Ida Lupino was born on February 4, 1918, in Herne Hill, London, to actress Connie O'Shea and music hall comedian Stanley Lupino. She was part of a theatrical family, which included her uncle Lupino Lane, a song-and-dance man.

Her career began at a young age, and she attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the age of 13. Her film debut came in 1932 with "Her First Affaire," and she soon moved to Hollywood in 1934, where she initially played minor roles.

Her breakthrough came in 1939 with "The Light That Failed," where she played a vengeful prostitute. She went on to star in several notable films, including "They Drive by Night" (1940) with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart, "High Sierra" (1941) with Bogart, "The Sea Wolf" (1941) with Edward G. Robinson, and "Ladies in Retirement" (1941) with Louis Hayward.

Her performances often portrayed strong, worldly-wise characters, and she was known for her ability to hold her own against some of the biggest leading men of the day.

Ida Lupino was also a pioneering director. She co-founded a production company with her second husband, Collier Young, in 1949. She directed several films that tackled controversial topics such as rape, illegitimacy, and bigamy.

Her directorial debut came with "Not Wanted" (1949), which she took over after the original director fell ill. She also directed "Never Fear" (1950), based on her own experiences battling paralyzing polio, and "The Hitch-Hiker" (1953), the first film noir directed by a woman.

Her influence extended to television as well, where she directed more than 100 episodes of various genres, including westerns, supernatural tales, situation comedies, murder mysteries, and gangster stories.

She was the only woman to direct an episode of the original "The Twilight Zone" series and the only director to star in an episode.

Throughout her career, she was married three times. Her first marriage was to actor Louis Hayward from 1938 to 1945, followed by a marriage to Collier Young from 1948 to 1951, and finally to actor Howard Duff from 1951 until their divorce in 1984.

She had one daughter, Bridget Duff, with Howard Duff in 1952.

Her contributions to the film industry were recognized with several awards, including the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for her role in "The Hard Way" (1943). She was also honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her work in film and television.

Ida Lupino passed away on August 3, 1995, in Los Angeles, California, after a long battle with cancer.