Much is made of Ida Lupino as one of the very few women who directed a Hollywood feature during the Classic period. A creditable achievement for sure. But she is best remembered as an actress and deservedly so. As a director she was ok only. She helmed the solid desert noir The Hitch-Hiker (1953) and legend has it had a role in directing the studio-imposed soft-ending in On Dangerous Ground (1952) after Nicholas Ray lost interest.
Visually, The Bigamist is nondescript, with Lupino as director failing to utilise the proven skills of DP George Diskant – though she does infuse street scenes of LA with the isolation of the lonely out-of-towner O’Brien. (She also failed to leverage the talent of Nick Musuraca, who lensed The Hitch-Hiker.)
The noir element is of entrapment through moral weakness. O’Brien is a lonely travelling salesman in LA when he meets Lupino a young waitress on a Hollywood bus tour. In fits and starts a relationship develops and one thing leads to another, but not before O’Brien tries to extricate himself. He has a wife in Frisco, who after finding out she is barren has become his business partner. The partnership becomes more one of business than marriage, and O’Brien who is weak and perhaps too sensitive, digs himself deeper and deeper into a bind that cannot be broken without tragic consequences. An ambivalence that refuses to judge evokes strong realistic performances from the leads, and enlists the audience’s sympathy without overt melodrama.
A film for mature adults who understand the true meaning of ‘shades of grey’.
I have seen THE HITCH-HIKER and of course consider ON DANGEROUS GROUND one of the greatest of noirs, but I have not seen THE BIGAMIST. Still I think you are pretty much on target as far as Lupino, though she did do a good job with a few episodes of BORIS KARLOFF’S THRILLER, especially the chilling ‘La Strega.’ George Diskant is a master lensman indeed, and ON DANGEROUS GROUND is among his notable credits. I am not at all surprised though that O’Brien delivered a strong performances as did Fontaine, and the screenplay is more notable than the visual style. Love the use of ‘shades of grey’ Excellent review!
Hey Sam. Thanks for those Lupino TV references. I was probably too hard on her.
The film is in the public domain and is available at archive.org:
http://archive.org/details.php?identifier=the_bigamist
The film is decently directed. As an actress, the best memories I have of Ida Lupino are in Fritz Lang’s “While the city sleeps” and in Robert Aldrich’s “The big knife”.
Thanks for your excellent website.
Thanks Albert!
I do think that Lupino did a decent job directing The Hitch-Hiker. But I haven’t seen The Bigamist. You make it seem like it’s at least worth a look! Edmund O’Brien was excellent in D.O.A. Great review.
Good post, especially how you explained how The Bigamist has a strong noir element even if it isn’t really noir.
Lupino may not be a great director, but she’s one of my favorites because of the way she fosters mood and nuances via the actors. I’ve seen The Hitch-Hiker, The Bigamist and an episode of the Screen Director’s Playhouse (“No. 5 Checked Out”) show and this quality was evident in all three. She may be a better actress, but the sensitive -but not soft- aspect of her direction really appeals to me.
Thanks Diandra and Frank. Great to have your views.