Trigger Warning: Mention of Sexual Assault
It’s always important to talk about and recognize revolutionary women in history, not just during Women’s History Month. The month of March, however, does give us an opportunity to bring awareness to trailblazing women while hoping that the public will continue to honor their legacy well beyond March 31. One of these trailblazing and inspiring women is Ida Lupino.
I love Old Hollywood; I always have. I grew up watching “The Wizard of Oz” from 1939 and a bunch of Shirley Temple movies. It wasn’t until a couple of years ago, however, that I even heard of Ida Lupino.
Lupino was born into a theatrical family, so entertainment was practically in her blood. At a young age, she was exposed to acting and this easily paved a way for her to enter the film industry. Although she had the advantage of nepotism, Lupino undoubtedly also had talent. After making her film debut in the 1930s, she was soon recognized as a successful, dramatic actress. Despite that, Lupino wasn’t satisfied with her career. She wanted more; she wanted to do more. And that’s what Lupino did.
In 1949, Lupino co-directed the film, “Not Wanted” depicting an unwed mother trying to find love. This was an incredibly taboo topic at the time, but it was the type of movie that Lupino wanted audiences to see: real life stories that happen to real life people. In her films, Lupino tackled themes of women who were trapped by social conventions.
The next film she directed in 1949, “Never Fear,” was a semi-biographical piece. It portrayed a dancer whose dreams are crushed when she is diagnosed with polio. Lupino herself contracted polio in the 1930s and at times feared that she would never recover. In the early 20th century, polio was one of the leading diseases in the world.
With no vaccine until the 1950s, it was very uncommon to survive polio, especially without becoming paralyzed. This history further emphasized Lupino’s yearning to portray authentic stories to audiences. By the time “Never Fear” was released, countless audience members had undoubtedly either contracted polio or knew a loved one who had. Audiences loved Lupino’s stories as they were genuine and told realistic stories about humanity.
Another prominent film that Lupino directed was the drama “Outrage” in 1950 which portrayed a young woman whose life is shattered after she is sexually assaulted. Through the kindness of strangers, she learns how to return to her old life. This film was especially remarkable for the time as it was one of the first Hollywood films about sexual assault that was produced after the Hays Code. Critics lauded Lupino’s directing, writing that the trauma associated with assault was handled with sensitivity and authenticity.
Although not all of Lupino’s films centered around female stories, she is still an incredibly revolutionary female figure in Old Hollywood. She chose to tackle and convey stigmatized stories of vulnerable women. These narratives weren’t often portrayed in film at the time, but they are stories that millions of women were able to and still can relate to today.