fulfill the directing duties. The film was controversial due to its depiction of pregnancy outside of marriage and received much publicity, to the point of Lupino discussing the film with Eleanor Roosevelt on a national radio broadcast. Her first directing credit would be for _Never Fear_ (1949).

Lupino continued the trend of producing films that dealt with social issues, including _Outrage_ (1950) and _The Hitch-Hiker_ (1953). Her work for _The Hitch-Hiker_ made her the first woman to direct a film noir. Her studio, The Filmakers, emphasized her femininity at her own request. In fact, her director's chair read "Mother of Us All." In an effort to continue funding her studio, Lupino continued an acting career. Lupino would also use what is known today as product placement in order to assist with funding. Her production company would come to a close in 1955, while Lupino's last directing credit on a feature film would be for the comedy _The Trouble With Angels_ (1966). As a Catholic, Lupino's The _Trouble With Angels_ went on to premiere in Missouri to help raise funds for an all-girls academy directed by one of Rosalind Russell's friends.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Lupino continued acting and directing by exploring a career in television. She directed many top television shows, including _Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Gilligan's Island, The Untouchables, Bewitched_ , and many more. She frequently appeared on shows, sometimes with her third husband, Howard Duff. Lupino retired from the industry at age 60 and appeared in her final film role in 1978.

Lupino passed away at age 77 on August 3, 1995.

Today, Lupino is remembered as one of the only female filmmakers working during the 1950s studio system. Moreover, her films were always rooted in a harsh reality, bringing major social issues and conflicts to the forefront of her artistic output.

Lupino has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which celebrate her achievements in film and television. In Herne Hill, London, both Ida and Stanley Lupino are honored with plaques affixed to their former home. The plaque was installed by the Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America in collaboration with the Theatre and Film Guild of Great Britain and America at her birthplace. The plaque is located at 33 Ardbeg Rd.

Given Lupino's influence on and off camera, her career and achievements are well worth celebrating to this day.

Dr. Annette Bochenek of Chicago, Illinois, is a film historian and scholar of Hollywood's Golden Age. She manages the Hometowns to Hollywood blog, in which she writes about her trips exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the "Hometowns to Hollywood" film series throughout the Chicago area. She has been featured on Turner Classic Movies and is the president of TCM Backlot's Chicago chapter. In addition to writing for TCM Backlot, she also writes for  Classic Movie Hub, Silent Film Quarterly, Nostalgia Digest, and Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine.

###  The Hard Way: The Rebellious Nature of Ida Lupino \- By Angela Petteys

From its inception, women have often struggled to be heard in the film industry, particularly during the studio era. With many of the most powerful positions in Hollywood occupied by men, once an actress was discovered and signed to a studio contract, any ideas she had about the direction of her career were typically drowned out by male studio heads trying to tell her what her image should be, what movies she should do, and when her career would be over.

As much as studio executives would have loved it if every actress they signed was willing to cooperate and just enjoy their fifteen minutes of fame, not everyone was willing to simply hand over the reins to their career. Barbara Stanwyck took control by avoiding long-term studio contracts altogether. Kay Francis sued Warner Brothers over inferior roles. Olivia de Havilland also very famously fought the studios through the legal system -- and won. Bette Davis fought with studios over just about everything. And then there's Ida Lupino, who was often at odds with the studio system, but found a way to take studio punishments and use them to create a unique place for herself within Hollywood history.

When Ida Lupino began working at Paramount in 1933, they got to work trying to mold her into a British Jean Harlow type. But by the time she started working in Hollywood, still a teenager, she was already all-too familiar with feeling pressured into roles she had reservations about. As the daughter of two actors who were part of a long family line of actors, she faced a great deal of pressure to keep the tradition going. Even though she was often uncomfortable as an actress and had a strong interest in writing, familial pressure ensured that acting would be the first step in her career path. But if she was going to be an actress, she wanted to be an actress on her own terms.

The British Jean Harlow persona quickly proved to be very limiting and after struggling to find her place as an actress throughout the 1930s, people finally started to take notice of her dramatic skills in 1939's The Light That Failed, a role she fought to get and ultimately led to a contract with Warner Brothers. During her time at Warner Brothers, she appeared in many of the most famous films of her acting career, but she didn't just take anything Jack Warner handed to her. She was often placed on suspension for turning down roles that she felt were beneath her talents, but all the time she spent on suspension gave her a chance to learn more about the technical craft of filmmaking.

Being a film actor involves a lot of downtime between takes, so even when the parts were good, Ida was often bored. But by having the time to really observe editors, directors, and camera operators at work and to learn more about what they do, the more interested she became in the behind-the-scenes aspects of film production. After her time at Warner Brothers came to an end, she was able to take what she learned and start writing, producing, and directing a series of independent films that were a far cry from the types of movies generally associated with the golden age of the studio system. Not only did this make her one of the few female directors to work in Hollywood during the studio system era, she also gladly took on taboo subjects mainstream studios wouldn't touch, like rape, bigamy, unwed mothers, and polio. These were real issues and she treated them as such without exploitation or Hollywood artifice.

Taking on these kinds of subjects was a gamble. In terms of box office performance, sometimes it paid off and sometimes it didn't. But even the projects that lost money still succeeded in cementing her legacy as a trailblazer and one of Hollywood's most notable rebels.

When you're dealing with a high-stakes industry like the film industry, it's very easy to decide to not rock the boat. She easily could have let the studios mold her into whatever image they wanted her to have; smiled and accepted any role Jack Warner told her to take. As a filmmaker, it would've been easy to choose projects with wide commercial appeal. But she didn't. Instead, she fought to stay true to herself, to find her own voice, and to make a place for herself in a male-dominated industry. Her films truly stand out in a cinematic landscape filled with melodrama and fantasy and continue to resonate with audiences several decades later. Even people who haven't seen an Ida Lupino movie can still find inspiration in the way she handled her career.

Ida liked to jokingly refer to herself as "the poor man's Bette Davis" since she often ended up taking roles Bette had turned down. And as you look at the careers of both women, there are many other parallels to be found. Bette was so notoriously stubborn that she often said that she wanted the inscription on her gravestone to read, "She did it the hard way." (Which it does.) But one thing you can say about Ida Lupino is that she wasn't afraid of doing things the hard way, either. She did it the hard way and made history.

Angela Petteys is a writer from the Detroit area. Since 2010, she has been writing about classic film on her blog, The Hollywood Revue. By day, she works as a copywriter for a digital marketing agency.

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###  Ida Lupino: In her Own Words \- By Marsha Collock

"I had no desire to crash a man's world."

People who are ahead of their time are also of their time. We want our heroes who push the boundaries to occupy the same enlightened space we stand in today as examples of strength, courage or whatever virtue we see – or want to see – in them. In truth, breaking barriers comes in small steps. Artists who move the needle do so not only within the confines of their society, but also within all of the colors and quirks of their own personalities.

Ida Lupino's career, both as an actress and director, speaks for itself. She needs no explanations or interpretations to accompany her work. She is there, as a gritty, forceful leading lady and as a pioneering director and independent filmmaker. But, Ida Lupino, as a woman and artist, also spoke for herself about herself and the unique place she carved out for herself in Hollywood history.

"Often I pretended to a cameraman to know less than I did. That way I got more cooperation."

Ladies, does this quote raise your hackles a bit? Do we bristle against the faux damsel in distress act? Well, too bad. Ida was on her own individual path to creative expression, not to carry the banner of equality for anyone else.

"I didn't see myself as any advance guard, or feminist."

There is something about Ida that is hard to pigeonhole. She resisted and rose above and beyond the platinum blonde cutie Hollywood first tied to make her; she rose above dumb roles by always showing her innate intelligence and individuality. Sometimes a strong woman simply pisses off the world, not because she intends to, but by just being herself and following her own star. Ida Lupino might not satisfy our current image of a feminist, but she showed women how to survive in her time while not hiding her light under a bushel.

"Keeping a feminine approach is vital - men hate bossy females."

Oh yeah, they do. They did then and probably still do. But, what is bossy? And what must a woman working in a man's world do and how must she behave in order to get things done? Put yourself in Ida's shoes, in Ida's time and place. Who knew better than her that fortitude and guts were feminine qualities?

"I never wrote just straight women's roles. I liked the strong characters. I don't mean women who have masculine qualities about them, but something that has some intestinal fortitude, some guts to it. "

Working behind the camera seemed a natural place for an artist of her nature. While caring about every film and delivering some image-searing performances, Ida was competing in a crowded field that included Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck and Olivia de Havilland. By working in the creative process behind the camera, Ida was able to give voice to the kinds of topics that she said interested her. In Hollywood in the 1950s that was an amazing feat for anyone who tried to forge an independent career.

"As far as women having the stamina to be directors, I don't know. I think it depends on the subject matter.....But I like it when I get something I'm interested in."

She found a place in television and liked directing shows such as Mr. Novak, The Twilight Zone and The Untouchables, She said that starring in Mr. Adams and Eve with her then-husband, Howard Duff was the happiest time of her life. However, she admitted that directing for television was not always easy:

"There have occasionally been some moments in television which I wouldn't say were the happiest moments of my life. But, I haven't had trouble telling men, crews, to do things. I don't do it that way, anyway. I say a man is a man and a woman is a woman. I say, "Honey, could you help old Mother here, just to do this for me, or that," or "Eddy, Mum's in a bad spot. I want to get the camera over here and I think I may have painted myself into a corner," or something. I don't believe in giving orders. I don't like it. A man, when a woman asks for help, usually likes to help her."

Okay, I admit my heart sank a bit after reading that (from a 1973 interview with John Kobal in "People Will Talk").

So how to view Ida Lupino today? Even though she presented herself to the world – and her film crews – as feminine in the most traditional male-centric manner, she chipped away at the edges of an industry that she forced to see her in a more powerful light. But, she did it with the proverbial velvet glove. That's what worked for Ida. That's how she got things done.

"A woman in show business isn't honest with herself... so how can she be honest with another woman? We are, all of us, acting every minute of the day and night."

When she was behind the camera, Ida Lupino did not have to act for anyone. But, maybe she had to act a bit to get to that place. She knew what worked for her and against her. Despite the odds, she listened to the voice of the artist within and followed her passion of writing and directing. Why be a second class Bette Davis when you can be a first class Ida Lupino? A woman of her time, she embraced the soft, outwardly dependent but inwardly resilient image of femininity. While we might not like to admit it, there is great strength in that approach. As a role model for women today, she stands as an example of an individual who found a way to do pretty much exactly as she wanted when she could. What more could one ask for?

"I'd love to see more women working as directors and producers."

A cool lady, that Ida Lupino. Like all great artists and entertainers, she knew her audience.

Marsha Collock is a flat out Hollywood film fan - not a critic, not an historian, just a fan who has been passionate about classic films since she saw James Cagney and a grapefruit. Like Norma Desmond's fans she is simply one of those wonderful people out there in the dark. Hence, the name of her blog, A Person in the Dark, which is located at http://flickchick1953.blogspot.com/

###  Ida Lupino's Breakthrough Role in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) \- By Amanda Garrett

In this e-book, you'll read about Ida Lupino's work as a pioneering film director, independent movie producer, incisive screenwriter and great actress. But before Lupino ever reached those heights she was a struggling actor in Hollywood, who got her big break in the 20th Century Fox programmer, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939). The film stars Basil Rathbone as the iconic detective and Nigel Bruce as his loyal companion, Dr. John Watson.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes begins with Holmes' arch-rival Professor Moriarty (the great character actor George Zucco who oozes duplicity from every pore) being dubiously acquitted on a murder charge despite Holmes' best efforts to find evidence against him. Moriarty uses his unexpected free time to grow rare orchids, belittle his servants, and, like any super-villain worth his mustache twirl, plan an elaborate scheme to steal the crown jewels that will foil Holmes, Scotland Yard, and the London police. Moriarty's plans eventually involve the lovely Ann Brandon (Lupino) whose father had already been murdered by one of the dastardly professor's henchmen.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is the second of 14 Holmes films starring Rathbone and Bruce (the first two films were made at Fox while the other movies were produced by Universal Pictures). Earlier in 1939, the first Rathbone-Bruce film, The Hound of the Baskervilles, had been an unexpected hit and studio chief Darryl Zanuck ordered a second movie that was very loosely based on a turn-of-the-century stage play starring William Gillette.

For the crucial role of Ann Brandon, Fox took a risk on Lupino, who was then going through a dry spell in her career. The London-born Lupino became a star in British films while still a teenager. In 1933, Paramount Pictures came calling and Lupino was given a five-year contract by the studio although they never seemed to know what to do with her after she arrived in Hollywood (the fact that Lupino's hair was dyed an unflattering platinum blonde and she was dubbed the "English Jean Harlow" by the studio publicity department didn't help). In fact, Lupino was only cast by a twist of a fate. A Fox casting agent just happened to hear her on Orson Welles' radio show The Campbell Playhouse and was so impressed by her performance in an episode of the anthology series called "The Bad Man" that he recommended her to producer Gene Markey (the episode is easily available on the Internet by searching "campbell playhouse old time radio").

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes did decent business at the box office, but not enough for Fox to keep bankrolling the budget for the Victorian costumes and sets (Universal took over the series in 1942 with Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror; the time period was moved to the 1940s for the rest of the series to save money). Viewed today, the movie is a lot of old-fashioned fun that whizzes by at a speedy 81 minutes. The Fox back lot provides an atmospheric recreation of Victorian London (the fog machine budget probably could have fed a family for a year), and once again Rathbone and Bruce prove their worth as one of old Hollywood's best duos. Rathbone is excellent as the analytical Holmes (he even gets to step out of a character for a brief but memorable scene to perform the music hall chestnut "I Do Like to Be Beside the Seaside"), and he is perfectly balanced by Bruce, old Hollywood's king of dimwitted Englishmen, who has several comic highlights. The plot is also fairly silly stuff especially the lax security surrounding the crown jewels (pro tip: don't send Nigel Bruce to guard your priceless gems).

Despite the plot holes, the cast turn in professional, polished performances, especially Lupino, who brings her trademark intensity to the role of Ann. Although The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is not based on any of the novels or short stories written by Arthur Conan Doyle, Ann is quite typical of the many resourceful, whip-smart women who populate the Holmesian canon (think Mary Morstan in The Sign of Four, Helen Stoner in The Adventure of the Speckled Band, and Violet Hunter in The Adventure of the Copper Beeches). Modern-day Holmes aficionados know that the detective was a terrible misogynist despite the fact that many of his female clients were quicker on the uptake than the plodding Watson and that they frequently outsmarted both the police and on occasion Holmes himself (the most obvious example of this is Irene Adler in A Scandal in Bohemia, but there are others such as the unnamed noblewoman in The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton).

Lupino has all of the attributes of a Holmes heroine in spades. Her delicate beauty is accentuated by the Victorian costumes, but, more importantly, she conveys an inner intelligence and gutsiness that was light years beyond that of the typical old Hollywood ingénue. Lupino was often compared to Bette Davis in the 1930s; both actors used their large, expressive eyes to convey emotions and both had a magnetic, intense energy onscreen that has rarely been duplicated.

Much like Davis in her early career, Lupino rose above the pedestrian material in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and gave everything she had (and then some) to the role of Ann. She is particularly impressive in one crucial scene where she mourns for a family member with a grief so intense that it appears to be almost physically painful.

While playing a Holmes heroine was a thankless task - Ann is unceremoniously shuffled off in the final reel to marry her sketchy fiancé (Alan Marshal) - her substantial role in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and her show-stopping performance in The Light That Failed led to the revival of her career in early films noir like They Drive by Night (1940) and High Sierra (1941).

Amanda Garrett is a former newspaper reporter and a member of the Classic Movie Blog Association. Her blog is Old Hollywood Films. You can follow her on Twitter @oldhollywood21.

###  When Fictive Madness Leads to Real-Life Success: Ida Lupino's Portrayal of Lana Carlsen in 'They Drive by Night' \- By Virginie Pronovost

(September 2019)

***

If Ida Lupino had the privilege, a rare one for women at the time - unfortunately -, to be listed among the movie directors of the Golden Age of Hollywood cinema, an important part of her career in the industry was also dedicated to acting, a profession in which she shared as many brilliant skills as she did with directing. An important figure of film noir in the 40s and 50s, one of Lupino's best performances is, without a doubt, her portrayal of the classy and mad Lana Carlsen in They Drive by Night (Raoul Walsh, 1940). The cast also included Humphrey Bogart, George Raft, Ann Sheridan, and Alan Hale among others. The British-born actress also shared the screen with Bogart the year after in High Sierra (also directed by Walsh). However, in They Drive by Night she forms a team with George Raft rather than with Bogart. Raft plays her (un-mutual) love interest while Bogart plays his brother, but his character and Ida's don't have any important connection.

Like Jules Dassin's Thieves' Highway (1949), They Drive by Night uses the truck driving profession as a background to its complex story. Joe (Raft) and Paul (Bogart) Fabrini are two brothers and truck drivers who make a living by delivering merchandise. Slightly broke and in the urge to pay their truck, they are luckily sharp enough to think of ways of getting out with it. One night, as they stop on the road for a quick meal in a small snack bar, Joe doesn't hide his interest for the waitress, Cassie (Ann Sheridan), a woman who has tact and doesn't hesitate to share her disapproval of men's misbehaviour. Later, while they continue their road journey to Los Angeles, they pick a hitchhiker who, surprise, turns out to be Cassie (Joe isn't disappointed). While they are driving, Joe recognizes the truck of their friend Harry McNamara (John Litel) ahead of them. Something seems wrong, as the vehicle is slaloming on the road. They, therefore, drive to the conclusion that he must be sleeping (the spectators know that he is) and risk their lives trying to wake him up, but too late: McNamara and his assistant (Pedro Regas) lose their lives as their truck goes over the cliff and falls into a terrible explosion. This is only a foretaste of what will happen next and one of the many disturbing events of the story.

When Paul arrives home after this long day on the road, his wife, Pearl (Gale Page), is worried about him. She'll prefer him to have a more regular job, one that involves fewer risks. Paul is mixed up by this situation as he agrees with his wife but also doesn't like the idea of abandoning his brother. On his side, Joe has other worries, the one of taking care of Cassie, who has arrived in Los Angeles with them but who is almost broke. A gentleman (but also a man in love), he rents a room for her for a week. This generous gesture gives her time to find a job. Their relationship becomes stronger and stronger.

Ida Lupino makes her entrance the next morning, and her character will increase the tension of the film. As Joe gets into a fistfight with a barbaric man in the marketplace, the noises attract a man, Ed J. Carlsen (Alan Hale), and his wife (Lupino) who get to the windows of Mr. Carlsen's office building to see what's going on. Mr. Carlsen, a trucking business owner, recognizes Joe and invites him to his office to offer him a job but Joe likes his independence. When the joyful man briefly quits the room, Lana doesn't hide her interest for Joe. We understand that she'd like to be romantically involved with him, but he constantly refuses her advances, as she is a married woman.

Later, thanks to a tip given by Ed, Joe and Paul manage to get big money and finally pay their truck, but their happiness is a short one since they are involved in a road accident due to Joe falling asleep while driving, just like it happened to McNamara. Fortunately, no lives are lost, but Paul loses his right arm, which leads him out of the truck driving profession. As if it was not enough, Lana still has in mind to seduce and conquered Joe, but two obstacles are in her way: her husband (whom she doesn't love - it's not a secret for anybody) and Cassie, whom Joe is more and more interested in and the feeling is mutual. Lana is a determined woman, and nothing can stop her from committing the irreparable to obtain what she wants.

Among all the actors of the film, Ida Lupino has the most memorable and elegant entrance. Just like Alan Hale, she appears at the window of his office to see what's going on in the street (Joe fighting). While the sight of the fight overexcites her husband, she simply advances towards the window frame, lighting a cigarette and also revealing a certain curiosity, but in a more modest and less expressive way. Wearing a hat and a black flowered dress, she invokes class, unlike her husband, who has more the spirit of a joker.

Ida Lupino and Alan Hale form two complete opposites with their characters and, although opposites attract, two people had never been so much un-made for each other. As the story evolves from their introduction into it, many clues are given that Lana is not in love with her husband. What she feels for him is closer to despise than it is to indifference. Not amused by her husband's jokes, this isn't the only reason why she can barely stand him. She doesn't approve of his drinking habit either; she won't let him kiss her (even in their own privacy); doesn't like being called Mrs. Carlsen; is constantly bored by him and his friends, and simply hates the fact that he is in her way between her and Joe.

Such a character incited Ida Lupino to deliver an impressively nuanced and complex performance. Indeed, Lana Carlsen is a woman with many layers and a hard to size personality. Portraying her can be called a challenge more than a simple acting duty since it must have involved a lot of psychological reflexions just to give the right touch to Lana's intentions and motivations.

Being the serious one, Lana is easily the head of the couple and likes to have control over her husband. She is also an intelligent person and seems to have a good ability to reason. One can observe Lupino's subtle acting game when she pays attention to what surrounds her. Despite being bored with her husband, she doesn't want to lose track of what's going on, especially when Joe is involved. She likes to put her two cents in a discussion. Fierce, very sure of herself, she expresses a certain sense of leadership, but her strong personality also makes her someone choleric and even dangerous. Her personality is first shown in minor moments such as when she tells her husband what to do, or rather what not to do (because he has difficulty managing himself). Lana indeed has a sharp tongue and the sharp answers to go with it. Her brain is also full of ruse and rather bad ideas. Nevertheless, Lana can hide her shenanigans behind false smiles when necessary. However, this is more a way to express her unhappiness with the marital situation she's in and her discomfort as an unhappily married woman.

It would be interesting to compare Lupino's character to the one portrayed by Ann Sheridan because they easily are two similar types of women but in a different way. They are both extremely sure of themselves, strong women who won't let other people walk on their feet, especially not men and their advances. However, Cassie is a warm, fun, and generous person, while Lana is cold and a constant seductress drove by maddening passions. She's the one representing the perfect femme fatale archetype of film noir while Ann Sheridan is the one sharing good support for the male characters. Cassie and Lana also come from two different worlds, Ann is from the working class, while Ida lives a wealthy life. If she seems more "classy" than Sheridan, this doesn't match her personality, which is far from being a commendable one.

One that hasn't had the chance to see They Drive by Night yet might like to do that before reading the following lines. However, it is important to reveal more about the film to help you understand better the incontestably great acting by Ida Lupino and the evolution of her character. It was mentioned earlier that Lana's desire to get closer to Joe eventually leads her to commit irreparable acts. This will take her to a dangerous and impressive downhill. How? Lana has spent another awful (to her) evening with her husband, closely watching him and making sure he doesn't make too much a fool of himself. Yes, she is ashamed of him, and she has enough. During that party, Ed shows to his guesses his new garage and the automatic door system, which consist of just passing in front of a detector movement for the doors to open. This way, there's no need to get out of the car to open the garage doors. Clever idea? Well, in theory, yes, but eventually it becomes a dangerous weapon. So, after getting out to a bar, Lana takes her husband back home. She's driving as he is too weakened by the alcohol to do so. She enters in the garage with the car and what follows next simply cuts our breath and proves, once again, the calculation of Ida Lupino's acting game. When the time comes for her to shut down the car engine, the camera makes a close up on her face that moves from "I'm annoyed with my husband, as usual" to "I'm realizing something and I'm having an idea". Oh, and it won't be a good idea. This is a fatal moment in Raoul Walsh's film.

It's not difficult to guess what will happen next. Instead of stopping the car, Lana lets the engine runs and gets out of the garage, therefore letting her husband die asphyxiated by the gas. This has to be done in full distraction to make sure Ed doesn't wake up. Thus, Lana manages to get out of the car with remarkable agility. She then exits the garage and passes next to the detector movement. The doors close behind her. She does all that very calmly, with a slow but assured walk and, more importantly, she never turns back.

What follows leads Lana from being the dangerous woman to the mad one and proves, even more, why this is one of Ida Lupino's best performances. Lana has developed a way to play comedy when she's crying in the attorney's office during the questioning following her husband's death. What's noteworthy here is that the spectators know more than the characters. Therefore we become Lana's accomplices. When Mr. Carlsen's passing is declared accidental, the camera, once again, sizes the occasion to use the close-up power: Ida Lupino advances towards this one with a satisfied little smile on her face. A crocodile tear appears at the corner of her eye. Once again, we are in full privacy with her as if she was sharing her secret with the viewers on the other side of the screen. We are indeed the only ones able to witness this moment.

At this point, are her troubles over? Far from it. She still doesn't interest Joe and she, after all, has a murder on her conscience. She is tormented, tense, and is rude with her servant because she knows that her problems are not over. However, Joe doesn't know, yet, what happened and one can witness some calmer moments between the two of them, very brief ones. The admiration she has for Joe is felt by the way she looks at him. On rare occasions, she seems more serene when she is with him. Eventually, her fatal encounter with Cassie spoils things quickly and adds oil to the fire.

This succession of events only leads the poor Lana to madness. Indeed, after having a faintness during her first meeting with Cassie, Joe takes her back home. She has a sort of panic crisis and doesn't want to go in the garage. WE know why. Even if she tries to be on her best day with Joe, she has her breaking point and eventually shows her true colours when she confesses her crime to him. She's hysterical and doesn't know what to do anymore. The viewers almost feel sorry for her until she has another evil idea: to blame Joe. "He made me kill him,"1 she says in a malicious voice! When she puts her idea to practice and tells the police that she did it because of Joe, she does it with intensity and loud and fast-talking speech. Things only get worse for her.

Before the trial, Lana spends time in jail. In the few scenes taking place in the building, she wears a black dress that still makes her look classy, even if it's less elaborate than her former clothes. During another confrontation with Cassie (who eventually loses her patience and tell her what she truly thinks of her), Lana is scared of the automatic door that separates the cell section and the visitor area. The scene ends in a panic crisis where Lana almost acts like a child. The last time she is seen is at the trial where she appears on a completely new day: the Lana who looked dangerous but sophisticated has lost all her charm and doesn't pretend anymore. She arrives at the court in bad shape: her hair is tousled; she's not wearing any makeup, and she seems completely lost. When she speaks, her voice is weaker than usual, but rage still resides inside her. She talks nonsense; she's tormented; and constantly plays with a tissue. This painful moment ends as she explodes "The doors made me do it!" Then succeed a series of Machiavellian laughs that reminds us of a Disney villain. She is taken out of the court and declared insane by the judge. This results in a happy ending for Cassie and Joe, but the fate of Lana's tormented soul remains a mystery.

Playing such a role doesn't only require a great mind and a force of character but also the acceptance of taking risks. Ida Lupino accepted to (eventually) abandon her glamorous image and turn into a despiteful person. Women, in those days, were expected to act with class and be quiet but Ida chose to share a different side of a woman's personality, to play around the flaws of and not hesitate to mold herself into a controversial character. The teamwork between her acting and the camera work of Arthur Edeson turned her performance into a memorable one.

Even if, at first, the character of Lana can simply be described as a mad and dangerous one, one has to look beyond that and understand that the complexity of her character makes her a woman fighting for her will and showing strong hopes of liberty even if this is done in a very clumsy way. Killing your husband might not be the right solution and, in the end, Lana abruptly loses her cause, but the intention remains the one of showing a woman who is depicted as a determined and clever one and that disturbs the vintage idea of women being the weaker sex. Maybe this idea is embodied in a more favourable light with Ann Sheridan's Cassie, but it is important to see the contrasts, flaws, and qualities between those two characters to create certain equilibrium between the strong female portrayals of They Drive by Night. Sadly, Lana is the only woman of the film who, despite her stubbornness, doesn't get what she wants in the end. Cassie and Joe get married, and Pearl now has her husband at her sides, even if that cost him an arm. So, this gives hope for the power of women, even though Ida Lupino's character is declared insane at the end of the story.

They Drive by Night presents an impressive cast but, when looking at contemporary reviews released in various magazines and journals in the 40s, the consensus for most of them is that Ida Lupino easily steals the spotlight. An article in the periodical The Movies... and the People Who Make Them captures perfectly the essence of Lupino's performance:

"Ida Lupino as Lana Carleson, the murderess, is inalienably the star of the piece. Her portrayal, though unsympathetic, is outstanding. Evidences of the gradual shift to insanity are suggested subtly but unmistakably, until the role becomes dominant, gripping, and gradually riveting audience attention. The portrayal requires acting ability above all else, not mere posing."

Moreover, The Film Daily said that Ida Lupino gave "one of the most stirring, emotional portrayals seen in many moons," and The Exhibitor supported the media enthusiasm by writing "Here is a top notch melodrama with Ida Lupino giving a performance that will rate Academy Award recognition."

The Academy Awards, unfortunately, didn't acknowledge Lupino's acting, but this won't the first time a masterful performance is ignored by the Academy.

After the release of They Drive by Night, it will then take almost ten years for Ida Lupino to finally get the chance to direct a film. Like Lana Carlsen, she proved to be a determined woman of the film industry and ranked herself among the A-Class movie directors with films like The Hitch-Hiker, The Bigamist, and The Trouble With Angels. Multi-talented describes her type perfectly.

***

Bibliography

\- Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc. "Advanced Shots On Coming Reviews." The Exhibitor, July 17, 1940, 15, Lantern.

\- Theatre Patrons, Inc., "They Drive by Night." The Movies... and the People Who Make Them, 1940, 125, Lantern.

\- Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc. "Reviews of the New Films: 'They Drive by Night'." The Film Daily, July 12, 1940, 6, Lantern.

Filmography

- High Sierra (Raoul Walsh, 1941)

- The Bigamist (Ida Lupino, 1953)

- The Hitch-Hiker (Ida Lupino, 1953)

- The Trouble with Angels (Ida Lupino, 1966)

- They Drive by Night (Raoul Walsh, 1940)

- Thieves' Highway (Jules Dassin, 1949)

Passionate by cinema, Virginie Pronovost has a bachelor degree in Fine Arts (Specialization in Film Studies) from Concordia University in Montreal, a certificate in screenwriting (UQÀM), and is currently pursuing a Master in Cinema Studies at Stockholm University. She also shares her love for classic films on her blogs The Wonderful World of Cinema and Three Enchanting Ladies.

Lonely At the Top – Ida Lupino in The Hard Way, 1943 - By Rebecca Deniston

From her blog Taking Up Room

_The Hard Way_ _is a memorable melodrama from 1943_ that starred Joan Leslie as Katie Blaine and Ida Lupino as Helen Chandler, Katie's older, married sister. The ladies lived in the steel town of Green Hill, and things seemed very dead-end and prosaic. That all changed one night when Katie went to see a vaudeville show with a date, where she was entranced by the performances, especially a song-and-dance duo, Albert Runkel and Paul Collins. As luck would have it, the duo, played by Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan, happened to stop in for a bite at a diner, where they see Katie hamming it up for her friends to a player piano. Although her performance was considerably less than polished, Albert took a liking to Katie and escorted her home. Helen thought Albert was a masher and became absolutely furious. By morning, though, she had changed her mind, and wheedled Albert into marrying Katie, thus adding "& Company" to Runkel and Collins. While Albert was over the moon about this new development, Paul was suspicious and hinted as such to Helen, who cattily informed him that she was coming with them on the road.

Not surprisingly, small-time vaudeville quickly got old for Helen, who talked Katie up into a spot on a Broadway chorus, and on it went until she was a musical comedy star. Katie was thrilled with her success at first, and she became quite a diva. Meanwhile, Albert and Paul soldiered on in vaudeville, and Albert took to looking glumly at Katie's picture on magazine covers. When he finally came to to see her at a party to convince her to come back on the circuit with him, Katie sent Albert away with a flea in his ear.

Naturally, the story gets darker before it gets lighter. Katie did eventually balk at her stardom and at Helen's micromanagement of every part of her life, and it doesn't take long for the worm to turn. _The_ _Hard Way_ almost reminded me of _Now, Voyager_ because I was rooting for Katie to be happy and to break out of the cage Helen had built around her. Catharsis becomes like air in the film, and when it does hit, everyone breathes as deeply as possible. That's one of the things that makes _The Hard Way_ such an enjoyable film, even if it isn't exactly light viewing.

That's not to say it's a complete downer, either – there's plenty to explore. I've always liked Joan Leslie, and it's fun to see her playing a character somewhat closer to her real age. Her early film career always had her opposite actors like Gary Cooper or James Cagney who were at least a decade older, and Leslie obviously had to play older as a result. I felt like _The Hard Way_ gave her room to grow in terms of character. Speaking of characters, the movie is sprinkled liberally with familiar Warner Bros. faces, such as Gladys George and Faye Emerson. Spotting character actors and contract players can be almost a game when watching classic movies. As for the music, it leans mediocre, but it's not a musical in the true sense anyway, so I don't think Warner Bros. was trying to win any awards in that regard. Oh, and is anyone a _Gilmore Girls_ fan? In that case, the exteriors in _The Hard Way_ will look familiar. I'm talking _really_ familiar. Remember the tree Rory and Dean made out under in "There's the Rub"?

_The Hard Way_ deserves to be called a melodrama in every sense. Lupino's Helen is larger than life in that the viewer feels her presence in every scene even if she's not physically there. Honestly, she almost makes Darth Vader look warm and cuddly (I'm expecting _Star Wars_ __ fans to emphatically disagree with that). Ida Lupino had a real gift for injecting the roles that she chose with such ominous intensity. Joan Leslie was no small talent either, seeing that she was able to be an effective counterpoint to Lupino's formidable evil sister. _The Hard Way_ __ isn't in the same league as, say, _42nd Street_ __ or _The Maltese Falcon_ _,_ but it's still worth a look. Or two. Or three.

I'm Rebecca Deniston. I'm a crossing guard, mom, and museum docent living in beautiful Placer County, California. Writing helps keep me sane. Well, that and Jesus, chocolate, my family and good books. :-)

###  Ida Lupino, Director \- By Molly Silverman

Ida Lupino is one of those iconic figures that many people seem to overlook. A lot of the time, Lupino is recognized for her role as Humphrey Bogart's gal in High Sierra. Even though Ida Lupino, the actress, is quite wonderful, Ida Lupino, the director, is absolutely groundbreaking.

In Therese Grisham and Julie Grossman's book, "Ida Lupino, Director: Her Art and Resilience in Times of Transition", the authors highlight the career the actress had behind the scenes. The book goes into depth on how Lupino was in the boy's club of directing, and how she wanted to represent women's stories as honestly as the Production Code would let her. Let's look through the lens and discover more about Lupino the director.

During the 1950s, America's post-war society held the belief that men should return to their jobs and women should return to their homes. Hollywood has always operated a little differently, but when it came to directors, Lupino was literally the ONLY female. Meetings with the Directors Guild would start with "Hello Gentlemen and Madam (page 31 of the book)." The reason she was allowed into this male-dominated field is because she co-owned a production company called The Filmakers.

Not only did she get to direct the films she wanted, she also produced them. So in a sense, she was also paying some of the bills. It is sad that this was the only way she could direct, but in a time where sexism was prominent, it makes sense. To feed into the misogynistic ways of men, Lupino had to make it seem like the men were just helping her out, instead of doing what she told them to do. Her nickname was Mother, and in a 1967 interview, she explains why she would act like a mother to the men. Lupino says,

"You do not tell a man; you suggest to him. 'Darlings, mother has a problem. I'd love to do this. Can you do it? It sounds kooky but I want to do it. Now can you do it for me?' And they do it- they just do it" (quoted on page 32).

A woman working in a man's world during a time where women were seen as inferior was complex; however, Ida knew exactly how to act the role of a doting mother to produce the product she wanted. She also knew what type of storyteller she wanted to be and how she had to sometimes bend her own convictions to be able to tell her stories at all. Those stories would be about real women dealing with real life situations.

Ida is quoted as saying that she wanted to have "message pictures" that had a realistic documentary style but also entertained people (47). A lot of the messages surrounded women who went through traumatic experiences and who had to guide themselves through the pain to be truly living again. An example of this is in her film Outrage where viewers witness main character Ann go through a rape that causes her to run away from her fiancé and the town she knows. Ann then meets Reverend Ferguson who helps her on her journey to cope with her trauma (42-43). A lot of films during that time period did not discuss women's issues as openly as Lupino did and because of that, the Production Code Association was constantly in battle with her.

Tackling the subjects of rape victims, unwed mothers, and serial killers, the PCA was terrified of audiences finding the "taboo" subjects offensive. Lupino worked her way around their objections by changing up camera angles (specifically in the movie Not Wanted, where she films a labor scene in the point of view of the mother giving birth \- page 22), writing letters explaining why she needed to keep scenes the way they were written, and using clever visual metaphor to represent adult situations (20-22). Ida played nice with the PCA so she knew her pictures would be made. Ida knew she had the responsibility to represent women in film since she was the only female director and she did the best she could. In her own way, she was a feminist.

A lot of second wave feminists would disagree with the sentiment that Lupino was a feminist director. Many described her stories as "sexist", "conservative", and "passive" (30-31). The criticisms were a bit closed-minded due to the fact that there was no consideration to the fact that Lupino was a filmmaker in the 1950s. It is understandable that during the 1970s and 1980s, these adjectives would hold true to highly outdated films from decades before. However, considering how misogynistic the 1950s were, Lupino was extremely innovative. She told stories about women that would not generally be told by any of the male directors during that time period. She represented her women characters the best that she could, especially with a lot of restriction from the PCA. She worked very hard to break through barriers when women had very minimal opportunities to do so. Men ruled Hollywood, but Ida fought hard to be a filmmaker and give women more of an accurate voice then what they had. Ida might not be perceived as trailblazing because she could not do as much as feminists in different time periods, but when she was only given a little room to wiggle, she stretched as much as she could. As a director, Lupino was most certainly a feminist.

Director Ida Lupino worked in films and television until the late 1970s. Her films should be discovered by anyone wanting to have a better glimpse into a woman in a man's world. If anything else, they should be a celebration of a female director. Ida Lupino, the director, shall go down in history as a hard-working, brilliant woman.

Resource: Grisham, Therese, and Julie Grossman. Ida Lupino, Director: Her Art and Resilience in Times of Transition. Rutgers University Press, 2017.

Molly Silverman is an aspiring writer for the media and an avid Classic Film lover. She has a Classic Film blog on Tumblr called Classic Mollywood that shows her love of movies and educates people on film from the beginning to now.

###  Not Wanted (1949): Revisiting Ida Lupino's progressive agenda 70 years later \- By Larissa Oliveira

Multi artist Ida Lupino paves the path for ground-breaking artists even decades after her death. Her maverick spirit remains inspiring to those who dare to break taboos with their art. Imagine, then, more than 70 years ago, an actress almost in her 30s, unsatisfied with the roles she was offered due to the lack of character development, turning down Warner Brothers and immersing herself in an unusual era for women. Ida was way ahead of her time when she pursued a career as a film director (she was the second woman to be accepted in the Directors Guild of America and the only one to direct films in Hollywood in the immediate post-war era). Regarding her ambition as a filmmaker, she said: " _someone else seemed to be doing all the interesting work._ "

The reason why I am writing this explanatory paragraph about Lupino is that female directors have always been neglected. According to the _Women and Hollywood_ site: "Kathryn _Bigelow is the only woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director. Only five women have ever been nominated (Lina Wertmüller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Bigelow, and Greta Gerwig)_ ". There are more upsetting statistics regarding women in cinema and that's why it's so important to watch and talk about their works. When director Elmer Clifton had a heart attack and couldn't finish his film _Not Wanted_ , in 1949, Ida Lupino took over directing the script which marked her debut behind the cameras. Alongside her husband, Collier Young, Ida founded _The Filmakers,_ an independent company which was responsible not only for her first production but also for bringing new faces into the spotlight, such as actress Sally Forrest, who stars in the same movie.

Despite completing _Not Wanted_ _,_ Ida Lupino didn't want to take credit. However, it is impossible to disassociate her from the movie production once she played a major influence on it. The narrative tells the story of a young girl around her 20s called Sally Kelton. She is the daughter of a housewife and a working man and can't seem to help them out with household chores. Sally prefers, instead, to hang out with friends to jazz clubs. Her mother warns her that women who don't find respectable men to stick with, will end up being with those who trap them inside a kitchen. That was pretty much of the mindset in the north-American post-war period.

During World War II, the US government encouraged women to work in different jobs and stay single. There was a loosening of gender roles; however, after the war (after 1945), when men returned home, the roles were redefined, and this caused anti-conformism regarding social roles. There were many outsiders, including Ida Lupino herself, who refused to fit the norm and had something to say about it: " _Life doesn't give us the means of finding love without the bounds of our conventions and many of us will find it outside"_. So, when the mother and daughter initial dialogue alludes to a break from gender expectations, it is Lupino's resistance in accepting institutional sexism once again.

Sally attends a jazz club where the piano player Steve Ryan (Leo Penn) performs and the pair engages in a conversation about music and future. Steve expressed a huge will to pick up and hit the road to seek meaning beyond traditional values. His character reflects the spirit of the _Beat Generation_ writers who were highly influenced by jazz music and its improvisational structure — they would only be recognized in the following decade, but whoever constructed the film's characters was pretty aware of the social changes at that time. It is interesting to notice that Sally also had a free spirit and this can be perceived in small details like when she wore an off shoulder shirt, which was considered vulgar, but that was for sure Ida's attempt to portray the female character as one who is rebellious, however, this teased the Production Code Administration (PCA).

The PCA was responsible for the approval of films taking into consideration what would affect the image of the North-American traditional family. The movie censors first considered _Not Wanted_ to be a "sex problem drama" due to the Sally's relationship with Steve, concluding with her pregnancy. They were also opposed to a seduction scene of the couple, but Ida Lupino would show up in person during the negotiations and was determined to display a progressive agenda in her movies. If we reflect upon Ida's efforts, as a woman in the 1940's, to convince powerful men of her cinematographic ambitions, we can say that not only she was way ahead of her time but she was also aware of the power dynamics in society that undermined women, and did what she could to fight against that. She definitely opened the doors for female directors to become such and to boldly address relevant social issues in their works.

In those days, for young girls to be unwed mothers meant that they could not be real mothers as they had no control over their reproductive lives. It also meant that institutions like church and state decided what would be their destiny. In other words, if they chose single parenthood, they would have to face social stigmas and thus having fewer opportunities in society. This coercive action led women to reflect upon their lack of decision over their bodies and the social implications behind it. Sally claims that raising a child without a father would result in rejection and that she would have no one to take care of him while she's at work. Although we notice that Sally wanted to keep the child after birth, she is conscious about her marginalized position in society. To think of Ida's willingness to portray unwed mothers of multicultural backgrounds and that she could not do so because of the movie censors, brings to light the humanizing nature of the director as well as her commitment to expose the failure in the "American Dream".

Many critics found the portrayal of Sally as mentally ill unnecessary, especially when she is caught stealing a baby, believing it was her own. However, this might be interpreted as the confinement of women's individual exploration which was suppressed by the oppressive capitalist system. Sally's mental state reminded me of Sylvia Plath, Anne Sexton, Elise Cowen, and other post-war authors who penned the sense of being caged and tormented. Sally is arrested in a prison cell and meets women from different backgrounds whose "crimes" are unknown to the audience. "How did I get here?" wonders Sally with a lost look. Many women never knew why they were considered guilty or ill because that conception is, most of the times, a social construct. Plath and other writers tried, metaphorically, to answer Sally's question whereas men like Steve could walk free from the torment they caused to women.

_Not Wanted_ ends with Sally running from her destiny when she is found powerless against Drew's efforts to have her (Drew is as disturbed as she is). Their final kiss disappoints those who object to boy-gets-girl at the end formula. However, we have no clue of what their future might have been like. Ida sends a message that both of them were tormented souls who treated each other equally regardless of their past. It always seemed hard to me to know if the female character is really in love or just coerced into men's kindness but this doesn't undermine the relevance of _Not Wanted_ as the first of a series of movies Ida directed under progressive lens.

Resources:

_Facts to Know About Women in Hollywood._ Women and Hollywood,2018, accessed 14 September 2019. < https://womenandhollywood.com>

Grisham, Therese, and Grossman, Julie. _Ida Lupino, Director: Her Art and Resilience in Times of Transition_. Rutgers University Press, 2017. Accessed 14 September 2019.

Orgeron, Marsha (2008). _Hollywood Ambitions_ , pp. 170–179. Accessed 14 September 2019.

A 24-year-old teacher and writer, Larissa Oliveira Cardoso likes all kinds of art. She had an epiphany when she read Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" and a Twin Peaks experience. She found in the Riot Grrrl movement a voice that could mold both her political and literary desires, and she started producing the "I Wanna Be Yr Grrrl" zine. Rescuing the seldom-told stories of brilliant woman was what made her study the legacies of figures such as Ida Lupino, Věra Chytilová, Agnès Varda, Diane di Prima and Nico. The feminine perspective about stories told by both women and men is urgent, and that's why she intends to spend her life in this never-ending study.

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###  Never Fear (1950) \- By Raquel Stecher

Ida Lupino, newly minted as Hollywood's sole woman director, wasn't afraid of tackling social issues that other filmmakers had avoided. Her films explored rape, bigamy, unwanted pregnancy and in her second directorial pursuit, and her first credit as director, Lupino broached a subject that was near and dear to her heart: polio. Never Fear (1950) was born out Lupino's desire to raise awareness about a disease that had devastating effects on its victims. At the age of 16, Lupino was one of many afflicted by the 1934 polio outbreak in California. Her right hand was partially paralyzed and it affected her ability to work causing her to lose her contract with Paramount Pictures. Many Hollywood stars had campaigned to fundraise for the National Foundation of Infantile Paralysis, later known as the March of Dimes, an organization founded by then president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had also suffered from the disease. For Never Fear, Lupino was inspired by her physiotherapist friend Jack Gregory to make a film that would give people hope that polio was indeed something that could be rehabilitated. The polio vaccine was still a few years away and California had recently suffered another outbreak of the disease that had struck fear into the hearts of Americans nationwide.

Never Fear stars relative newcomers Sally Forrest and Keefe Brasselle. It tells the story of Carol (Sally Forrest) a talented dancer who with her partner and beau Guy (Keefe Brasselle) are on the brink of career success. The two celebrate their upcoming gig and Guy proposes marriage to Carol. Their happiness is short-lived as Carol is infected with polio which paralyzes her legs rendering her unable to dance or even to walk. She's admitted to a rehabilitation center where she quickly despairs of her situation even though it's clear that the staff, including Carol's physician Dr. Middleton (Lawrence Dobkins), believes that she can indeed recover. At the treatment center she meets Len Randall (Hugh O'Brian) another patient whose upbeat spirit at first turns off Carol but eventually she warms up to him. Guy puts off his dancing career and takes a real estate job so he can still be with Carol, a decision that upsets her greatly as she feels that her situation is holding him back. Carol must find the strength within herself to not only get better but to decide what her future will hold.

Never Fear was independently produced by Filmaker Productions, a company run by Lupino and her then husband and frequent collaborator Collier Young. It was shot over 15 days and made for a budget of just over $150,000. It was distributed by the poverty row studio and distributor Eagle-Lion Films. Getting funding for the film was no easy task. It was a roller coaster ride for both Lupino and Young. They didn't seek out a major studio, investors turned up their noses at the idea of a dramatic picture about polio and Lupino had to dip into her own personal savings to help the beleaguered production. In the end, audiences preferred escapism to realism and the box office returns just weren't there. Despite their financial straits, the film landed Lupino a three picture deal with Howard Hughes who had recently taken over RKO. This by itself saved the production company just as Never Fear was about to kill it for good.

Lupino and Young co-wrote the screenplay and as that process evolved it was clear that they needed a bigger budget. For Lupino especially it was important that the film be as authentic as possible to not only depict the plight of polio sufferers but also to deliver a message of hope that had its foundation firmly in reality. The film starts with the statement: "This is a true story. It was photographed where it happened." Many of the scenes were shot at the Kabat-Kaiser facility in Santa Monica, CA where Lupino's friend Jack Gregory worked. Throughout the film the audience sees the protagonist go through a range of treatments offered by the facility and many of the extras featured were real patients suffering from polio. Because Lupino had gone through rehabilitation herself, the attention to detail and the documentary style footage adds realism to an otherwise fictional plot. Lupino was injured during the production. She had tripped over a cable and broke her ankle which required her to direct the rest of the picture in a wheelchair. In fact, the wheelchair square dance sequence, which gives Carol an opportunity to relive her love of dancing, was directed by Lupino as she was wheelchair bound herself.

As the only woman director in Hollywood at the time, Lupino wore her femininity proudly. Her director's chair read "Mother of us all" and instead of fighting against gender norms she embraced them to get things done. Lupino's maternal instinct as a filmmaker is evident in nurturing the young talent in Never Fear. The film reunites Sally Forrest and Keefe Brasselle from Lupino's directorial debut film Not Wanted that she took over when Elmer Clifton fell gravely ill. Both Forrest and Brasselle were green to the business and Lupino took them under her wing. These were plum roles for both actors. Hugh O'Brian was another Lupino protégé. She discovered him when she was directing a stage production of a Maugham play. O'Brian hadn't had any interest in acting but tagged along with his girlfriend at the time who was in Lupino's play. When an actor dropped out, O'Brian did a cold reading and was instantly hired. For Never Fear, he was eager to work again with Lupino and had his heart set on the part of Len. He hand-copied the script, memorized all the lines and went in for an audition. According to Lupino biographer William Donati, O'Brian said "She got a big kick out of it. Ida admired anybody who took the business seriously."

Lupino herself took the business seriously and this is evident in her work. She was born into a show business family and sought out a career as an actress but directing, producing and writing suited her best. She was a constant observer, asking questions and soaking in knowledge whenever she could. Never Fear cinematographer Archie Stout once said, "Ida has more knowledge of camera angles and lenses than any director I've ever worked with, with the exception of Victor Fleming. She knows how a woman looks on the screen and what light that woman should have, probably better than I do."

Never Fear is an Ida Lupino film through and through. Its main theme is characteristic not only of Lupino herself but of a post WWII America. The protagonist must find it within herself to want to get better. There is a pull yourself up by the bootstraps mentality that is crucial to the character's journey. It first eludes her and the film takes its time to show Carol's ups and downs, her personal torment and everything that goes into her recovery. It taps into the real fear about having this debilitating disease but presents it with the very American acclamation of resilience over self-pity. Although some critics note that Carol is reliant on men to help her, I found the opposite to be so. The men can only do so much for her, Carol has to see the rest of rehabilitation through with her own strength of will. It's her father Walter (Herb Butterfield) who admits her into the facility but he has to be cast away for Carol to get better. Guy (Keefe Brasselle) has to leave Carol to her own devices and they must break up for her be able to focus on her recovery. Even Len (Hugh O'Brian) who bolsters Carol's spirits can only do so much for her. Lupino's sister Rita Lupino plays Josie, one of Carol's peers who offers a fresh perspective and a dose of wisdom that spurs Carol into action in a way that the men could not. The story must have stirred up Lupino's memories of her plight with the disease and how she sought independence even when her body was working against her. The film's final message is one of hope: "This is not THE END. It is just the beginning for all those of faith and courage."

Never Fear is very much of its era. The film's storyline about the physical and mental effects of polio will be lost on a contemporary viewer, it still holds potential appeal in a post polio vaccine world. It offers a window into one of the most interesting times in our recent medical history. And even though polio is no longer a biological threat, the film's overall message of overcoming adversity is timeless. Never Fear lives on as part of Ida Lupino's legacy which in recent years has enjoyed a renaissance. The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City currently has an original 35mm nitrate camera negative that has been restored and archived. That along with a new Blu-ray release by Kino Lorber Studio Classics ensures that audiences can enjoy this film for many years to come.

Sources:

AFI https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/26424

Kabat-Kaiser website  https://about.kaiserpermanente.org/our-story/our-history/kabat-kaiser-improving-quality-of-life-through-rehabilitation

 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/polio-crusade/

TCM  http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/84699/Never-Fear/articles.html

The New York Times  https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/24/movies/never-fear-the-young-lovers-review.html

MoMA https://www.moma.org

Ida Lupino: A Biography by William Donati

Raquel Stecher is a Latinx film writer based in Boston. She has a passion for movies and started the classic film blog Out of the Past in 2007. She also runs Quelle Movies which focuses on indie, female directed, LBGTQ and documentary films. Raquel has covered several film festivals as a member of the press including the TCM Classic Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival and SXSW. She's a Rotten Tomatoes approved critic and writes for other outlets including Turner Classic Movies,  DVD Netflix,  Cine Suffragette, the  Library of Congress and  The Film Detective.

###  Ida Lupino's Outrage (1950): How Society Dealt with Sexual Assault Back Then \- By Larissa Oliveira

If you search the meaning of the word _Outrage on_ dictionary.com, one of its definitions is _"powerful feeling of resentment or anger aroused by something perceived as an injury, insult, or_ _injustice_ _''_. Ida Lupino launched her third full-length movie, _Outrage_ _,_ and it carries a discerning judgment on how society should see violence against women as an **injustice.** I had to highlight this word because this movie was produced in 1950 and, yet, little has changed in the way we treat this issue. We are still taught to blame them and the abuser is rarely the focus of it, we tend to look for the pretext in the victims. The Brazilian title of the movie is " **It's the World's Fault** ''.

Back then, as the movie shows, the victim had not only to face the consequences by herself, but also to be so victimized that her enforced weak conditions were more relevant than to find a definitive solution to the rape culture in our sexist society. Sounds familiar? When the hashtag #metoo came up in the wake of sexual assault or harassment cases in Hollywood, much was said about the victims' reports, and even though the sexual offenders have reaped what they have sown , the victims have been questioned whether their allegations are true or not. Worse, where's the focus on how we build men like Harvey Weinstein and why are their actions soon forgotten by us?

To bring up this focus back in the 50s would be laborious, once there wasn't much of an open and articulated discussion on rape, this term wasn't even allowed on screens. Since Ida Lupino had as lead a woman dealing with a then-taboo topic, we can't ignore how brave and shrewd she was to offer a female gaze to something so outrageous that only men could film it. To entitle it as a synonym of injustice, the female director places the victim in a different spot of the issue. We don't get to know the rapist as we should, and yet, we are satisfied with her work because she was able to portray this pivotal problem in the way society treats it and how it should be treated.

In _Outrage_ , Mala Powers plays Ann Walton, a bookkeeper who gets engaged to a man who has just got a raise at work. Ann hears from a friend that she wants to keep her job when the subject of quitting it, because of the marriage, is brought up. This small dialogue reflects another social stigma created to oppress women. Even nowadays, there still is the idea that a wife has to be economically dependent on her husband. One night, when Walton is on her way home a stalker – who works in front of her workplace and likes to make a pass at her – rapes her. Lupino uses ellipsis in this scene which makes her work more thoughtful and provocative. The man's visage is hideous and we can only hear Ann's voice and sighs, giving us the idea that he was only doing what he had to do. And his silence is our silence before men's sick endurance in doing such things without feeling guilty. Afterwards, when Ann's father talks to the police about the assault, he says:

**"** **Tonight my daughter was brutally attacked. Why don't you do something about preventing crimes like these? Is this why you raise a daughter? Is this what you love and sacrifice for? What kind of times are these that such things can happen?''**

This excerpt translates exactly our wish to have more concrete actions and focus on why men commit sexual assaults. Even though this is not Lupino's main point in the movie, to hear from a man that society has failed in protecting women and preventing men to become rapists is remarkable. Ann is unable to carry the burden of everyone's knowledge on the happening. Lupino shows us how judgmental people can be when coworkers and pedestrians blatantly gossip about her and pat her on the shoulders instead of offering real support. Nobody really cares about it because they internalize this crime as one that is pitiful and that she just has to get over it. The protagonist goes through an intense torment in her mind and body. She doesn't want to be touched and feels like she was guilty for having her body violated. Her story is familiar, and watching _Outrage_ made __ me angrier than I already was about societal interpretations of sexual attacks because it's always the same old game.

Women are symbolically imprisoned to situations of abuse. They're often considered helpless to overcome the trauma and the rape culture has gone worse to free women from the constant fear of being assaulted just because of their gender.

Ann decides to look for her own way out of her oppression moving to Los Angeles. There, she meets a war veteran, Rev. Bruce Ferguson. We expect this encounter to fit the classical Hollywood narrative in which a woman has her future subordinated to a man's. However, that doesn't happen and we understand that he is there because he has also gone through a severe trauma and has tried to overcome it in a better place. The point is that it doesn't matter how far Ann goes if sexism is pervasive, and that she might be assaulted again because she is a woman. No place is a safe place if this issue still endures; although Ann was able to find work and reliable friends, a man harasses her at a local festival. When Mala's character defends herself from the man's attack, she injuries him badly and is forced to stand trial. Ferguson stands up for her defense claiming that she shouldn't be arrested once she has suffered a recent trauma. He is able to convince the judge to let her be mentally treated instead of going to jail. Although we hear that the perpetrator was eventually found and arrested, Ann was left a heavy mark because society was impotent, ruthless and still normalizes rape cases. That's why women still go through the stigma and the crime is perpetuated. According to _The Guardian_ , in the UK more than 85,000 women are raped and 400,000 sexually assaulted every year.

When Ann leaves the bucolic town to return home, it symbolizes the limitations of a woman, in a period that the private places, in other words, a **house** was imposed as a woman's place. Each time a woman decided to go out and get a life of her own, she would learn that the world outside was hazardous and not ready to her. That's how trapped we still are. We need to keep on talking about rape, hearing more stories and watching movies like _Outrage_ , hoping on more attempts to break the silence in a society that is not ready yet to break its patriarchal structures.

A 24-year-old teacher and writer, Larissa Oliveira Cardoso likes all kinds of art. She had an epiphany when she read Sylvia Plath's "The Bell Jar" and a Twin Peaks experience. She found in the Riot Grrrl movement a voice that could mold both her political and literary desires, and she started producing the "I Wanna Be Yr Grrrl" zine. Rescuing the seldom-told stories of brilliant woman was what made her study the legacies of figures such as Ida Lupino, Věra Chytilová, Agnès Varda, Diane di Prima and Nico. The feminine perspective about stories told by both women and men is urgent, and that's why she intends to spend her life in this never-ending study.

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###  Life after the outrage \- By Beatriz Saldanha

Article about Outrage (1950), directed by Ida Lupino, originally written for the film cycle Ida Lupino: Subversion and Resilience, organized by Camila Vieira in Fortaleza, CE, in December 2017.

In 2016, one of the most unforgettable scary scenes in a Brazilian production came from the short film Estado Itinerante, made in the state of Minas Gerais by the filmmaker Ana Carolina Soares. The film is about a woman who avoids staying at home because she's a victim of domestic violence and, in the scary scene in question, a group of girl friends in a bar is threatened by the presence of a few motorcycle riders, who try to intimidate them with the noise of their motors. Since debates about horror are in vogue, it seems valid to bring them to the analysis of films that directly deal with violence against women.

In 1949, Ida Lupino was coming from a career of almost 20 years as an actress when she started with her husband, Collier Young, the independent company The Filmakers. The films made by them had a low budget and were intended to discuss several social issues. The following year Lupino wrote and directed Outrage, that brings rape as its main issue. Rape is a recurrent theme in film since the beginning, working as a dramatic element, but rarely having as focus the damages suffered by the victim and how she deals with the trauma. Therefore, the film appears as an alternative to this precept.

Outrage is distressing since the opening credits, that show a woman running alone through the dark city as if she was trying to escape someone, which sets the tone for the tense sequences that will follow. The first scene shows the lead Ann Walton (Mala Powers), in a hurry for an appointment, buying cake in a truck that sells coffee and candy. Even if she is not showing interest, the salesman and soon-to-be rapist molests the girl and asks if she is buying two pieces because she is going to meet her boyfriend. A while later, the confirmation comes: while listening to a conversation between Ann and a work colleague, the man finds out that Ann is engaged and will get married soon. Lupino constantly films only his hands, hands that invade the frame while the girls talk. By showing only his hands and his gestures, Lupino is able to capture the man's dissatisfaction with the news about the wedding.

One day, Ann finishes her job late and needs to walk home alone. The man who sells cakes, who has a privileged vision of Ann's workplace, sees her leaving and starts a chase that lasts some long and almost unbearable five and a half minutes. When the rapist catches his victim, the camera backs off.

Outrage is a film about physical violence, but also about moral violence. Many eyes and mouths judge Ann after she was raped. Unable to live with the shame and the guilt that often fall upon the victims of this kind of crime, Ann starts becoming delirious, she can't say what is real and what is happening in her mind only. It is a film of emotions, of emotions that practically materialize, and they are always represented in a very visual manner. What the characters feel deep inside is manifested physically, through a corporal answer, just like in the scene in which Ann's anxious fiancé destroy his in-laws' couch.

Lupino avoids overused or tiring resources, like using a narrator, to talk about her characters' most intimate feelings, which makes this an exquisite film for those who enjoy a good work with images. The scene in which the bedpost stays between the camera and the character points out to a tragedy in the horizon (it anticipates the prison bars from the prison Ann is sent to after attempting to kill a second molester); as well as her wardrobe represents the shift in her state of mind.

In this sense, the film reveals an expressionistic influence when it superimposes an unpleasant situation, like the people whispering on the street and gossiping about her, or the repetitive noise of the coworker postmarking in a cadence; everything disturbs Ann, suggesting an association with the rhythm of the bodies and their movement during sex. The same resource would be used with a similar effect in the film The Innocents (1961), by Jack Clayton, in which Deborah Kerr plays a governess who suffers from a severe sexual repression.

The Hitch-Hiker, made by Lupino in 1953, is frequently cited as her horror film, because it tells the story of a psychopath who risks the lives of the men who gave him a ride. Maybe because it is less known, the horror potential of Outrage is not often talked about. Nevertheless, it's very interesting how Lupino philosophizes about fear in this film, through a creative work deepened around the anxieties that appear after sexual trauma. Her leading lady suffers from paranoia, loses the notion of good social living, stops believing in the idea, learned during childhood, that all men are good. Instead, Ann immerses herself in some kind of parallel dimension where all men are monsters until the contrary is proved. This kind of representation of fear is very common in the so-called psychological horror films, in which, because of a trauma or a childhood repression, the character (always a female) starts hallucinating. Some examples are Blackmail (1929) and Repulsion (1965), films that, just like Lupino's film, use the cinematic language in an inventive way in order to give a shape to those monsters.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Outrage is a precursor to the films about rape and revenge. However, since it's mainly a dramatic feature and, because of the artistic choices made by the filmmaker, the issue is treated with care and sensibility, and it never revels in the victim's anguish. But the idea that remains is that, may it be through domestic violence, like in Estado Itinerante, may it be through rape, like in Lupino's film, it's all about the outrage of the body. It's about being a woman and not being able to decide when a man will touch you, it's about the fear of not being in control of your own life. Considering this, we can say that horror is in the eyes of the beholder.

From Fortaleza, Beatriz Saldanha has a master's degree in Audiovisual Communication from the Universidade Anhembi Morumbi (UAM), from São Paulo, where she currently lives. With a degree in Languages by the Universidade Federal do Ceará (UFC), she organized the film clubs Casa Amarela e João & Maria. She is part of the Aceccine - Association Of Film Critics from the State of Ceará and the Elviras – a Collective Of Female Film Critics. She sometimes collaborates with the websites Interlúdio e Rocinante, and maintains the page Revista Les Diaboliques, where she writes about horror. Currently, she works in a survey of horror films directed by women.

###  Hard, Fast and Beautiful (1951) \- By Samantha Brasil

"From the very moment you were born, I knew that you were different. I saw things in you that no one else could. And I knew that somehow, I would get the very best there was out of life for you. Listening to you hit that ball used to drive me crazy. That is because I always wanted something better for you. And I made up my mind to get it, no matter what I had to do."

We hear a woman's voice speaking these lines in the opening sequence of the film. The words are said while the montage shows us, alternately, the narrator sewing the hem of a long party dress, and a younger woman, practicing tennis at the door of a garage. The dilemma is set out right away and director Ida Lupino forges a plaything in the first minutes of the film 1951's Hard, Fast and Beautiful: can a young woman follow her wishes and become an amateur tennis player or will she have to bow to her mother's yearnings? It is from this dichotomy, which affected a large part of white middle class women, in the 1950s in the United States, that Lupino will call the shots. The film is based on a novel written by John R. Tunis, with a screenplay adapted by Martha Wilkerson.

Then, we are introduced to the filmic universe. Millie (Claire Trevor) is presented as a caring mother who transfers to her daughter Florence (Sally Forrest) all the yearnings of a life she wanted for herself. Family patriarch Will Farley (Kenneth Patterson) reveals himself to be a docile man, without agency, who lives to please and pamper the two women he lives with. The docility and passivity are such that, at a given moment, in a clash with his wife, the character verbally says "I am domesticated". It is worth mentioning that both Ida Lupino and Dorothy Arzner, the only women to direct movies during the so-called Golden Age of Hollywood, subtly built much of their feature films under a pillar supported by female protagonists with agency and who negotiate social situations with each other, without the vulgar competition that we are used to seeing on screens, and apathetic, submissive, almost always obedient men, who are performing a masculinity at these women's service.

Florence's skill as a tennis player is revealed from the start by neighbor Gordon McKay (Robert Clarke), for whom the young woman will have a romantic interest. At first, the mother authorizes Florence to go to the club where Gordon works to experience a relaxed match with other more experienced tennis players aiming that her daughter's approach to the attractive boy could yield (literally) some substantial marital fruit. However, this purpose is quickly put in the background because of the arrival of the businessman Fletcher Locke (Carleton G. Young) who acts as a scout in order to discover new talents for the sport.

With the arrival of Fletcher in the plot, the film reconfigures itself and begins to portray the mother in an extremely ambitious way and completely dissatisfied with the life provided by her husband. By conferring certain demeanors usually considered villainous to this character, we can ask ourselves why male representations endowed with ambition, audacity, selfishness and greed are perceived in cinema and literature as positive features and when the characters are women, they are not? Why is this behavior expected and naturalized for Fletcher's character and not for the mother's? These are questions that the work raises as it enters more and more into the universe of luxury, glamour and fame that Florence begins to achieve as she advances in the ranking of competitions.

Of course, it is opportune to note the behind the scenes that the sports universe imposes on those who wish to go professional. Ida Lupino architects this background in an interesting way by articulating the effort undertaken by Florence's training with the economic issue that is linked to this universe. A woman who earns money for what she does and, thus, gains her financial autonomy, is always considered a dangerous woman. This context is covered in the emotional blackmail that Florence's romantic partner begins to do by seeing the growth in her sports career. After all, as the philosopher Silvia Federici says, in the book "Caliban and the Witch", women have to find a man who brings the money home. Anything other than that was considered frightening. In Hard, Fast and Beautiful, the daunting character is twofold, given that there are two complex relationships at stake: Florence and her boyfriend and Florence and her mother. Although the interests at stake in these two relationships are diverse, multidimensional layers are elaborated through the images that the filmmaker builds to create the climax of her narrative.

When faced with Florence's exhaustive scenes in training and competitions and her dilemma about whether to continue her career or raise a family, I remember the brilliant film Something Different (1963, O necem jiném) by Czech filmmaker Věra Chytilová, in which she accompanies, in a documental form, the very heavy routine of a gymnast, interpreted by the real-life Olympic gold medalist Eva Bosáková, and the fictional daily life of a housewife who has to take care of her son, husband and handle a lover. What ideals of femininity are up for debate? Which of these women is the freest? To a certain extent, each in its own way, Lupino's and Chytilová's movies dialogue with one another in terms of the condition of modern women in class society, their anxieties and torments inevitably mediated by patriarchy.

Finally, another relevant point of friction that the film proposes concerns the obstacles related to the professionalization of women in sport. Here it is worth mentioning the movie Battle of the Sexes (2017), directed by the duo Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton, which traces the journey of the legendary tennis player Billie Jean King, in the 1960s, for equal pay for men and women in the profession. In addition, the feature unravels the huge number of macho situations that women faced, and still face today, that could be seen through all the recent controversy regarding the Women's World Cup. In that sense, Hard, Fast and Beautiful may at first look like a naïve or even childish film, but in fact it addresses very complex themes theorized by the most diverse feminists throughout the ages, which are still very intense to women today. Thus remains relevant the work of this actress, screenwriter and director so neglected by the historiography of cinema.

Samantha Brasil is an anthropologist, film critic and film curator. She has a master's degree in Sociology and Anthropology (PPGSA/UFRJ). She is one of the founders of the Elviras – a Collective of Female Film Critics. She was part of the team of the podcast Feito por Elas from June 2016 until February 2019, and she writes about movies at the website Delirium Nerd.

E-mail: samantha.brasil@gmail.com

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###  Ida Lupino: Breaking Ground \- By Emily Graziano

From the minute the title sequence rolls, On Dangerous Ground (1951) immediately draws in viewers with Bernard Herrmann's unforgettable score coupled with images of a gritty city. The picture visually starts off like a noir, but beneath the surface lies one of the most tender filled and human of all films noir ever made.

Directed by Nicholas Ray, and based off the novel Mad with Much Heart by Gerald Butler, On Dangerous Ground tells the story of brutal cop Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan), and his path to redemption, which comes in the unlikely form of blind woman Mary Malden (Ida Lupino).

Starting off in the city then moving into the countryside, this movie has a distinct turning point that makes it feel as if it's two movies in one. Although Ida Lupino makes her first appearance 40 minutes into the 82 minute feature, it's her convincing performance of Mary Malden that makes her the true scene stealer.

The film starts off with Jim Wilson, clearly subdued of his work, in the city doing what he always does: working the night shift. Within minutes on the job the crookedness of his actions are shown when he almost beats a man to death. This leads him to be put on a murder case outside the city limits and to the point where the narrative transitions to the countryside. The second half demonstrates not only a change in scenery, but also a change in character, as Jim Wilson transforms from "bad cop" to "good cop", with the father of the murder victim, Walter Brent (Ward Bond,) taking over the vacancy of "bad cop". It's not long after arriving that Jim teams up with Brent and it's while out on the prowl for the murderer that brings them to the doorstep of Mary Malden.

Unbeknownst to some, Lupino actually is an uncredited director for On Dangerous Ground, as she took over when Nicholas Ray fell ill. As an all rounder when it came to film production, it should not be overlooked that she was a remarkable actor and became famous for taking on taboo and diverse roles. This movie is no different, as she tackles a character who is blind.

What makes Ida so superb at playing this role is that she never over-exaggerates the fact her character is blind, giving a genuinely real portrayal. She doesn't wave her hands frantically when trying to look for objects, rather she slowly places her hand and works her way towards it. When walking, she doesn't take shaky steps, and walks normally. Most notable of all is the scene she touches Jim Wilson's face; she doesn't press down hard trying to get a feel of him, she instead gives a gentle caress.

The exact moment Mary caresses Jim's face is without a doubt the tenderest moment in all of film noir. It's a moment that makes you believe Jim Wilson truly is not who he seems on the outside, and that he, unlike noir counterparts such as Dixon Steele (Humphrey Bogart) in In a Lonely Place (1950) or Frank Chambers (John Garfield) in The Postman Only Rings Twice (1946), is capable of a redemption and deserving of happiness.

When Brent doesn't buy the story of Mary's brother, Danny (Sumner Williams), not being home, Jim eventually promises Mary not to hurt the boy, who is mentally ill – and the murderer. It's the gentleness in Mary that brings out the gentleness in Jim, who would not have made the same promise had it been propositioned in the beginning of the film.

While many consider the climax of On Dangerous Ground to be cliché and predictable, complete with a chase up a mountainside, an accidental death, and resolved feelings of the Brent character, when closely examined, the final resolution is quite unpredictable for a film of the noir genre. It could have very easily ended with Jim returning to the city; his new outlook on life intact thanks to Mary, but instead it ends the opposite way: with Jim returning to Mary.

The role of Mary Malden was somewhat of a return to acting for Ms. Lupino, as for the past two years she had focused on directing. Her last starring role was in 1950's Woman in Hiding. Later that year, she directed Outrage, and Hard Fast and Beautiful in 1951, as well as narrated the drama film On the Loose. Unfortunately for all these films, she went uncredited as director, narrator, and even bit player. By the time she made On Dangerous Ground, Lupino would only direct three more movies in her career: The Hitch Hiker (1953), The Bigamist (1953; in which she also starred) and The Trouble with Angels in 1966. She then moved on to direct TV shows including The Twilight Zone and Bewitched.

In today's world, Ida Lupino is remembered as the female director of the Hollywood golden era, but I think it's important to remember her as the original female hyphenate – an actress-director-producer-singer. Her career and contributions to all of those areas of showbiz have often been neglected as time passes, but much like her character in On Dangerous Ground, she proves that redemption is never far from reach.

Emily L Graziano is a history lover, Anglophile, British royalist, and classic movie fan. As a child, she grew up loving The Wizard of Oz and was introduced to John Wayne movies by her beloved Grandfather, Joseph Kasper. Living in the Chicago suburbs, today she writes about classic films at her blog The Flapper Dame and dreams of traveling to England. Emily invites fellow classic movie fans to visit her blog at: www.theflapperdamefilm.wordpress.com and on twitter: @flapperdame16.

###  Beware, My Lovely (1952) \- By Carol Saint Martin

Hollywood power couple Ida Lupino and Collier Young had a short but sweet run with their production company The Filmakers in the 1950s, during which they produced, co-wrote, acted in and/or directed several films, including Lupino's crowning achievement as a director, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), and the sublime Private Hell 36 (1954, dir. Don Siegel). Beware, My Lovely (1952, dir. Harry Horner) may not be as well-remembered, but it certainly has a lot to say for itself.

Noir regular Robert Ryan stars as Howard Wilton, a psychopathic handyman hired by Helen Gordon (Ida Lupino), a widow living in the suburbs. Right away, we think we can see where this is going, and for a moment, we'd be right; from the film's opening sequence, the tension builds up gradually and effectively, making the most of the rather atypical plot, steadily making its way to an equally atypical ending. Right from the beginning, we get this evil-in-the-suburbs feel about it, and, sure enough, the film balances itself between thriller and suburban noir. Beware, My Lovely's strength, however, lies not just on the psychological thriller aspect of it, but also its ability to tackle issues that may have gone unnoticed otherwise. Starting with Ruth (Barbara Whiting), Helen's niece, and her mocking of Wilton for doing a 'woman's job', to the very exploration of this through Wilton's speech about his past, which cleverly hints at Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, while also holding a mirror up to society and its unforgiving rules, Beware, My Lovely addresses gender roles, societal expectations and the subsequent disillusionment, and it may just be one of those films which proudly make up the 'ahead of its time' squad.

Though credited solely as a performer, one cannot underestimate Lupino's contribution to the film, considering that not only was this a product of her own production company, but also the kind of issue-oriented material The Filmakers was known for. While it is perhaps fair to say that Beware, My Lovely could have done with a little more in-depth exploration of these issues, it should be noted that what's there is arguably enough to get the point across, without losing its momentum. And what a momentum it is.

Carol Saint Martin is a screenwriter, playwright and blogger at The Old Hollywood Garden. She has had a short play shortlisted in a competition, as well as a TV pilot in the quarter-finalists of another competition. On top of this, she has also had an article published in the California-based film noir magazine Noir City, about character actor Neville Brand.

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###  To the Person Who Dissed Ida Lupino on Social Media \- By Ruth Kerr

Dear Ida Lupino Detractor:

This open letter is several months late.

Once upon a time, you were on Twitter asking why all the fuss about actor/director Ida Lupino. You said her directorial career consisted of one mediocre low-budget thriller.

The responses to your statement were quick and terse. People pointed to the number of films and television shows Lupino directed, as well as the ground-breaking (read: taboo) films her production company tackled. Others noted she was the only female member of Director's Guild of America in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

I wondered, Dear Detractor, if you'd seen the low-budget thriller in question, _The Hitch-Hiker_ (1953). It was the word "mediocre" that made me wonder.

But, for the sake of argument, let's suppose Lupino had only directed this one film. Should a "fuss" still be made?

I think so, and here's why.

First, you were right about The Hitch-Hiker being a low-budget thriller. But let's not get distracted by that. If we were to list all the low-budget thrillers ever made, we'd be here all day. Instead, let us focus on the film itself.

The film is based on actual events in late December 1950 to January 1951. A hitch-hiker named Billy "Cockeyed" Cook went on a three-week killing spree in the southwestern U.S. According to Time, Cook killed six people, including a family of five. His goal, as he told his father, was to "live by the gun and roam."[1]

Cook was eventually arrested in Mexico after he had kidnapped two American prospectors and forced them to drive across the border. He was executed in 1952.

Lupino, who co-wrote the script, quickly sprang into action. According to TCM.com:

Lupino interviewed one of the hostages and obtained releases from both hostages and Cook himself. She then peppered the screenplay with elements of Cook's life, including his abusive childhood and a genetic deformity that made it impossible for him to close his right eye.... Changing the kidnapped prospectors to businessmen...allowed her to explore the gradual breakdown of two men living a solid, middle-class existence who are suddenly confronted with the killer's uncontrollable psychotic rage.[2]

Lupino's research gives The Hitch-Hiker an authentic, gritty desperation. We viewers know this criminal will eventually be caught, but we fear what he might do in the meantime.

The film opens with a time lapse of vehicles stopping on various roadways to pick up a male hitchhiker. Lupino's tight camera shows us only the shoes of the man and the tires of the vehicles, then she shows us the bodies of these charitable drivers as they're dumped on the side of the road.

These images tell us three things: (1) We know we're dealing with a killer On The Move; (2) The deceased are random victims; and (3) American highways aren't as safe as folks pretend.

Then the hitchhiker (William Talman) is given a ride by two friends on a fishing trip (Edmond O'Brien and Frank Lovejoy), and Talman immediately takes them hostage. Now that we see the hitchhiker's face, we notice something odd about his right eye.

Lupino uses this eye to dramatic effect. In one scene, O'Brien and Lovejoy – at gunpoint – set up a primitive camp. Talman reminds them about his "bum eye": if the men try to escape in the night, they'll never be able to tell if Talman is awake or asleep.

Added to this tension is the isolation. Because police in two countries have been alerted, roadblocks have been set up on all major highways, forcing the men onto deserted backroads. When they do stop for gas or provisions, it's always in a small Mexican town where the locals don't speak much English.

The land is barren and dry, and tempers are simmering. Even Lovejoy and O'Brien start arguing between themselves. Lupino's camera rarely strays from inside the vehicle, creating a taut, claustrophobic environment.

It's worth noting there are no major female characters in this film. Lupino proves she is capable directing a grim story with a strong male cast. If you didn't know a woman directed this film, there's no way you could tell.

Which begs the question: What does women's directing look like, anyway? And why, more than 60 years after Lupino directed _The Hitch-Hiker_ , are we still having this discussion?

Thankfully, we do have Lupino's work to point to, and, happily, she was a top-notch director who deserves a bit of "fuss".

###  **Notes:**

 [1] Cosgrove, Ben. "'I'm Gonna Live by the Gun and Roam': Portrait of an American Spree Killer, _Time,_ 1951.

 [2] Miller, Frank. _The Hitch-Hiker_ , tcm.com, accessed February 12, 2018.

Ruth Kerr is a Canadian who loves old films and Hollywood history. She happily blogs about both at silverscreenings.org.

###  The Bigamist (1953) \- By Letícia Magalhães

In the classic Hollywood era, there were very few female directors. Sure, there were some doing experimental work, but inside the big studios, with access to a good cast, crew and budget, there were only two: Dorothy Arzner and Ida Lupino. Arzner worked in the 1930s and 40s, and Lupino came next, working in the 1950s and 60s. Lupino directed 41 movies and TV episodes between 1949 and 1968. Today we'll talk about one of her most famous movies, 1953's The Bigamist.

Harry Graham (Edmond O'Brien) and his wife Eve (Joan Fontaine) want to adopt a child. They go to an adoption agency and fill in all the forms. The next step is a quick investigation about their lives, made by Mr Jordan (Edmund Gwenn). Harry is reluctant and uncomfortable about this investigation. The Grahams live in San Francisco, but Harry travels often to Los Angeles to work. Mr Jordan follows Harry until LA, and finds out he has another family there, complete with a baby son and a wife, Phyllis (Ida Lupino herself).

After finding out they couldn't have children, Harry says Eve started working with him in the sales business, and quickly doubled his sales. She becomes more and more invested in working. He becomes more and more bummed by her new interest. When he goes to a boring business trip to Los Angeles, he takes a bus tour and meets an equally bored woman – Phyllis. With time, they get involved.

Are there noirish traces in The Bigamist? Sure. First, you have a story told in flashback. Also, many stylistic choices scream noir: the inclusion of lamps in the frame and the many shadows cast by curtains, windows and walls, for instance. However, it's not a noir, it's not a family drama, it's not a romance at all. But it's real, and it's a blow of fresh air in the studio system, that more often than not worked like an assembly line.

It was not the first time Joan Fontaine played a character with marital problems – who can forget her work in Rebecca (1940), as the second Mrs De Winter? Sure, Harry does try to tell Eve about his cheating when it wasn't even cheating yet, but she changes the subject. In this exact moment in the film, we see how insecure Eve is. Unfortunately, Joan Fontaine doesn't have much more to do than to showcase some meaningful facial expressions near the end.

And it's extra interesting to know that Ida Lupino and Joan Fontaine were almost romantic rivals in real life. The story is not nearly as salacious or pathetic as the one in the film: screenwriter Collier Young, Lupino's partner in the independent film production company The Filmakers, was married to Ida Lupino from 1948 until 1951. The next year, he married Joan Fontaine, and the two remained together until 1961. The situation didn't interfere with the mood during filming The Bigamist, and the two couples frequently had fun together – Young and Fontaine, Lupino and her new husband Howard Duff.

This is not a cautionary tale. The Bigamist is not supposed to teach something to the viewer, and not even to judge its characters. There is a moral dilemma, sure, but Harry is not portrayed as a womanizer and Phyllis is not portrayed as a home wrecker. And we owe this to Ida Lupino.

Ida Lupino was a good director, but I wish she was more daring and groundbreaking. To be approved by the Hays Office, The Bigamist had to be extra cautious – the subject matter in itself was very bold. That's why there is a lot of euphemisms to finally tell that Phyllis is pregnant with Harry's child. I completely understand why Ida had to do this.

Ida Lupino was a woman directing a picture centered in a man. I'd love to see the two wives telling their versions of the story, sharing with us their thoughts and feelings. I'd love if Ida had given those women a voice. I know it'd be quite hard for the time period, but it'd also be amazing and historic.

Unfortunately, even with Lupino's great brains for business, The Bigamist didn't do well at the box office. Lupino and Young had decided to distribute the picture in an independent way, and it certainly hurt the performance. Ida Lupino started directing more television, and only directed another movie 13 years later. This is too bad, because The Bigamist is an interesting flick – and, after all, if by the end we don't really care about which wife wants Harry back, it's because of Ida Lupino's taste for unique stories.

Letícia Magalhães is a Brazilian historian and film critic. She has published three books. She writes about classic film on her bilingual blog Crítica Retrô, modern movies and TV shows in Portuguese at  Ambrosia and she is also an editor at the multilingual publication about film and feminism Cine Suffragette.

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###  Noir in Ida Lupino's work \- By Luiza Lusvarghi

The first woman to direct a noir film, The Hitch-Hiker (1953), was Ida Lupino, the only female director of the cycle-associated period and the only Hollywood active at the time. Most female directors could, tops, write scripts and adaptations of literary works, a stigma that to this day haunts female writers in the world, rarely called upon to write thrillers or criminal narratives. Despite being a British actress, producer and director based in the United States, her cinematography was more influenced by the country she adopted, unlike fellow Hitchcock, with whom she worked on several occasions. Her directional debut was in 1949, with the feature film Not Wanted, about a single woman who becomes pregnant and has to donate her son to a charity, which Ida had to finalize as director Elmer Clifton died right at the beginning of the shoot.

In cinema, her acting career was far more popular than her career as a director, always playing strong, complex women with nuances of character. Ida has directed only seven films, but continued making television productions as an actress, producer and director. On the IMDb portal she records 41 credits as director of some famous series, such as The Fugitive, 1963-1966, Bewitched, 1964-1972, Twilight Zone, 1959-1964, and two episodes of the television series Alfred Hitchcock Presents 1955-1965 that would actually be classified today as authentic telefilms. Ida also worked as an actress and producer on a well-known CBS radio show called Suspense (1942-1962), alongside Mickey Rooney and James Stewart, among other Hollywood stars.

The theme of Not Wanted, ahead of its time, of an out-of-wedlock pregnancy, earned her an invitation to join the first lady's, Eleanor Roosevelt, radio show and marked her career and feminist positions. Since the first film, the productions have been mostly composed of titles that dealt with themes of social criticism and engagement, revealing the conflicts experienced by those seeking justice in a system that chronically promotes inequality, despite the First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution. Films classified as noir prevailed in Lupino's career, which also includes the script for Private Hell 36, 1954. The Hitch-Hiker, about a famous serial killer, the most cited when mentioning Ida's trajectory, was not her only foray into noir. Other notable films were Outrage (1950), about a woman being raped on her return from work, On Dangerous Ground (1951), which she shares with Nicholas Ray, though uncredited. But in The Bigamist (1953), she emerges as an actress living in a love triangle like Phyllis Martin, the other who believes to be the bride of Edmund O'Brien (Harry Graham), and it also features Joan Fontaine (Eve Graham). It portrays the institution of marriage in the eyes of the law and the hypocrisy of this convention these days, and it is considered her most authentic work. The movie ends with Harry Graham awaiting his sentence. The Bigamist is considered her best film by many, and an authentic study of the contemporary man in the aftermath of World War II, in crisis with his manhood and social role. Produced, starred and directed by Ida, in partnership with her ex-husband Collier Young, and his wife at the time, Joan Fontaine, the film is centered on a male character, insurance agent Graham, but features prominent female characters.

Escaping stereotypes and censorship

James Naremore (2008), who devoted part of his essay work to film noir in the United States, sees Lupino's work as essential for discussing noir, which he does not see as a subgenre, as independent spirits like hers will give other nuances to this type of production, which is more associated with chiaroscuro, B&W, than the psychological composition of the characters. Noir is, in fact, a look at the past, especially when the present is not what was expected, says Naremore. The noir cycle was notable for being centered on male characters, often in crisis with patriarchalism, and with their own masculinity and with their role within the contemporary society. And in these works, when there was a female protagonism, it was always that of the femme fatale, a prototype of the modern woman, who no longer sees marriage as the only way out of her life, and who accepts other moral codes of conduct. For some essayists such as Krutnik (1991), this woman sometimes represented the very ills of capitalism, such as Barbara Stanwyck's Phyllis in Billy Wilder's Double Idemnity, 1944.

However, if this new woman is seen in many of the noir films as fearful, which is still a misogynist stereotype of an emancipated woman, it certainly overshadows the naïve girl role, as Silvia Harvey points out in her seminal essay on the theme – she is glamorized even with her death at the end of the movie (Harvey in Kaplan, 1980, p.22-34), she is the object of desire, there is no room for the woman who is always the innocent victim. But undoubtedly, in many works this presence is nonetheless limited, as in Gilda for example, reduced to clichés that do not fade thanks to Rita Hayworth´s touching performance, the Latin beauty that Hollywood turned into a redhead. It is thanks to the contribution of people like Ida Lupino that some of these commonplaces will be undone, replaced by characters marginalized by society, but with another standpoint.

Noir was created by French critics to define postwar Hollywood films between the 1940s and 1950s, mostly in black and white. The expression noir, at first, arises as a way of relating this film cycle to a type of French literature, and to a cycle that precedes the noir, the cinema that will place low-income people and the large cities of modern era in the central narrative, like Hotel Du Nord (1938). Capitalist development creates new forms of relationship, and inevitable social conflicts arise in the big cities where different classes live, where the smoothness of police corporations is not exactly a good reference. The French right-wing then used the term noir as pejorative to define left-wing productions, a characteristic that sometimes persists today. The lead is inevitably someone outside the system, and in the case of US films, someone who must break with the system to establish justice and find the truth. Double Indemnity (1944) is considered a film that makes use of techniques related to French cinematography also because of these peculiarities. German expressionism, postwar existentialism, all these ingredients combined with disenchantment with the modern and technological society that promises development and equality, are part of the noir cocktail, which in its early days lived under the sound of jazz.

Lupino makes use of this repertoire, which established her as an actress, to direct her films and to elaborate her scripts. The Bigamist, in fact, sees the institution of marriage as a scam. Outrage discusses sexual violence against a woman who is a victim but is accused. The definition of film noir, on the other hand, was not limited to crime films with investigators of unorthodox methods, dubious morals and ambiguous sexuality, preferably accompanied by sensual and dangerous women – Jameson does not use the too generic term femme fatale. For Jameson (2016) the modern woman would be represented in a more diverse way in these works. In Raymond Chandler's works there are different types of men (the rich, the proletarian), as well as women, whom he classifies as "unconscious" archetypes such as the belle dame san merci or the woman pal and likeable but non-sexual detective. It's the fatal woman that Jameson (2016, p.855) calls vamp-murderess, along with pal (colleague), professional, and mousy girl (the doll-like woman), who may be provincial or shy, but clever and observant.

Jameson ascribes the emergence of these characters associated with mateship that arises from new social roles, but also from the fearful stance towards the new woman, creating conditions for a backlash. Lupino's female characters, both the characters she created as director and screenwriter, and also as an actress, can be described as pal, though never asexual. Looking into them may constitute this exception to the rule to which Naremore alludes, and represents a rather enriching aspect of the concept and the historical moment that originated this production. Hence perhaps the recent interest of the academy in her works.

Lupino was uncomfortable with Hollywood, and this is reflected in her career, and is the source of most of her troubles with the studios, which will lead her to set up her own independent production company, something that is common today but back then was quite bold. This entrepreneurship, rare for an actress in that period, will inevitably lead Lupino to deal with low budgets, big-production scenarios, all the features of B-movies, but without the idea of making action or thriller movies. It is worth remembering that the postwar period is also the period of communist witch-hunt. She naturally refused to participate as an informant to compose the blacklist created by the McCarthyism (Grisham, Grossman, p.11), and that through the HUAC (House of Un-American Activities Committee) sentenced authors and directors to ostracism, without being able to work.

The filmmaker and the noir

Lupino's work was developed amid the golden years of the Hays Code – Motion Picture Production Code –, created by the Association of Film Producers and Distributors of America, which simply prohibited addressing topics such as abortion, bigamy, women of moral doubt (Grisham, Grossman, p.11). So, putting on screen a working woman being raped and claiming justice, a single mother, or even a bigamist man –The Bigamist is packed with courtroom scenes, discussing prevailing morals, unassailable institutions – in other words, in a moment where people were persecuted for these issues is of remarkable resilience. "I don't want to smile all the time" was one of Ida's quotes referring to the celebrity life that Hollywood imposed on successful actresses. Her rebelliousness, however, was not limited to privacy issues. She considered the representation of real life in typical Hollywood dramas, and even in noir films, extremely superficial. However, she hesitated a great deal between the two possibilities, once as an actress she achieved acclaim alongside Bogart very early in her career, with successful features like Raoul Walsh's High Sierra (1941), with screenplay by John Huston.

In Not Wanted, Ida's first directional experience, she had as cinematographer William Ziegler, who edited Hitchcock's Rope (1948), and felt very insecure. Ziegler would return to work with Lupino in Never Fear (1949), with her original screenplay, and she mentioned in interviews the freedom he gave her in her second job as an endorsement of her directorial maturity – he never even visited the set. In The Hitch-Hiker, she and Collier, already with the production company The Filmmakers, faced problems with HUAC. The case was based on the true story of William Cook, a serial killer notoriously famous for the slaughter of a family of five in Oklahoma, and for the murder of a man to whom he offered a ride. The idea was to make a realistic documentary-style movie, practically a docudrama. Lupino, however, retreated from this position, and eventually took on the semi-documentary account, a strong feature of American noir narratives, to narrate the story. It is a film totally focused on the male universe. Lupino manages to portray both hitchhiking characters not just as stereotypical victims. Both Edmond O'Brien as Roy Collins and Frank Lovejoy as Gilbert Bowen are shirking their marital responsibilities and lying about their real fate for their wives when they hitchhike with William Talman, serial killer Emmett Myers-Cook. The Mexican actors on the scene speak Spanish. Mostly, Mexico represented, in the noir, the possibility for the average American man to escape to a tropical paradise, a haven where everything is allowed, especially for a US citizen.

Lupino approaches the noir structure by pursuing a more realistic narrative, such as the one Jules Dassin presents in The Naked City (1948). And in the tense environment following World War II, many people had the idea of discussing local dramas, far from the moralistic parameters of the Commission. As director, she adds an extra layer to this discussion, she intends to show the point of view of women, and of the lower middle-class woman within this realistic panorama. However, she is closer to films like Edward Dmytryk's Crossfire (1947), which discusses anti-Semitism. She wants to show the other face of America. In her quest for this other gaze, she reveals unfamiliar talents such as Outraged's Mala Powers, Sally Forrest in Not Wanted, Never Fear and Hard, Fast and Beautiful. Domestic spaces are the postwar stage for Lupino.

Domestic spaces became Lupino's theater of war rather than military battlefields or postwar concomitants. In Outrage, for example, Lupino dialogues with films depicting postwar trauma, such as The Best Years of Our Lives, seeming to ask "what about women?" (Grisham, Grossman, 2017, p.68)

Lupino's great battle seemed to show the other side of the American Dream. In this movement, she contributes to broaden the understanding of film noir as a mere game of seduction between the fetishist femme fatale and the hard-boiled detective, cynical who solves mysteries, for a more problematized relationship about the changing roles in this new world, unveiling after traumatic events. Lupino's women are frustrated at their country's liberal society project that promises gender equality and equity among the sexes, not necessarily empowered, a term that is nowadays used to refer to women's emancipation, and their failure – the difficulty of freeing themselves from the past, fighting modern institutions that oppress individuals, characters drifting into an alienating landscape – that of an ideal nation. The relationship between developmental aspirations associated with patriotism, the demand for productivity, and flexibility in gender binary brings more disappointment than happiness.

References

GRISHAM, Therese, GROSMAN, Julie. Ida Lupino, Director, Her Art and Resiliance in Times of Transition. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 2017.

HARVEY, Sylvia (1980). The Absent Family of Film Noir in Women in Film Noir, KAPLAN, E.Ann ev. ed.; London: British Film Institute.

JAMESON, F. Raymond Chandler: the detections of totality. London, New York and Paris: Editora Verso, 2016, online.

KRUTNIK, Frank (1991). In a lonely street: film noir, genre and masculinity. New York: Routledge.

NAREMORE, James (2008). More than Night. Film Noir in Its Contexts, Updated and Expanded Edition Berkeley: University of California Press.

Luiza Lusvarghi is a journalist, critic and audiovisual and cinema researcher. Author of "O crime como gênero na ficção audiovisual da América Latina" (2018) and of "Mulheres Atrás das Câmeras - cronologia das cineastas brasileiras de 1930 a 2018" (2019), runs the blog Femme Fatale. She is the deputy coordinator of the Intercom Cinema Research Group, member of the Elvira's Film Critics Collective and was the director of Abraccine (2015-2019).

###  Ida Lupino directs The Fugitive and creates Classic Television - By Patricia Nolan-Hall

Ida Lupino's directing career began in her head as a young actress studying the work of those around her. Reaching the age of 30 and the end of her long-term acting contract with Warner Brothers Studio, Miss Lupino took full control of her career. The 1949 release Not Wanted was co-written by Miss Lupino who also took on the directing duties with the illness and death of Elmer Clifton. Miss Lupino was the writer of five of the eight feature films she would direct between 1949 and 1966.

Miss Lupino's impressive directorial career blossomed on classic television in the years between 1956 and 1968. She has 33 series credits, with multiple episodes on many of the most popular series of the era including Have Gun - Will Travel, The Untouchables, Dr. Kildare, and Bewitched.

"Ida stimulates me as an actor because she knows acting. In a weekly show, you get into acting patterns. Ida gets you out of them."

\- Richard Boone, star of Have Gun - Will Travel. Ida Lupino directed eight episodes of the series.

Created by Roy Huggins and produced by Quinn Martin, The Fugitive was a television phenomenon which ran from 1963-1967. The premise featured David Janssen as convicted murderer Dr. Richard Kimble. The innocent man is on the run from Barry Morse as the obsessive Lt. Gerard. Kimble's ultimate goal is to prove his innocence by finding the one-armed man played by Bill Raisch whom he saw running from the scene of the crime.

The Fugitive ranked 36 in TV Guide's 50 Great TV Shows of All-Time. Its finale in 1967 was perhaps the first genuine "must-see" television episode. Ida Lupino directed three episodes of The Fugitive during its important first season and we're going to look at those episodes here.

All of the very popular Martin programs followed the set-up of a prolog, four acts, and an epilog. Deep-voiced William Conrad was our narrator.

The Fugitive: Fatso

Written by Robert Pirosh

Aired November 19, 1963

The first season allowed viewers to get to understand the character of Richard Kimble. Beyond his stressful circumstance, one outstanding feature of the man is his compassion. When happenstance finds Richard in a smalltown jail he becomes friendly with a non-too-bright drunk named Davey Lambert played by Jack Weston.

Going by the name of Bill Carter, Richard reaches out to shake Davey's hand when they are sharing a jail cell. This act of kindness is rare in Davey's life and he attaches himself steadfastly to his new friend. Escaping, they make their way to Davey's home, a ranch where live his invalid father played by King Calder, hair-trigger younger brother Fred played by Burt Brinkerjoff, and affection mother played by Special Guest Star Glenda Farrell. Other guest stars include Vaughn Taylor, Paul Langton, and Henry Beckman.

It is on the Lambert ranch that Kimble observes Davey's relationships with his family, discovers the source of the hateful nickname of "Fatso", and what drove Davey away from his home. Richard Kimble was only too aware that he needed to protect himself from others and keep away from messy situations. Yet he could not help himself when it came to exhibiting kindness or trying to right a situation for another. Miss Lupino highlighted this aspect to her leading character through judicious use of close-ups. The danger we feel closing in on Richard Kimble from his nemesis Lt. Gerard also reaches us through upward angles during a tense interrogation scene involving Richard's newest friend, the beleaguered "Fatso." Kindness is rewarded with kindness when the Lamberts gratefully keep Gerard away from Richard's latest flight into the darkness.

The Fugitive: Glass Tightrope

Written by Robert C. Dennis and Barry Trivers

Aired December 3, 1963

Glass Tightrope is a most appropriate title for the situation which envelopes Richard Kimble. Currently going by the name of Harry Carson, Kimble is working in the stock room of a middle-sized city's department store. Covering a delivery and pickup one night, he is witness to an accidental murder.

Leslie Nielsen guest stars as Martin Rowland, the president of the department store. He worked his way up and made it over the goal line by marrying the boss's daughter, Ginny played by Diana Van der Vlis. Unfortunately for our Richard he sees and hears an argument in the parking lot. Howard Pascoe, played by Robert Quarry, lives for the opportunity to bait Rowland over his sham marriage to Ginny. Tonight he goes too far in hinting at her infidelity and gets a punch for his trouble.

Pascoe is still on his feet when Rowland drives away but Richard sees the man fall to the garage floor, dead. Obviously, Richard cannot go to the police with the story so he drives away and leaves an anonymous tip. Jay Adler plays vagrant Arthur Tibbetts who rolls the dead man for his watch and wallet and is later charged for the murder.

Realizing that Rowland has not gone to the police and feeling keenly the old man's plight, Richard phones Rowland anonymously letting him know that the accident was observed and that he should go to the police. Ginny has overheard the phone call and calls it a prelude to blackmail. Martin Rowland's drink has led to a day of drinking and he goes along with his wife's thoughts. Her main thought being that she will be a laughing stock if the true story got out. She places the loyal store detective played by Edward Binns on the job to track down the blackmailer.

Richard goes to the end of the line for Tibbetts and, truthfully, for Martin Rowland's conscience. Miss Lupino keeps as many shots as possible in the dark of night which maintains a very noir atmosphere for Kimble's struggle with fate. Again her knowledge of the use of appropriate close-ups and two-shots heightens the emotional subtext of the scene and the anxiety inherent in the situations. Prime examples of those techniques include the courtroom scene and a game of cat and mouse when Ginny tries to buy off the blackmailer whose intentions are beyond her understanding.

It is Martin's triumph when he stands up to his wife, confesses to the police, and with the knowledge of Kimble's true identity, allows him to continue in his own jail without bars.

The Fugitive: The Garden House

Written by Sheldon Stark

Aired January 14, 1964

The garden house of the title is on a Connecticut estate owned by Ann Guthrie played by Peggy McCay. The garden house has been a place of comfort for Ann since childhood. Ann's father left her the estate, a publishing concern and wealth. All of these things Ann has, including her publisher husband Harlan, played by Robert Webber, are desired by her footloose sister Carol played by Pippa Scott. Ann also possesses a kind heart and an unsuspicious nature. These place her in a dangerous position regarding her sister and husband.

Richard Kimble under the name of Sanford is employed to tend the stables on the estate. Kindness responds to kindness and Richard becomes fond of his employer and she of him as they spend time together. Part of that togetherness has been enforced by Harlan and Carol. They have discerned Richard's identity and use it in their latest plan to murder Ann. They will fabricate an affair between the unsuspecting pair and then Ann's subsequent death will be blamed on a convicted murderer.

Richard becomes privy to the plot, as it pertains to Ann, and tries to warn her. When she fires him for the outrageous story the final act is set in motion as Richard seeks truth and Harlan and Carol must amp up their murderous plan. A tense stand-off in the garden house concludes this episode of The Fugitive. Richard is once again on the run, this time leaving the grateful heart of Ann Guthrie.

The Garden House is an excellent script full of suspense and twists and turns. Ida Lupino had the ability to bring her own acting experience to bear on such material and in this instance had a fine cast with which to work. David Janssen was nominated three times for the Primetime Emmy for the role of Richard Kimble. Peggy McCay was a stage and film veteran who had a combined eight Emmy nominations and in 1986 became the only actress to be nominated in both the Daytime and Primetime categories. Pippa Scott's versatility throughout her acting career is also well documented in available films and television appearances.

The conflicting intentions of the characters and a sense of their core are relayed beautifully to the audience through the combined work of the ensemble in The Garden House and their director, Miss Ida Lupino.

Patricia Nolan-Hall is a Toronto based writer whose background includes study in music, theatre, and writing. Her play, At the Park, was produced by Toronto's Sirus Theatrical Company in 2015. She is a contributor to the film noir publication The Dark Pages and has contributed to several e-book compilations from the Classic Movie Blog Association. Her classic film and television blog Caftan Woman reached the milestone of its 10th anniversary in 2018 and is the recipient of several awards.

###  The Trouble with Angels (1966) - By Letícia Magalhães

If I was to judge the Ida Lupino-directed film The Trouble with Angels for its animated credits sequence alone, I'd give it a five star rating. Animated credits were in vogue in the 1960s – who could forget a certain pink panther that appeared in the credits of a certain film? – and the animation work in the beginning of The Trouble with Angels is a perfect storytelling lesson.

From the credits we know the film is about a school run a by a strict nun played by Rosalind Russell. We also know that the naughtiest girl in that school is played by teen superstar Hayley Mills. Indeed, Mary Clancy (Mills) starts her attendance of the St. Francis Academy by saying her real name is Kim Novak. Next up she smokes in the bathroom, takes the other girls on tour to see the Mother Superior's room and escapes the swimming lessons in physical education class.

Alongside Mary there is always Rachel Devery (June Harding), a clumsy girl whose goal is to have the director of her former school rescue her from that horrible place. Rachel has a crush on the director, Mr. Petrie (Jim Hutton), who she describes as a younger Jack Lemmon. Rachel follows Mary's scathingly brilliant ideas – that are often not brilliant at all – and the two are constantly grounded because of their misbehaving.

We follow Mary, Rachel and the other girls – among them there is Charlotte, who is always about to faint – during their three years at St. Francis. During this time, they have fun math lessons with a creative nun, dance and posture lessons with the unique Mrs Phipps (Gypsy Rose Lee) and join the band in a competition to win money to give the school a new boiler.

Hayley Mills, the daughter of British thespian John Mills and novelist Mary Hayley Bell, was arguably the biggest young star of the 1960s. Working for Disney, she made childhood classics like Pollyanna (1960) and The Parent Trap (1961). Outside Disney, she worked in more serious movies, like The Chalk Garden (1964). The Trouble with Angels is more like her earlier light roles, but with a little rebel side. And, well, I always thought that Hayley and Jane Fonda could have played sisters in a 1960s film.

At first, Rosalind Russell's Reverend Mother is an unsympathetic character, as she is always grounding our heroines. However, she is compassionate, really cares about each one of the girls, no matter how rebel they are, and understands that taming a rebel spirit is not the same as breaking it. She also sees herself in Mary, and neither she nor any of the girls treat the fact that Mary is an orphan as a big deal, something quite surprising in a film.

More than 25 years before The Trouble with Angels, Rosalind Russell appeared in The Women (1939), a film with an all-female cast that couldn't be more male-centric. All women thought and talked about was men, and there was no friendship between most of the female characters. Thankfully, things changed a bit with time, and it took a female director like Ida Lupino to make a film like The Trouble with Angels, showcasing a true female friendship – not one without problems, but one full of love.

I love Ida Lupino and the social conscience she injects in all her movies – even in a light comedy like The Trouble with Angels. Here, in a scene in a charity Christmas party, Mary hears old ladies talking and complaining about their lives. They had many struggles: marriage, loss of money, becoming widowed, being forgotten by their kids. These are troubles that often affect, in percentage and in psychological toll, more women than men, and yet many women – like the women from the St. Francis Academy – are being prepared for this horrible future of financial dependence and taking care of a family that may not be there when you need them.

Although I liked The Trouble with Angels, there was so much more I'd like to see, considering the storylines and characters that appeared here and there. I'd like to see a comparison and a conflict between the Reverend Mother's methods of teaching and Mr Petrie's – maybe even with a spelling bee competition between the schools, as I love spelling bees. I'd love to see Rachel being clumsy and infatuated interacting with Mr Petrie. I'd love to see the girls out in the field trip to the museum, and reacting more deeply to Sister Ursula's life story.

I studied at a nun's school from ages 5 to 10. It was very different from the one in The Trouble with Angels – of course, because I was studying there more than 30 years after the film was released. The students were not interns like Mary and Rachel, but there were some more strict nuns like Rosalind Russell there. And, unfortunately, I haven't found such intense friendship there like Mary and Rachel did.

Letícia Magalhães is a Brazilian historian and film critic. She has published three books. She writes about classic film on her bilingual blog Crítica Retrô, modern movies and TV shows in Portuguese at  Ambrosia and she is also an editor at the multilingual publication about film and feminism Cine Suffragette.

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###  Ida Lupino's last song - By Rafaella Britto

**Pioneering director's legacy resonates more than 20 years after her death.**

It has not been long since I met Ida Lupino. That first encounter had nothing special: I came across her name briefly mentioned in conversations, digital encyclopedias and pages dedicated to the cinema history. Thus said the summarized descriptions: actress, producer, screenwriter and pioneering director in Hollywood. Curious as I am, I started to chase after her films. And in them I found out unseen faces of the world. Since then, Ida Lupino is to me like the wise friend with whom we sit to sigh for teenage loves, to choose the best dress, and eventually to conspire on the crimes of the next street. More than two decades after her death, we begin to remember her. And all those titles — actress, producer, screenwriter, director — do not seem enough to describe her many facets in the universe of motion pictures.

Ida Lupino's legacy relies on the confront to the traditional institutions: born in London, in 1918, Lupino earned recognition in the 1940s as a successful product of British exportation in Hollywood, acting opposite great stars of that age, such as Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn. An actress praised by the specialized critics, she became known for her particular fondness of playing villains and femme fatales, and refused to take roles that did not match her dramatic skills, which kept her from being a celebrity and led to the suspension of her contract with Warner Bros. studios. Suspended, the actress began to observe with great enthusiasm the filmmaking process behind the cameras, and founded, along with her husband, screenwriter Collier Young, the independent company The Filmakers.

Her first opportunity came in 1949 when Elmer Clifton, a veteran director since the silent era, got ill, and delegated to Ida the completion of his last film, _Not Wanted._ Even though she had directed most part of the film, Ida, in respect to Clifton, preferred not to have her name credited. In this melodrama that discusses the stigma of the solo maternity, Ida Lupino introduces the trademark of her cinema: psychological exploration in themes of relevancy to contemporary societies. Thereafter, she was responsible for six movies that defied the conservative Hollywood conduct.

Some say her films lack a unique style. Indeed, her productions could never be completely apart from the B aesthetic (or the so-called "poverty row"), often bringing non-famous actors and taking advantage of natural light, discarded costumes and pieces of scenarios from other sets. However, one must acknowledge Lupino's genius relies on the "miracles" accomplished from a low budget, with brilliantly constructed scripts and a selected cast which, despite of being often composed of actors who were not known by the great public, was carefully chosen, making her works holder of qualities that can be appreciated even today.

Another unmistakable trademark of hers is certainly the voice never conquered by a woman in Hollywood before, and the dare to confront taboos. Ida Lupino, throughout her trajectory as a director, poked the wounds of the social body in controversial issues: young love and the reality of patients on the early days of treatment against polio in the U.S. ( _Never Fear_ , 1949); the consequences of rape and the blaming on the victim ( _Outrage_ , 1950); the mother-and-daughter relationship ( _Hard, Fast and Beautiful_ , 1951); the pathological genesis of the American psycho ( _The Hitch-Hiker_ , 1953); bigamy and pregnancy out of marriage ( _The Bigamist_ , 1953); the challenges of growing up as a woman under the rigid catholic morality ( _The Trouble With Angels_ , 1966).

"While I've encountered no resentment from the male of the species for intruding into their world, I give them no opportunity to think I've strayed where I don't belong", she said. Apart from stereotypes, Lupino turned the limitations imposed by the star system into weapons against the star system itself: her movies deal with reality with no cuts or prosaic idealizations. In them we see the crude exposure of men's fragilities — working class, urban middleman, serial killer — without glorifications to masculinity; we see women in their true condition of victim of the patriarchal society that suppresses and languishes. Martin Scorsese considers her as an author of "remarkable chamber pieces that deal with challenging subjects in a clear, almost documentary fashion, and they represent a singular achievement in American cinema."

Besides cinema, Lupino was the only woman to ever direct episodes of the celebrated series _Twilight Zone_ (1959–1964), in which she also starred. Still on TV, she directed and acted in more than 30 shows, from westerns to comedies, among them, _Alfred Hitchcock Presents_ (1955–1965), _Daniel Boone_ (1964–1970), _Bewitched_ (1964-1972), _Batman_ (1966–1968) and _Charlie's Angels_ (1976–1981). The pioneer told her wish: "I'd love to see more women working as directors and producers!"

Ida Lupino had many other ways of telling stories: according to a New York Times article published by the time of her death in 1995, her hobbies included writing children's stories and composing songs. It has been said that one of her compositions, named _Aladdin's Suite,_ was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra in the late 1930s. The tone of that song, once there are no registers of it, we will never know. However, the legacy of the Hollywood pioneer inspires artists such as the jazzist Carla Bley, whose piece _Ida Lupino_ takes us back to the noir, decadent, melancholic atmosphere of the dark streets of the big cities. An atmosphere that is, according to Bley, "smooth and lyrical, dominated by a simple repetitive melody, tonal or modal harmonies, slower tempos, and a calm demeanor." In that song, as in life, the cinema is the ghetto through which Ida Lupino guides her audiences, humanizing them with her crude, sensitive look, which does not forsake gangsters, ingenuous lovers and marginalized folks.

Rafaella Britto (São Paulo, 1997) is a writer, poet, translator and teacher. Co-founder and editor of Cine Suffragette, a multilingual digital magazine dedicated to women and minorities in film. She was also the editor of the blog Império Retrô, about fashion history. Her texts (articles, essays and translations) were featured in worldwide publications such as The Criterion Collection blog (NY), The World of Apu (Singapore), among others.

For more articles about women on film, visit our site:

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They Drive by Night (1:21:37)

They Drive by Night (1:30:59)

Theatre Patrons, Inc., "They Drive by Night," The Movies... and the People Who Make Them, 1940, 125, Lantern.

Wid's Films and Film Folk, Inc., "Reviews of the New Films: 'They Drive by Night'," The Film Daily, July 12, 1940, 6, Lantern.

Jay Emanuel Publications, Inc., "Advanced Shots On Coming Reviews," The Exhibitor, July 17, 1940, 15, Lantern.

The ruthless beautiful lady or the companion, lovely but asexual.

 Author's translation. William Wyler's 1946 The Best Years of Our Lives tells the story of three soldiers returning to their hometown after World War II, and their difficulty in adapting to civilian life. The theme would be revived to exhaustion by Hollywood cinema, with veterans from Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan. Always presenting male protagonists.

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