Ida Lupino: A Biography
Best known as a femme fatale in films such as They Drive by Night (1940) and Road House (1948), Ida Lupino (1918-1995) was born into a British theatrical family and went to Hollywood at the age of 15. Her first contract was with Paramount Pictures, after which she moved on to Warner Brothers, where she and Bogart made their breakthrough film, High Sierra, in 1941. Thereafter followed a succession of films noirs in which she "portrayed mad and bad dames." Considering herself "a poor man's Bette Davis," Lupino rose above the glamour of the silver screen to become a respected film director. She founded her own company, Filmmakers, which specialized in low-budget films on socially controversial themes. Lupino was married at various times to actor Louis Hayward, studio exec Collier Young and actor Howard Duff, with whom she had a daughter. Donati (coauthor with Buster Wiles of My Days with Errol Flynn) adores his subject but doesn't shrink from showing blemishes, such as the high-strung personality inclined to erratic mood swings. He depicts Lupino as a spirited, multitalented artist who besides her film career wrote many songs and made numerous radio and TV appearances. The appendix includes a detailed filmography. Photos.Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.