Re: where's ida?
The Light That Failed and The Hard Way are definitely peak, essential Lupino- Failed established Ida as a leading dramatic star, while Way may feature her best work in that vein (Lupino won the New York Film Critics Best Actress Award for the film). I think Way is one of the most intriguing and memorable of the 1940's melodramas, and probably represents Vincent Sherman's top directorial effort as well. He manages to get fine performances from the entire cast, with Lupino and Jack Carson in particular offering distinctive, distinguished portrayals. I thought both actors deserved Oscar nominations, at the least; Lupino etches a vivid portrait of Helen Chernen, the film's tough protaganist, a woman determined to escape her lower-class surroundings regardless of the cost, while the normally jovial Carson is alternately charming and deeply moving in a complex dramatic role (it's unlike anything else Carson did on screen, and it's one of my favorite performances). Please Warner, release this classic ASAP!