Ida Lupino

Ida Lupino, a Warner Bros. leading lady of the 1940s, took over Not Wanted (1949) when its director fell ill and then set up an independent company, The Filmakers, to make low-budget films on difficult subjects. The Hitch-Hiker (1953) is often cited as the first American film noir directed by a woman, and she went on to direct dozens of television episodes.