Recently a wonderful, if brief, 1972 interview with Ida Lupino was posted on YouTube. This interview was part of the publicity surrounding the release of the film Junior Bonner.
The video is from the archives of a long-time television reporter named Bobbie Wygant. The sound quality drops in two or three places for a few seconds, but is mostly decipherable in those places with some effort. So I took the time to transcribe it for posterity and to save others the effort of trying to interpret the words in the tough spots.
Television interviews of Lupino are extremely hard to find these days. In fact, other than the 1958 This is Your Life episode, this is the only non-scripted television appearance of Lupino's that I've seen. So this is a real treasure!
Here is the transcript.
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Bobbie Wygant: As I said in the introduction, Miss Ida Lupino is returning to the motion picture screen after a 17-year absence. So Miss Lupino, it just has to be the first question—what was it about this role of Elvira that tempted you back to the screen?
Ida Lupino: Well first of all my agents said, ‘We want to send a script over to you. Mr. Joe Wizan is producing it. Mr Sam Peckinpah is directing it. Steve McQueen and Robert Preston are starring in it and would you like to play Steve McQueen’s mother?’ And without reading the script, I said, ‘I’ll play his grandmother!’ (Laughter) With that lineup—most definitely.
BW: Well I’ve seen the picture and you’d have to have lots and lots of makeup to play his grandmother. I can tell you that.
IL: Well I wouldn’t say that. You’re very kind.
BW: No, I’ve seen the picture. Now, the other thing that I would like to know is that -- the first day you went back on the set, were you at all nervous about it, Miss Lupino?
IL: Oh yes, very, very. I think when you’ve been back of the camera for a long time and you haven’t made a motion picture for so long, there’s that natural nervousness, you know—your first day and… first couple of days.
BW: What were you shooting that first day on the set?
IL: Well, actually, I was very lucky. It was the rodeo stuff. (Laughs) And I didn’t do much except stand in crowds and wave to my husband Robert Preston, who plays Ace Bonner. And who is marvelous in it.
BW: I’ll drink to that. He is, indeed.
IL: [?] I didn’t say that.
BW: You’ve been directing and writing for some 17 years now. When you first wanted to be a director, was it a difficult thing to convince people that you could and to give you a chance?
IL: Well, actually I never wanted to be a director. It was just an accident. I had co-written a screenplay for a picture called ‘Not Wanted’ and was co-producing it. And our director unfortunately had a heart attack suddenly. But it had to be made for 125 thousand dollars in ten days. And we couldn’t afford another director. So I took over. Fortunately for us the picture was a success. I said, well that’s fine. I’ll go home and write some lyrics and music—which I like to do! And… but the moneymen said no, I had to direct the second one. And then it was like a snowball and you know, it kept on. And then Howard Hughes took over our company, and he insisted I direct the first three with RKO. And that’s how this ugly thing happened of me getting in back of the camera.
BW: But when you took over, Miss Lupino, that is really an about-face for an actress, isn’t it? You’ve been in front of the camera, but then it’s a whole ‘nother world in back of the camera, isn’t it?
IL: Yes, a whole ‘nother world. A very good world, though. There’s a lot of nice people.
BW: It wasn’t a difficult adjustment for you?
IL: Yes, I was terrified. Absolutely terrified. I was never off the phone with our editor saying ‘Have I got him coming in the room in the right direction? Is she looking in the right direction?’ I was like a bird trying, you know, trying to fly for the first time—
BW: Did you make any goofs?
IL: I made so many, I can’t even enumerate. (Laughs) But you mean on the first picture?
BW: Yes, yes.
IL: Oh yeah I was always calling him up and saying, ‘You know I think I’ve reversed myself here.’ And he’d say, ‘Yes you have’. So I’d have to quickly shoot it over again.
BW: I’m sure you’re not the first director that’s done that––
IL: You know, directions in camera––
BW: Yes. Now. You surely… Of all the motion pictures you’ve made, Miss Lupino, there are some that you would probably like to be remembered for more than others. Which are the ones you’d most like to be remembered for?
IL: You mean as an actress or director?
BW: As an actress, uhuh, as an actress.
IL: There are so many I want to forget. (Laughter)
BW: Do you care to name any of those? (Laughs)
IL: Nooo, I’d rather not. I’d rather not.
BW: Then the ones you’d really like to be remembered for—which ones?
IL: As a performer, well there’s only one I really cared enough about—that I thought I was half-way decent in, and that was a thing called “Ladies in Retirement”. It was a New York stage play and I did —(?)—. And I thought I gave a fairly decent performance. And I didn’t shudder when I saw myself—for a change! (Laughs)
BW: Who were the other people in that?
IL: It was Elsa Lanchester. And Edith Barrett. Louis Hayward. Evelyn Keyes. And me playing the murderess.
BW: Miss Lupino, I know you have to go now and dress for the new world premiere tonight—. I do thank you for taking the time to talk with us. And please, don’t stay away for another 17 years, will you?
IL: No, I won’t. If Mr Wizar will have me back playing a grandmother or an aunt, I’d be delighted! (Laughs)
BW: Thank you very much, Miss Ida Lupino.
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