HARD WAY, THE (1943)

You’d never believe they’re sisters!

A powerful film featuring an unforgettable performance by leading lady Ida Lupino, THE HARD WAY is a gripping drama that in certain ways is a precursor to the same story dynamics to be found years later in the remarkable musical play GYPSY. Lupino takes center stage (so to speak) as Helen Chernen, a strong-willed woman who wants to get herself and her talented kid sister Katie out of their jerkwater hometown. And if that means using people and throwing them away, that's what Helen will do. Biting, observant, set against a glittery show-biz backdrop, The Hard Way has earned its reputation as one of Hollywood's great melodramas. Among the film's many fine performances, two stand out. Jack Carson, typically cast in comic roles, is powerfully affecting as a song-and-dance man whose kind heart is no match for Helen's ruthless wiles. And Ida Lupino is pitch-perfect as Helen, etching an indelible portrait of twisted ambition that won her the 1943 New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.