Evening star., 1941-05-04

had voluntarily let a contract that
paid her $1,75C a week lapse, in
order to rebuild her career on a
f1rmer foundation.
For nearly 18 monthS-half life
time as Hollywood figures it-Ida
Lupino was lost to the screen and
the public. A few knew that she
had married Louis Hayward, the
actor, and that she was busy and
happy making a home for him but
the general public had about lost
interest.
Then she suddenly reappeared; a
new and different Lupino, no longer
blond and vapid but dark and dra-
matte. She worked opposite Ronald
Colman in The Light That Failed, y
and was then chosen by Warner
Bros. to go mad over George Raft
in They Drive by Night"
Ida proved in those roles that she
Is something more than just another
blond leading lady. She showed
menace and power and the Nations
critics joined an almost universal
hymn of praise for her ability.
OF Famed Family.
Very quickly she found herself
"back in the money" and back on
the marques of the worlds thea
ters. She signed long-term con-
tract with Warner Bros. and started
her career all over again. 1t has
proceeded apace, with striking roles
in High Sierra The Sea Wolf
and. currently, The Gentle People" ="
This is the latest chapter in Ida
lupinos really remarkable life story.
She is one of two daughters of the
famed English theatrical family,
which has helped entertain Britain
for many generations, so many, IN
fact. that it is recognized as the
longest line Of actors in that coun-
try.
Seven or eight years ago Ida Iu-
pino began to be noticed by Holly
wood producers for her work IN
English pictures. She was signed by
Paramount after one of those sud-
den. lets do it now decisions to
play the title role in Alice IN
Wonderland" and she sailed for
America. She was 16-or less-at
the time.
Then She Worried.
She arrived a daringly dressed,
bleached blond, who did all the
things she thought an American
movie star would do. The studio,
which had given her the contract,
had been assured from England that
Ida was exactly the girl to play the
"Alice" role. She wasn't. She wasn't
even close and after her arrival she
never was considered for the part.
But she was under contract and so
she played other roles, many OF
them, played them well enough TO
get her salary boosted to the S1,750
mark before she decided to scrap 1t
all and start over.
BY that time Ida had made
lot of money, had spent most OF 1t,
had married Hayward and had 1T
tie to worry about. But she Wor-
ried a great deal. She didn't want
to be remembered, if at all, as the
"promising English actress, who
never did anything worthwhile"
So she remade herself, changed
her personality and her voice and
began to study in all seriousness Tor
the screen. When she felt she was
better equipped for a career she
applied to Director William Well
man for the role she wanted in The
Light That Failed" When he hesi-
tated she blew up" The bloW-up
was all that was needed. She got
the job and the new Lupino began
TO emerge.
She Never Tires.
No longer blond and cuodly, Ida
Lupino burst upon Hollywoods at
tention a second time as a dramatic
actress, one who could hold her
own with such actors as Colman,
Edward G. Robinson, John Garfield
and Humphrey Bogart.
Now she has a dozen irons in
the fire" in her combined private
and professional life. She writes
PLAYS and songs and sometimes tries
her hand at composing music. she
works in her garden and knows the
technical names for the flowers she
cultivates. She is the leader, among
the English contingent in Holly
wood, in staging little plays for
their own amusement. She has
abundant energy and never seems
to be tired or discouraged.
Ida hopes. and believes, that her
days as "hey-hey" girl in pictures