Call her Savage no longer

December 29, 2008 7:52 AM

Ann Savage, the femme fatale star of Edgar G. Ulmer's legendary noir Detour, died on Christmas day after a series of strokes.

Her final onscreen appearance came in Guy Maddin's "docu-fantasia" My Winnipeg, in which she played the role of Maddin's mother. In a 2008 interview, the Canadian director described her as "a Garbo for our times".

posted by pxe2000 (10 comments total)

I loved her in My Winnipeg and in Detour itself. Somehow I doubt the plasticated chocolate stars of today will age as well...
posted by The Salaryman at 8:22 AM on December 29, 2008

Here's the link to the movie at the Internet Archive.
posted by merelyglib at 8:36 AM on December 29, 2008

Detour is a legendary work of ultra-low-budget noir, and justifiably so -- it's one of the cheapest and meanest films I have ever seen, and Savage is just vicious in it. If you haven't seen it yet, follow merelyglib's link -- it's short and brutal and very much worth watching.
posted by Astro Zombie at 8:42 AM on December 29, 2008

I had merelyglib's link in my post, but it seems to have gone to the front page with weird coding. Whoops...
posted by pxe2000 at 8:48 AM on December 29, 2008

Fixed it up, I think.
posted by cortex at 9:05 AM on December 29, 2008

And while we're on the subject of director Edgar G. Ulmer, his 1934 horror film "Black Cat" pairs Karloff and Lugosi at their classic sadistic best, equaling Lugosi as Igor and Karloff as the Monster in "Son of Frankenstein."
posted by worbid411 at 11:26 AM on December 29, 2008

Yes. Karloff affects a predatory, lupine walk in that film that's just fascinating. Lugosi is somewhat sympathetic, although he does take a rather nasty turn at the end. Great film. Also, one of the coolest supervillain houses ever put on screen.
posted by Astro Zombie at 11:32 AM on December 29, 2008

I saw Miss Savage a few years ago at the Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley at a screening of Detour. The print that they screened was Miss Savage's own personal copy, which she carried on her lap all the way on the plane ride to the Bay Area. I wonder if I still have the ticket stub she autographed for me that day. Despite being known for a femme fatale role, she was way classy until the very end.

All you film noir fans, bow your heads with me and say, "Now there was a dame..."

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posted by jonp72 at 12:07 PM on December 29, 2008 [2 favorites]

Damn!
posted by doctorschlock at 8:24 PM on December 29, 2008

That's a damn shame.

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posted by voltairemodern at 9:32 PM on December 29, 2008