In 1934, 16-year-old British-born actress Ida Lupino starred as Esther Smith-Hamilton in the pre-Code comedy-adventure “Come On, Marines!” produced by Paramount Pictures.The film follows a squad of U.S.Marines sent to the Philippine jungle to rescue what they believe are shipwrecked children, only to discover a group of young women instead.

Lupino plays the leader of this shipwrecked “beauty chorus” and serves as the romantic interest for Sergeant “Lucky” Davis, portrayed by Richard Arlen.

At this early stage, Paramount promoted her as “The English Jean Harlow,” emphasizing her platinum blonde hairstyle and elegant costumes, which remain impeccably styled even in jungle settings.The movie also features future star Ann Sheridan, credited as Clara Lou Sheridan, and Toby Wing.

Despite the adventurous premise, the jungle scenes were filmed on studio sets and Sherwood Lake, keeping the women in glamorous attire while the Marines appear muddy and disheveled.Although “Come On, Marines!

” is not widely remembered today, it represents a formative moment in Lupino’s career, giving her insight into Hollywood production long before she became one of the first major female directors in American cinema history.The portraits and promotional material from this film provide a glimpse of her early star persona and Hollywood marketing strategies of the 1930s.