Today is the 94th birthday of the wonderful Ida Lupino---one of my top 10 favorite actresses. (February 4, 1918-August 3, 1995)
The multi-talented Miss Lupino was not only a great actress, but she also enjoyed success on the other side of the camera as a director. In at least one film that I know of (The Bigamist), she took on both roles. Also, she was a screenwriter and a producer. Truly, when it came to films, Ida could do it all; through her talents---both acting and otherwise---she brought many wonderful movies to life.
Considering only films in which she acted, my favorite of Miss Lupino's films is On Dangerous Ground, an interesting, exciting film in which she portrays a blind woman whose brother is being sought in connection with a murder. Her co-star in On Dangerous Ground is my #1 guy, Robert Ryan. (Reviewed HERE)
Rounding out my five favorite Ida Lupino films are:
2. They Drive by Night (with George Raft, Ann Sheridan, and Humphrey Bogart)
3. The Bigamist (with Edmond O'Brien and Joan Fontaine---reviewed HERE)
4. Private Hell 36 (with Steve Cochran and Howard Duff---reviewed HERE)
5. Beware, My Lovely (with Robert Ryan---reviewed HERE)
It was nearly impossible to determine which five of Ida's movies I like the best. How can I leave High Sierra and Deep Valley off the list? (There, I just added them.) Every single one of those seven films is a 4-star film to me; quite honestly, I like them all about the same, with the exception of On Dangerous Ground, which simply draws me in because Robert Ryan is the co-star.
This wonderful actress has only fairly recently become one of my favorites. My first exposure to her was in They Drive by Night, and I thought she was sensational in her role; the more I have seen of her work, the more impressed I am. I definitely am looking forward to tracking down more of her films and getting to know her even better.
