Hey guys, Quint here with a little notice for you classic movie fans out there. I feel a little bit out of place reporting this because I've never once seen one of Ms. Ann Savage's movies.
The one she's most known for is DETOUR, which was on my A Movie A Day list (still is), but seemed to keep slipping past every time I dipped into noir... to the point where I have a 5-noir box set featuring DETOUR and I hit all 4 other films in that set, leaving DETOUR for later.
Ms. Savage died on Christmas Day at the age of 87, the result of complications from a series of strokes. She was in a nursing home, but apparently died peacefully in her sleep.
Born as Bernice Maxine Lyon, Ann Savage began her career as an extra in 1938's THE GREAT WALTZ, soon signing a contract with Columbia Pictures. She rose from unknown to known via supporting roles in FOOTLIGHT GLAMOUR and SADDLES AND SAGEBRUSH, but her role as DETOUR's femme fatale is what solidified her place as a cinema icon.
I have yet to see DETOUR, but I recognized her picture (above) instantly upon digging up research for this obituary. She was inarguably beautiful, becoming one of the more popular WW2 era pin-ups, making lots of USO appearances and hocking war bonds in the States.
She was able to get out from under her contract in the late '40s and freelanced in a lot of B pictures, like RENEGADE GIRL, SATAN'S CRADLE (great title), JUNGLE JIM IN PYGMY ISLAND (another great title) and WOMAN THEY ALMOST LYNCHED (the titles keep on coming!), which was to be her final film role for over 3 decades, instead doing bit parts on TV dramas.
Her husband died in 1969, well after she retired from show business. Savage became familiar with the Law while working for an LA based attorney and... this really took me by surprise... also developed a taste for flying, becoming a speed-rated pilot in her spare hours outside of her work at the law firm.
Guy Maddin pulled her back in front of the cameras to play his mother in MY WINNIPEG in 2007.
The woman led a fascinating life, one that seemed to fall just short of stardom. I have to wonder if she realized just what a big mark she left on film. She must have as IMDB has her being saddled with accolades over the past few years, including being named one of the Top 10 all time villains for her femme fatale turn in DETOUR by Time Magazine.
I hope to get to know her work over the coming year. It's been illuminating reading up on her and I can't wait to see some of her contributions to cinema. My thoughts will be with Ms. Savage's friends, family and fans.
