Ida Lupino
Pioneering actress and director known for social-message films in the 1950s.
Chronology: 1918-02-04 – 1995-08-03
Origins & Early Life
Ida Lupino (4 February 1918 – 3 August 1995) was a British and American actress and filmmaker. Throughout her 48-year career she appeared in 59 films and directed eight, working primarily in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948. She is widely regarded as the most prominent female filmmaker working in the 1950s during the Hollywood studio system era. With her independent production company she co-wrote and co-produced several social-message films and became the first woman to direct a film noir, The Hitch-Hiker, in 1953.
Pivotal Works & Achievements
Among Lupino's other directed films the best known are Not Wanted (1949), about unwed pregnancy (she took over for a sick director and refused directorial credit); Never Fear (1950), loosely based upon her own experiences battling paralysis by polio; Outrage (1950), one of the first films about rape; The Bigamist (1953); and The Trouble with Angels (1966). Her short yet immensely influential directorial career, tackling themes of women trapped by social conventions, usually under melodramatic or noir coverings, is a pioneering example of proto-feminist filmmaking. As an actress Lupino's best known films are The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1939) with...
Enduring Legacy & Impact
The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.
Source: Wikipedia