Pulp International - Movie still of Ann Savage in the film noir Detour

Dec 26 2008

A Savage existence comes to an end.

At left is actress Ann Savage in a still from Detour, the 1945 film that helped define the classic femme fatale. The film was shot in only six days, but her turn as the amoral hitchhiker Vera resonated with audiences. Over the decades since its release Detour has become one of the most popular low budget noirs of all time, in no small part because of its entry into the public domain as an uncopyrighted work that any television station can broadcast without paying royalties. But it also has survived because of Ms. Savage's bravura turn as the female lead. Ann Savage died yesterday at age 87.

Detour Ann Savage film noir deaths

The headlines that mattered yesteryear.

1952—Chaplin Returns to England

Silent movie star Charlie Chaplin returns to his native England for the first time in twenty-one years. At the time it is said to be for a Royal Society benefit, but in reality Chaplin knows he is about to be banned from the States because of his political views. He would not return to the U.S. for twenty years.

1910—Duke of York's Cinema Opens

The Duke of York's Cinema opens in Brighton, England, on the site of an old brewery. It is still operating today, mainly as a venue for art films, and is the oldest continually operating cinema in Britain.

1975—Gerald Ford Assassination Attempt

Sara Jane Moore, an FBI informant who had been evaluated and deemed harmless by the U.S. Secret Service, tries to assassinate U.S. President Gerald Ford. Moore fires one shot at Ford that misses, then is wrestled to the ground by a bystander named Oliver Sipple.

1937—The Hobbit is Published

J. R. R. Tolkien publishes his seminal fantasy novel The Hobbit, aka The Hobbit: There and Back Again. Marketed as a children's book, it is a hit with adults as well, and sells millions of copies, is translated into multiple languages, and spawns the sequel trilogy The Lord of Rings.

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