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Posted June 13, 2025
Years before Kathryn Bigelow directed Priscilla and Greta Gerwig directed the iconic Barbie, Ida Lupino changed the face of the Hollywood movie industry for women by beating the odds and pursuing a career as a director. She covered socially taboo topics like rape, bigamy, and unplanned pregnancy, unafraid to talk about the struggles of real people. She pursued the career she wanted, not the one the industry or her family had planned for her, proving to women across America, and time, that women belong in every industry.
Publicity image of Ida Lupino for Paramount's film Yours for the Asking, courtesy of Getty Images
Ida Lupino was already part of a long line of performers when she was born in 1918 in London. One relative was well-known for successfully completing 210 pirouettes on a handkerchief, while another played the original role of Nana the dog from Peter Pan. King Edward VII himself even said to Ida's grandfather "[They] are truly the royal family of greasepaint." Ida's father, Stanley Lupino, was known as Britain's "king of musical comedy," while her mother, Shea, was notably "the fastest tap dancer alive." Ida loved directing from a very young age, leading her cousins in productions of home films and being unafraid to do whatever it took to get the perfect shot. She even recalled on one account when she ended up in the police station after trying to break in through a neighbor's window for a scene. Ida recalled her father telling her:
“ ‘You’re a strange one. I think you’re going to end up doing what my son would have done. You’ll write, direct and produce.’ And that…is what I ended up doing.”
By the age of 10, she had memorized the entirety of the lines for every one of Shakespeare's female leads and by 13, she got into the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, pretending to be 15 (the minimum age of entry). Two years later, she had already been in multiple British films, and by 1933, she was brought to Hollywood for a movie test. It was there that Paramount Studios fell in love with her and her confidence. Over the next few years, she earned the nickname "Lupi" as she expanded her resume. In 1938, she married her first husband, Lewis Hayward, whom she ultimately divorced after his return from WWII. As her acting career progressed, she took more roles that fit the "tough-girl" aesthetic, leading her to believe that this was the type of role for her. In 1948, she married her second husband, Collier Young, whom she would ultimately divorce in 1951 to marry notorious playboy, Howard Duff, delivering his and her daughter, Bridget, just six months after their marriage. Duff's alcoholism and infidelity ultimately destroyed their gossip-plagued marriage and the two divorced in 1984.
Photo of young Ida Lupino, courtesy of Getty Images
When she wasn't in front of the camera, Ida enjoyed writing music, short stories, and screenplays, hobbies that fed into her want for more creativity in her career. She directed her first film, Not Wanted, in 1949, about the difficult, but prevalent topic of pregnancy out of wedlock. The movie, shot for only $153,000, earned about $1 million in the box offices, and aided Lupino is earning her spot as the second woman ever admitted into the Directors Guild of America, coming second only to Dorothy Arzner, Ida's role model who attended the premiere. Ida said, about the industry:
“There was an absolute and iron-clad system in the film capital in the 1940s and 1950s which, it seems to me, had its primary purpose to exclude females.”
Ida Lupino continued to direct after Not Wanted, bravely dealing with hard-to-cover topics like rape and its aftermath in Outrage, and a complicated situation of bigamy in The Bigamist, a movie in which Lupino became the first women to ever direct and star in her own film. The taboo associated with rape at the time was so prevalent that the word "rape" could not even be said, with the actors having to address it as "criminal assault" instead. The same year The Bigamist was released, Lupino directed The Hitch-Hiker, becoming the first woman to direct a film noir, combating the strong masculinity associated with the genre. Ida said:
“I’m mad, they say. I am temperamental and dizzy and disagreeable. Well, let them talk. Only one person can hurt me. Her name is Ida Lupino.”
Photo of Ida Lupino directing for CBS, courtesy of Getty Images
The 1960s brought some of Ida's most successful projects. In 1966, she directed The Trouble with Angels, which can be argued as Ida's most popular piece, starring popular teen actress Hayley Mills and Rosalind Russell. Rosalind Russell, who later became a dear friend to Lupino once said:
“The sex of a director doesn’t mean a hoot. The one all-important thing is talent. Somehow it has evolved that directing is a man’s profession. A woman has a tough, almost impossible time breaking down the caste barrier. Miss Arzner managed it. Ida is doing it now.”
Photo of Ida Lupino with a dog, courtesy of Getty Images
She also directed the pilot episode of Gilligan's Island, as well as episodes of The Twilight Zone and Bewitched. It was during this decade that Lupino gained the nickname "Mother," which was written on the back on her director's chair. Ida had a different way of directing, though. She said:
“I hate women who order men around men professionally or personally. I wouldn’t dare do that to my old man…and I don’t do it with the guys on set. I say ‘Darlings, mother has a problem. I’d love to do this. Can you do it? I know it sounds kooky but I want to do it.’ And they do it."
Ida Lupino became quite adept at saving money in directing and shooting. She often shot at actual locations and reused old film set pieces. Nonetheless, she still faced inequality with producer Howard Hughes and RKO Studios. In order to get her pitches approved, she would have to present her ideas in as sexy a way as possible to appease Hughes.
Photo of Ida Lupino with Howard Hughes, courtesy of Getty Images
Unfortunately, Lupino's later life was plagued by worries. By the late 70s, Ida was done with most of her directing and acting and was fighting her own "little black devil," as she called it. She struggled with internal problems as well as alcoholism. After her divorce from Howard Duff, Ida's relationship with her daughter grew distant. Her life fell into deeper disarray until a young friend name Mary Ann Anderson came into her life and helped organize it.
Ida Lupino died of a stroke in 1995, but her legacy lives on. She pioneered a new path for women in the film industry, expanded their options from in front of the camera to behind it. She has two stars on the Hollywood walk of fame for her contributions to both the movie and television industries. Her films remain culturally relevant, giving the movie industry a glimpse into real life and struggles associated with her. Her characters are complex and raw, with regrets and pride, shame and pain. Lupino herself sought to create stories:
"with poor, bewildered people because that’s what we are."
Photo of Ida Lupino in her later years, courtesy of Getty Images
Below, I reviewed some of the films she either starred in or directed in case you're interested in watching any!
The Bigamist (1953)
Running time: 1h 19m 30s
Starring Ida Lupino
5 Stars
This film is about exactly what the title insinuates. I'm not going to say much else about the plot out of hope you'll watch it yourself, but this film handles an incredibly difficult topic and issue in a beautiful way. Lupino did not direct this film, but she stars as one of the leading ladies. I would definitely recommend this film.
Outrage (1950)
Running time: 1h 14m 47s
Directed by Ida Lupino
5 stars
Wow. This is a fantastically done film. It deals with the complicated emotions and situations following the rape of a woman. I do offer a trigger warning to those who wish to watch this film. It is done very, very well in that it shows the main character's experiences in great detail, however it does have some difficult scenes to watch whether you have personal trauma related to the topic or not. Lupino was the director and a co-writer for this film and she did an very good job showcasing the devastating reality of the experience of rape and stigmas surrounding it, not only at the time, but also stretching into today. The film doesn't just linger in the negative situation though, it brings hope for the main character, along with the viewers. I definitely recommend this film as well.
The Trouble with Angels (1966)
Running time: 1h 51m 02s
Directed by Ida Lupino
5 Stars
This was an outstanding coming of age film. It may be one of my favorites. I came into this movie with rather low expectations to be honest, but it exceeded them! It is the story of a troublemaking girl (Hayley Mills) who moves to a Catholic school and constantly butts heads with the Reverend Mother (Rosalind Russell). The movie stars one of my favorite Hollywood actresses, Hayley Mills (from the original Parent Trap) and she does a great job playing the role. The complexity and depth of the characters is fantastic and I can confidently say that Lupino did a wonderful job on this one! Definitely worth a watch!
Not Wanted (1949)
Running time: 1h 30m 58s
Produced (and Directed*) by Ida Lupino
4 1/2 stars
Once again, Ida handles an incredibly difficult topic, in this case, unplanned pregnancy, in a fantastic way. She manages to talk about it in a way that is real and raw, yet still giving us a character and plot that, as a romantic, makes me (shamelessly) kick and squeal with delight. The ending was a bit inconclusive, but still a fantasticly brilliant film by Lupino! I recommend this one!
*Ida Lupino is not officially named as the director in the credits of the film. The credited director, Elmer Clifton, had a heart attack in the early stages of the film and was unable to complete the movie, leaving Lupino to step in. Regardless of her completing most, if not all, of the directing herself, she didn't take credit out of respect for Clifton.
They Drive by Night (1938)
Running time: 1h 20m 03s
Starring Ida Lupino
4 stars
Compared to the other films I watched featuring Lupino, this one was not as entertaining to me. It had an interesting plot, but it wasn't my favorite. The story follows a trucker and his brother as they navigate the business and its troubles. After an accident, one of the brothers takes a job at a large trucking company where the owner's wife (Ida Lupino) is quite fond of the new hire. Lupino's acting in the film is phenomenal, though. It really shows her range as an actress and portrays the character well. Overall, I would say it is a relatively good film to watch, although it can get slow at parts.
Sources used:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAcWf6r1BJc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZC-FII_bkig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmlMWqRKokk
https://www.tcm.com/articles/Programming-Article/021730/directed-by-ida-lupino
https://www.viennale.at/en/films/not-wanted
https://goldenglobes.com/articles/ida-lupino-one-pioneering-woman-directors/
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