Ida Lupino

April 1, 1996
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.

April 1, 1996
Despite being published by a university press, this is a typical movie star biography. What sets it somewhat apart is the subject itself: Lupino was not only an effective second-rank movie star but also Hollywood's only female director while she worked in that capacity from 1949 to 1953. Subsequently, she continued to act and directed many shows on television (and one final film in 1966). While he sometimes displays a touching faith in the veracity of press releases, Donati has done well researching print sources. He also spoke to her co-workers (but none of her three husbands), as well as interviewing Lupino once face to face and "many" times on the phone, although the notes at the end of the book show only two citations from the phone conversations. The result will interest anyone knowledgeable about the golden era of cinema.--John Smothers, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Manalapan, N.J.

April 1, 1996
Lupino never considered herself a feminist symbol, yet she has become an icon for female filmmakers, not for her success as a Hollywood actress but for her trailblazing as a director of well-regarded low-budget movies. Born into a prominent British theatrical family, she came to Hollywood at 15. Her career proceeded in stops and starts. Between starring in such classics as "They Drive by Night" and "High Sierra," she spent long stints in radio dramas. In the late 1950s, movie roles dried up completely, and, with husband Howard Duff, she turned to TV, which incidentally enabled her to continue her directing career, with credits including episodes of "The Untouchables," "The Fugitive," and even "Gilligan's Island." Meanwhile, she had three stormy marriages, substance abuse problems, and a generally eccentric existence even by Hollywood standards--the sobriquet "Loopy" didn't come solely from her surname. She never reached the top ranks of stardom, and Donati admits her directorial efforts fall short of greatness. Nevertheless, her cultural significance makes her biography a worthwhile addition to popular culture collections. ((Reviewed April 1, 1996))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1996, American Library Association.)