The Hard Way (1943)

Helen Chernen wants to get herself and her talented kid sister Katie out of their jerkwater hometown. And if that means using people and throwing them away, that's what Helen will do. Biting, observant, set against a glittery show-biz backdrop, The Hard Way has earned its reputation as one of Hollywood's great melodramas. Among the film's many fine performances, two stand out. Jack Carson, typically cast in comic roles, is powerfully affecting as a song-and-dance man whose kind heart is no match for Helen's ruthless wiles. And Ida Lupino is pitch-perfect as Helen, etching an indelible portrait of twisted ambition that won her the 1943 New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.