Ann Savage
Biography
Ann Savage was an American film and television actress who began her screen career after training at the Max Reinhardt workshop, where she took her stage name. She was born Berniece Maxine Lyon, and her birthplace was Columbia, South Carolina. A Columbia Pictures contract followed a screen test, and she made more than 20 low-budget films between 1943 and 1946. She became best known as Vera, the blackmailing femme fatale opposite Tom Neal in the film noir Detour (1945). Later credits included Woman They Almost Lynched (1953) and Fire with Fire (1986), with television work in anthology dramas and a guest role on Saved by the Bell. Guy Maddin gave her the role of his mother in My Winnipeg (2008), and she received rave reviews; the film won critics prizes and a Genie nomination. In 2007 Time named Vera among its top 10 movie villains.
87years old at death
- Born Columbia
- Died Hollywood
- Star sign: PiscesFirst day of the sign, on the Aquarius cusp
Movie Career
- Films
- 5
- Career span
- 63 years1945 to 2008
Every film, newest first
- 2008My WinnipegIMDb rating 7.5
- 1986Fire with FireIMDb rating 6.4
- 1953Woman They Almost LynchedIMDb rating 6.5
- 1946Renegade GirlIMDb rating 5.0
- 1945DetourIMDb rating 7.3
Genres
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About the name
After an MGM test fell through, Berniece had her teeth capped and trained in theater at the Max Reinhardt workshop on Sunset Boulevard. Reinhardt also oversaw her name change, and she became Ann Savage.
First role
Savage was 17 when she first stepped on a sound stage at MGM Studios, where Edgar Selwyn screen tested her.
A role that slipped away
Savage turned down a Fox screen test by simply not showing up, because she knew the studio already had plenty of pretty blondes.
Ann Savage movies on Netflix
Worked with
Ann Savage shares two films with Claudia Drake, and one with each of the others. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Claudia Drake's page
Jon Polito's page
Virginia Madsen's page
Ellen Corby's page
Ernie Adams's page
Harry Cording's page
Edgar G. UlmerDirector, 1 film, 1945
All films by Edgar G. Ulmer
All films by Guy Maddin
Duncan GibbinsDirector, 1 film, 1986
All films by Duncan Gibbins
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.