Ida Lupino could do it all; act, direct and produce. And she did it with style. Howard Duff (her real life husband) was a lucky man. There were a half dozen ways this film could have gone into the crapper; but Lupino made sure she avoided all of them. The script is intelligent and sensitive; and the direction is letter-perfect. Choosing between Ida Lupino and Joan Fontaine is like choosing between a rich French dessert or yesterday's congealed leftover steak; very easy choice. But what the film really accomplishes is that life is just not in black and white; there are many gray areas. No pancake is so flat that it doesnt have two sides. I wish I could think of another hackneyed phrase or aphorism, but hwo is the best I can do. A highly recommended soap with an appropriate ending. In real life there is little immediate resolution. (oh no, I did come up with another hackneyed phrase).
Review of The Bigamist
