The elderly actress Leonora Fiske, portrayed by Isobel Elsom, lives in a secluded cottage with her companion, Ellen (Ida Lupino), and a maid. When Ellen suggests her sisters visit for a short time, they disrupt the established routine of the household, prompting Leonora to request that they depart. However, Lupino has different plans and soon takes control of the house while Leonora is supposedly out of the picture. …

It’s odd, like seeing animals trapped. Ladies in Retirement is a film by Charles Vidor, with a screenplay by Garrett Ford based on the play of the same name by Reginald Denham and Edward Percy. The cast includes Ida Lupino, Louis Hayward, Evelyn Keyes, Elsa Lanchester, Edith Barrett, and Isobel Elsom. Ernst Toch composed the music, and George Barnes was in charge of cinematography. A housekeeper reacts strongly…