Ida Lupino 's fourth effort is nothing but a turgid melodrama;on the contrary ,it's a story which is told (partly with the mother's voice over) with a great simplicity.
Feminist well before the term became trendy,the director gives the role of the champion to the woman,which was very rare at the time.The hero was most of the time the male actor,and the actress was here to provide the screenplay with the love interest.
But you 've got to pay attention to realize how Lupino was an insightful artist :instead of glorifying her champion,she focuses on the exploitation of the tennis-player by an unscrupulous coach and a greedy mother whose husband never gave her the life she thinks she deserves .When they take their champion to the court,she looks like a prisoner between two cops.Claire Trevor shines in her role of a still attractive woman who realizes that life is passing her by and who would do anything to gain fortune and fame (through her daughter),no matter if her husband is seriously ill in the hospital.Millie is not unlike the other mother in "no wanted" ,both dominate their husband ,but only Millie can enter the world she longs for.Sally Forrest was Lupino's double and was featured in three of her movies ,all worth watching (for the record,"not wanted" and " never fear" aka" the young lovers").
You may say the ending is not "feminist" ,that in the end the champion will turn into an housewife.But her biggest victory was to defeat her mother who sits alone on the steps with the cup in her hands as the night is falling on the court.
Feminist well before the term became trendy,the director gives the role of the champion to the woman,which was very rare at the time.The hero was most of the time the male actor,and the actress was here to provide the screenplay with the love interest.
But you 've got to pay attention to realize how Lupino was an insightful artist :instead of glorifying her champion,she focuses on the exploitation of the tennis-player by an unscrupulous coach and a greedy mother whose husband never gave her the life she thinks she deserves .When they take their champion to the court,she looks like a prisoner between two cops.Claire Trevor shines in her role of a still attractive woman who realizes that life is passing her by and who would do anything to gain fortune and fame (through her daughter),no matter if her husband is seriously ill in the hospital.Millie is not unlike the other mother in "no wanted" ,both dominate their husband ,but only Millie can enter the world she longs for.Sally Forrest was Lupino's double and was featured in three of her movies ,all worth watching (for the record,"not wanted" and " never fear" aka" the young lovers").
You may say the ending is not "feminist" ,that in the end the champion will turn into an housewife.But her biggest victory was to defeat her mother who sits alone on the steps with the cup in her hands as the night is falling on the court.