Programmed November 2024
Starring Ida Lupino
The formidable Ida Lupino lent a defiant toughness and intelligence to some of classic Hollywood’s most unforgettable female characters. Born into a celebrated English family of music-hall artists, Lupino was initially cast in movies that showed off her charm and musical flair, but less of her unique abilities as a dramatic actress. She fought to play the evil, vengeful Bessie in William A. Wellman’s The Light That Failed , and at last Hollywood took notice. Lupino’s steely presence is essential to film noir classics like They Drive by Night and High Sierra , and her fearless intensity anchors her roles in The Sea Wolf and The Hard Way . Though she began to focus on producing and directing in the late forties, she continued to deliver searing performances, such as her standout work as a lonely blind woman in Nicholas Ray’s On Dangerous Ground (1951)—some scenes of which she also directed when Ray fell ill.
11 films
No longer streaming
