Ida Lupino Achieves Her Dramatic Peak The Hard Way

 

A bleak but exceptionally involving 1943 Warner Brothers’ drama, The Hard Way details the unorthodox rags-to-riches story of Helen Chernen and her kid sister Katie, who are witnessing their youth and opportunities passing as they toil in a dead-end town at the film’s outset. Vincent Sherman, a prime director for the studio entering a fruitful period of guiding Warner’s leading ladies (Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Ann Sheridan, etc.) to top performances, shows a keen talent for maintaining a tense, compelling tone in an atmospheric show-biz milieu while bringing the incisive script by Daniel Fuchs and Peter Viertel (based on a story by producer Jerry Wald) to life onscreen, which finds Helen going to extreme measures to ensure Katie gets all the proper breaks in gaining stardom. Sherman, who started as an actor before his rewarding career behind the cameras, demonstrates great care in ensuring his top roster of players, led by Ida Lupino, Joan Leslie, Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan, are given opportunities to create portrayals of depth, honesty and complexity that rank among their best work while keeping the highly theatrical material in the realm of believability, helping the audience to become absorbed in an engrossing tale of ambition and its irrevocable impact on those near-and-dear relationships.     

                For Sherman, The Hard Way would provide an important turning point in his career at Warners. Born in 1906, Sherman started his acting career onstage in the 1920s before making a film debut opposite John Barrymore in Counsellor at Law, followed by several programmers before his switch to direction at Warners via 1939’s The Return of Doctor X. Several other features followed, including two 1942 hits starring Humphrey Bogart, All Through the Night and (taking over from John Huston) Across the Pacific just prior to his impressive work on Way. Sherman, aided by James Wong Howe’s mood-enhancing B&W cinematography, establishes a sense of foreboding unease, from the early scenes wherein Helen and Katie appear to be doomed to the poverty their small-town and Helen’s older, tired husband Sam offers, to later moments illustrating how Helen’s machinations cause plenty of discord among her, Katie and anyone else Helen comes in contact with. Sherman’s ace work with his cast may have been a primary factor in him landing choice assignments thereafter, following Way with a bigger 1943 hit, Old Acquaintance¸ starring Bette Davis and Miriam Hopkins, then leading Davis and Claude Rains to Oscar nominations for 1944’s Mr. Skeffington while also reteaming with Lupino for In Our Time and Pillow to Post before scoring additional success with noirish fare such as 1947’s Nora Prentiss starring Ann Sheridan and 1950’s The Damned Don’t Cry, his first of three with Joan Crawford. Sherman also would score in the 1950s with the Rita Hayworth/Glenn Ford Affair in Trinidad in 1952, then close out the decade with the entertaining melodrama The Young Philadelphians starring on-the-rise Paul Newman, before slowing down his output, with his last feature coming in 1967 via the international production of Cervantes. A lengthy retirement thereafter found Sherman living to the ripe age of 99 before his passing in 2006, long enough for him to record several invaluable audio commentaries for his key films, including his first as a director, Return of Doctor X.

                Ida Lupino is in her element as the hard-nosed but understandably determined Helen, adding rich shadings to the role that help an audience identify with her often-self-serving actions. Born in London in 1918 to showbiz parents, Lupino displayed an early knack for performing and made her film debut in 1931 via her father Stanley’s vehicle The Love Race before an early run of bad girl roles in British films led the fifteen-year-old Lupino to a Hollywood debut in 1934’s lively Search for Beauty. Proceeding through most of the decade in light entertainments such as Anything Goes, The Gay Desperado and Artists and Models, Lupino would witness a major career upswing in 1939 with riveting dramatic work in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and, specifically, The Light That Failed, wherein she showed her overpowering finesse for playing in unscrupulous mode as guttersnipe Bessie Broke, who gives Ronald Colman’s more altruistic artist a wealth of trouble, which Lupino depicts with relish while walking off with the picture. She solidified this great year and started her rewarding run at Warners with 1940’s They Drive by Night, again taking top acting honors in a stellar cast with excitingly emotional work as a selfish, nefarious vixen, Lana Carlsen, who becomes memorably unhinged in a courtroom scene wherein Lupino matches the theatrically driven work of Bette Davis in a similar role in Bordertown. Lupino would continue apace during this most fruitful period for her career as a leading lady with an edge, tough enough to stand alongside Humphery Bogart in High Sierra or Edward G. Robinson and John Garfield in The Sea Wolf and make her presence felt in equal measure to theirs, leading to possibly her most demanding role in The Hard Way.

Regarding her major assignment as Helen, as is normally the case in classic movies, just about any woman with ambitions is painted as a villain who must pay for her tough, focused efforts, but in Lupino’s hands much of what Helen does in her quest to guide her sister to fame and both of them to fortune makes sense, even if the decisions she makes with or without Katie’s knowledge may sometimes be ignoble in nature. Lupino does a great job illustrating Helen’s mindset and is fascinating to watch as she shows Helen’s reactions to others, allowing viewers to see, whether verbally or otherwise, Helen knows the consequences of her actions and isn’t necessarily happy about what she feels she has to do on the upward climb to success, in a manner more subtlety etched than in her previous bold portrayals of women or uncertain morals, allowing viewers to identify with Helen as a believable if flawed protagonist. After this career highlight, Lupino would continue as a top-billed star in titles such as Escape Me Never opposite Errol Flynn before making a wonderful impression in 1948’s noir classic Road House. At the end of the 1940s, Lupino would add substantially to her filmography and her place in film history by becoming a movie director of merit with thought-provoking dramas such as Outrage, The Hitch-Hiker and The Bigamist and much work helming television productions, while continuing to shine acting-wise in The Big Knife, While the City Sleeps and then a nice comeback after years off the screen in 1972’s Junior Bonner opposite Steve McQueen, before her final film appearance in 1978. Her reputation as top actor and pioneering female director of Hollywood Golden Age secure, Lupino would pass in 1995 at age 77.

                Starting in films at age eleven in 1936’s Camille, by the early 1940s Joan Leslie had established herself as perhaps the screen’s chief ingenue, with prominent roles in two massive hits, 1941’s Sergeant York and opposite James Cagney the following year in Yankee Doodle Dandy. Although efficient enough playing in an eager-to-please, perky manner whether acting, singing or dancing, Leslie found perhaps her best opportunity to shine onscreen with the complex role of Katie, displaying a more mature, involved acting style than in previous parts. Katie may present a more compassionate nature than Helen, but Leslie adeptly brings the character’s intriguing willingness to go along with her older sister’s ploys to the forefront at key moments, allowing the viewer to see Katie’s conflicting emotions as her career rises. Leslie seems committed to the role in admirable fashion, showing a performing skill and professionalism rare in a seventeen-year-old as Katie faces some hard lessons and decisions, both pre and post stardom. Leslie’s fine work in Way was followed by additional 1943 coups onscreen, as she costarred opposite no less than Fred Astaire in The Sky’s the Limit, as well as taking the female lead in two WWII all-star diversions, Thank Your Lucky Stars and another top 1940’s smash, This is the Army. After this banner year, Leslie would continue largely as one of Warner’s charming “good girl” go-tos via fare such as Rhapsody in Blue, Cinderella Jones and Janie gets Married, before leaving the studio to freelance with more erratic success, with 1956’s The Revolt of Mamie Stover marking Leslie’s final big screen appearance, followed by occasional guest roles on television in hits such as Charlie’s Angels and Murder, She Wrote before her passing in 2015 at age 90.

                As Albert Runkel, the lower-tier song-and-dance man who aids Katie’s entry into show business while romancing her, Jack Carson gives a performance of astounding tenderness and depth. An all-purpose contract player who started in films 1937 via a wealth of bit roles, popping up in classics such as Stage Door and Bringing Up Baby, then working his way up at Warners as an amiable second lead in top output such as The Strawberry Blonde and Gentleman Jim, The Hard Way would allow Carson his best chance to exhibit the prodigious dramatic talent that lie underneath his often happy-go-lucky exterior. With great sensitivity and skill, Carson illustrates Albert’s kind, decent and vulnerable persona with moving force, as the character struggles to find his place onstage and in Katie’s life, without ever overplaying the role. For example, in one unforgettable moment, Carson employs a quavering voice and unsettled disposition as a devasted Albert tries to act upbeat while congratulating Katie on a great career opportunity that will also tear them apart that clearly shows the caring, earnest Albert’s heartbreak. Carson would go on to a rewarding career for the next twenty years until his death in 1963, with roles in Midred Pierce, having Doris Day sing “It’s Magic” to him in her Romance on the High Seas screen debut, then maintaining a strong profile with solid dramatic work in films such as A Star is Born, The Tarnished Angels and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. However, it’s possible Carson never again played with such persuasion and complexity as he brings to the part of the sweet, well-meaning Albert Runkel.

                Dennis Morgan also makes a solid impression as Paul Collins, Albert’s sage, worldly-wise stage partner, who quickly reads how far Helen is willing to go to achieve prominence in the theatrical world for Katie and herself. Starting in films in 1929 as Stanley Morner, Morgan would famously appear in 1936’s The Great Ziegfeld as (dubbed by Allan Jones, even though Morgan had a fine singing voice) the crooner of “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody” on a mammoth MGM set, then have a leading man breakthrough opposite Oscar-winning Ginger Rogers in 1940’s Kitty Foyle. As with Carson, his frequent costar at Warners during the 1940s, Morgan would regularly star in lighter musical and comedies, such as 1943’s The Desert Song, opposite Barbara Stanwyck in Christmas in Connecticut and scoring one of his biggest hits via 1947’s My Wild Irish Rose. Occasionally Morgan would show a tougher, more acerbic side with, after a strong 1942 wherein Morgan featured in two hits, the war-themed Captain of the Clouds opposite James Cagney and as the vixenish Bette Davis’ object of affection in the wild, entertaining melodrama In This Our Life, The Hard Way granting him a prime role in this more cynical area, as Morgan convinces viewers Paul is an apt adversary capable of putting Helen in her place if needed. After a period of continual success in the 1940s, Morgan’s screen output lessened with more sporadic appearances, with his final role coming via a cameo in 1976’s Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood, before retirement until his passing in 1994 at age 85.

In other roles, Gladys George is ideally cast as Lily Emery, an aging Broadway diva who unfortunately encounters Helen during a bad day at the center stage, utilizing her raspy, gin-soaked voice to maximum effect in a few standout moments, as she did regularly at Warners (The Maltese Falcon, Flamingo Road) and elsewhere (The Best Years of Our Lives, Detective Story). George expertly shows the egomania and insecurity that makes Lily both a pathetic and relatable character, and one is sympathetically drawn to her plight as Lily recounts past glories and hopes to rekindle her fame. As Helen’s weary, ineffectual husband Sam, Roman Bohnen makes a nice impression in his brief appearance, while Leona Maricle lends an urbane touch to her work as Laura Britton, a playwright interested in working with Katie. Faye Emerson, years before her greater stardom on television, also is seen to good advantage as a waitress who catches Paul’s eye, while other familiar faces that pop up include Virginia Brissac, Ann Doran, and William Hopper.

                Released in February of 1943, The Hard Way was a solid critical and box-office success, lingering enough in memory to factor into the year-end awards, with the film placing on The National Board of Review’s top ten list and Lupino winning Best Actress from the New York Film Critics, and the movie, Lupino and Carson receiving awards from Photoplay magazine. Come Oscar time the film was unfortunately overlooked, possibly due to the uncompromising nature of the material, when nominations for (at least) Best Picture, Actress (Lupino) and Supporting Actor (Carson) were merit worthy. However, over the years the incisive screenplay, directing and performances have allowed The Hard Way to uphold the strong impact on audiences it had during its initial release. A recent Warner Archive Blu-ray provides a pristine print of the film, allowing an ideal format for movie lovers to discover the gratifying virtues found in one of the overlooked dramatic gems from the studio’s rich trove of 1940’s classics. 

                And a fond Farewell to a trio of performers who made their singular marks on the entertainment industry. Tim Curry, who passed away on August 25^th at 80, made his 1968 West End debut in Hair, before the 1970s sealed his greatest claim to fame with his indelible, fearless work as Dr. Frank-N-Furter on stage and, specifically, the 1975 film version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Although first-run audiences didn’t know what to make of all the onscreen shenanigans, the ultra-charismatic work of Curry helped ensure the movie would gain fame as the ultimate late-night cult viewing, leading the gifted thespian to thrive on stage, television and film for the remainer of his rich career, with highlights including three Tony nominations for his stage endeavors, frequent television appearances, such as his creepy, vivid work as Pennywise in the 1990 miniseries It and an Emmy award for his voiceover work as Captain Hook, while also bringing to life a host of significant and lively characters on the big screen via appearances in such high-profile movies as Annie, Clue, The Hunt for Red October and The Three Musketeers.

                A constant presence on television from a 1954 debut at age 10 through the 1990s, Shelly Fabares also made her mark in movies as a three-time costar of the King, Elvis Presley, as well as on record via a 1962 #1 pop hit. First gaining wide renown on The Donna Reed Show, which aired from 1958-63, Fabares career would witness a substantial uptake when some behind-the-scenes Reed personnel thought it wise to have Fabares and her onscreen bother, Paul Petersen, try their hand at pop music. Although Petersen would also gain success in this field with a top ten hit, “My Dad,” Fabares’ recording of “Johnny Angel,” wherein, backed by the Blossoms including Darlene Love, the virtually untried (as a singer) seventeen-year-old’s pleasant, sincere vocal perfectly matched the lyrics which found a young girl hopelessly devoted to the song’s title figure, leading to major success on the airwaves and on vinyl, with the song landing at #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 chart in April of 1962 to mark its claim as one of the biggest female solo hits of the era.

It’s likely her recording fame helped Fabares land roles opposite Elvis in Girl Happy, Spinout and Clambake, which constituted the major part of her film career after starting out in bit parts in 1955. Continuing on television in the next two decades as a reliable guest star as well as the female lead in one of the most successful made-for-tv movies ever, 1971’s Brian Song, Fabares would find her career take a swift uprise with her work as Christine Armstrong in the 1989-1997 run of the hit sitcom Coach, which would finally bring Fabares Emmy recognition, with two Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series nominations after honing her craft for 35 years on television. Fabares would largely retire from the industry post-Coach, with one tv movie a few vocal credits to her name thereafter, focusing instead on work as a producer of the Screen Actors Guild Awards and her marriage (since 1984) to fellow television icon (via M*A*S*H) Mike Farrell before her death at 82 on August 22nd.

                An appealing presence in several top films of the 1950s and 1960s, who specialized in mixing sexual allure with a sweet, endearing persona, Leslie Parrish first studied music before initial fame on NBC as “Miss Color TV” led to movies. After debuting in brief roles in 1955, including A Man Called Peter and Daddy Long Legs, Parrish honed her skills until breaking through as Daisy Mae in the 1959 upbeat film adaptation of the Broadway hit Li’l Abner. 1962 brought Parrish the role for which her cinematic legacy rests upon, as the beguiling Jocelyn Jordan in one of the finest films of the decade, The Manchurian Candidate. Other key films of the period included Sex and the Single Girl and opposite Jerry Lewis in 1966’s Three on a Couch. Parrish would continue on films and television for another decade before her final credit in 1978, then retire to focus on environmental activism until her death on November 14, 2025, which was only publicly disclosed on August 23^rd. RIP to each of these talented, memorable performers.