In the 1950s and 1960s, Ida Lupino was the only woman in Hollywood with a serious career as a director: first in cinema and mainly for her own production company The Filmmakers Inc., and then in television, contributing episodes to some of the most celebrated series of the era. A staunch Democrat and Catholic, Lupino’s cinema often tackled subjects considered risky if not outright taboo in her day, ranging from rape and bigamy to the way people suffering from polio were ostracised. Too humble for the vanity fair that is Hollywood, independent producer-writer-director Lupino remained historically a fringe figure in film – when she should have been venerated as one of the most complete and politically responsible filmmakers of all time. With their Ida Lupino: Gentlemen & Miss Lupino, Clara & Julia Kuperberg now offer a concise look at her career, themes, obsessions and achievements, bringing a long-overdue appreciation of this loneliest of path-breakers.
