17th(2015)
Hard, Fast and Beautiful
Ida LUPINO
- USA
- 1951
- 78min
- DD
- black and white
- Fiction
SYNOPSIS
Asian Premiere
Tennis prodigy Florence FARLEY is torn between romance and her mother\'s ambitions. In this drama, a forceful, socially ambitious mother seeks to fulfill her dreams through her daughter, a talented young tennis player.
Program Note
A rare sports film about female athletes in the classical Hollywood cinema. Florence is a talented female tennis player. Her ambitious mother Milly attempts to fulfill her dream through her daughter. Keeping on rolling in a tournament with the support of a famous sports agency, Florence found that her mother was paid money to advertise the agency. She is torn between her fiancé Gordon and her father asking her to come back, and her mother deceiving her for her success and money. Beginning with Milly’s subjective narration, Hard, Fast and Beautiful is a maternal melodrama film with the stunning mise-en-scene of film noir using shadows. Mixing film noir generally regarded as men’s cinema and melodrama as women’s cinema, this film shows an interesting view on gender identity changing after the Second World War. As being sick and tired of her husband Will’s easy going and indecisive attitude, Milly is obsessed with Florence’s success. The detailed depiction of a female amateur athlete’s world in the fifties is related with the rapid commercialization of American culture. Interestingly, Will and Gordon rejecting success and money are described as less competent than the famous sports agency in this film. Meanwhile, Florence leaning on Gordon with anxiety looks unhappy. She knows that she might regret pursuing sucess later as Milly does. As her camera moves smoothly, LUPINO shows Florence leaving alone at the tennis court with sympathy. [CHO HyeYoung]
PROGRAM NOTE
Asian Premiere
Tennis prodigy Florence FARLEY is torn between romance and her mother\'s ambitions. In this drama, a forceful, socially ambitious mother seeks to fulfill her dreams through her daughter, a talented young tennis player.
Program Note
A rare sports film about female athletes in the classical Hollywood cinema. Florence is a talented female tennis player. Her ambitious mother Milly attempts to fulfill her dream through her daughter. Keeping on rolling in a tournament with the support of a famous sports agency, Florence found that her mother was paid money to advertise the agency. She is torn between her fiancé Gordon and her father asking her to come back, and her mother deceiving her for her success and money. Beginning with Milly’s subjective narration, Hard, Fast and Beautiful is a maternal melodrama film with the stunning mise-en-scene of film noir using shadows. Mixing film noir generally regarded as men’s cinema and melodrama as women’s cinema, this film shows an interesting view on gender identity changing after the Second World War. As being sick and tired of her husband Will’s easy going and indecisive attitude, Milly is obsessed with Florence’s success. The detailed depiction of a female amateur athlete’s world in the fifties is related with the rapid commercialization of American culture. Interestingly, Will and Gordon rejecting success and money are described as less competent than the famous sports agency in this film. Meanwhile, Florence leaning on Gordon with anxiety looks unhappy. She knows that she might regret pursuing sucess later as Milly does. As her camera moves smoothly, LUPINO shows Florence leaving alone at the tennis court with sympathy. [CHO HyeYoung]
Director
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Ida LUPINOIda LUPINO
Ida LUPINO was an English-American film actress and director, and a pioneer among women filmmakers. In her forty-eight-year career, she appeared in fifty-nine films and directed seven others, mostly in the United States, where she became a citizen in 1948. She co-wrote and coproduced some of her own films as well. She appeared in serial television programs fifty-eight times and directed fifty other episodes. Additionally, she contributed as a writer to five films and four TV episodes.
Credit
- ProducerCollier YOUNG
- Cast Claire TREVOR, Sally FORREST, Carleton G. YOUNG
- Screenwriter Martha WILKERSON
- Cinematography Archie STOUT
- Art director Albert S. D'AGOSTINO, Jack OKEY
- Editor George C. SHRADER, William H. ZIEGLER
- Music Roy WEBB
- Sound Phil BRIGANDI, Clem PORTMAN
