Ann Savage
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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Ann Savage (born February 19, 1921 in Columbia, South Carolina as Bernice Maxine Lyon, died December 25, 2008) was a motion picture actress for over sixty years. She is mainly remembered as the cigarette-puffing femme fatale in Detour (1945) and other Hollywood B-movies and film noirs of the 1940s. Savage and Detour co-star Tom Neal made four movies (Klondike Kate, Two Man Submarine, Unwritten Code and Detour) and one television show (Gangbusters) together.
Savage temporarily left the entertainment business in the early 1950s though she made occasional appearances on television and worked for industrial and inspirational film producers during the 1950s - 70s. In the 1980s, Ann returned to theatrical motion pictures in the 1986 film Fire with Fire and made a guest appearance on the television show Saved By The Bell. She also made live appearances at film festivals, especially for screenings of Detour.
When it became public domain, Detour was often run on syndicated television and several versions were released on VHS home video. This exposure, combined with her film festival appearances, earned Ann the respect of several generations of independent film directors and actors. Director Wim Wenders called her work in Detour "at least 15 years ahead of its time". The London Guardian termed Ann "a Garbo for our times". Ann most recently earned rave reviews in all media for her stunning performance as Canadian director Guy Maddin's mother in his most acclaimed film My Winnipeg (2008).
Savage died in her sleep at a nursing home on Christmas Day 2008 from complications following a series of strokes.
