Ida Lupino (1918–1995)

Lonely traveling salesman O'Brien is married to the luscious Fontaine, whom he lives with in a great San Francisco apartment with a balcony you can hold a poker game on, but she can't have kids and is overcompensating by becoming an ace at running his appliance sales business. So, when he meets waitress Lupino on a sightseeing bus on one of his frequent trips to Los Angeles, he is looking for a little innocent companionship that turns into--well, the title says it all. Gwenn is the adoption agency man investigating O'Brian and Fontaine for an adoption. There isn't a great deal of suspense here, nor are there plot twists to amaze and amuse you. Instead, it is presented as a straightforward story of man who, perhaps, loves a bit too much. Lupino's direction is flawless, the acting, right down to the smallest part, is excellent, and the San Francisco and Los Angeles locations are great as well, although there is one clear mix-up when a San Francisco scene is presented instead of a Los Angeles one. The interiors of the apartment and other sets are very well done as well. There is also a tour of Beverly Hills that, in a nice joke, includes Gwenn's house. Well worth watching.… (más)

An interesting book co-written by Mary Ann Anderson, who took care of Lupino in her final years. It was hard to believe how Lupino was living when they first met - her house was like the mansion in Sunset Boulevard with an overgrown yard and the plumbing not working - Ida had a bucket for herself and one for guests because the bathroom was unusable. Anderson helped get the house back in shape as well as getting her a smaller more manageable place. The book provides comments that Lupino provided Anderson on her films and co-stars. Most interesting was how Lupino explained her directing style as she was the only woman director at the time. The book provides a great look at Lupino's career but it seemed as if Lupino was a bitter woman at the end.… (más)