Savage Intruder (1970)
Direction and Screenplay: Donald H. Wolfe. Cast: Miriam Hopkins, John David Garfield (aka David Garfield), Gale Sondergaard, Florence Lake, Lester Matthews, Joe Besser, Virginia Wing, Riza Royce, Charles Martin, Minta Durfee
Savage Intruder was filmed in 1970 but (briefly) released in 1974, and is also known as either Hollywood Horror House (the video edition) or The Comeback (its production title).
The film stars Miriam Hopkins, in her last big-screen role, as a drunken, washed-up Norma Desmond-ish movie queen living in a decaying mansion in the Hollywood Hills, watching her old movies while referring to herself in the third person.
John David Garfield (John Garfield's son) plays the young psychopath who seduces her. Gale Sondergaard plays the mysterious housekeeper, Lez (that is her name), who is justifiably suspicious of the nurse (Garfield) hired to take care of the ailing ex-star. Minta Durfee — formerly, Mrs. Fatty Arbuckle — has a brief role in the film, too.
Despite writer-director-producer Donald H. Wolfe's inconsistent handling of the material and the film's minuscule budget, Savage Intruder has some interesting things to say about the decadence of late-1960s Hollywood. For instance, in an early scene a tour bus cruising the Hollywood Hills must come to a halt so a little girl can step outside to puke. Additionally, Old Hollywood is contrasted with New Hollywood through numerous scenes of hippies and assorted rebellious youth thriving in a place that used to stand for glamour and style.
Unfortunately, the whole production cries out for some serious editing and faster pacing to make the suspense more compelling. In fact, a pair of sharp scissors were needed during the long, annoying music-cacophony sequences.
The Savage Intruder shenanigans were filmed at the (alleged) estate of former silent-film superstar Norma Talmadge. The film was one of the last in the "horror hags" cycle, and it remains quite a curiosity piece.
© Danny Fortune
Note from Editor: So far, there's apparently no evidence that Norma Talmadge actually had any association with the so-called Norma Talmadge Estate. Director Maurice Tourneur reportedly had it built in the early 1920s, and silent-film star Madge Bellamy once lived there. I'd like to thank researcher Greta de Groat and author Allan Ellenberger, currently working on a Miriam Hopkins biography, for their assistance.
It's been about a year since I last watched this film but what a fascinating film it is. Sure it would not (and did not) win any awards but watching Miriam Hopkins chew up the scenery is a blast. It's sort of like "Sunset Blvd." meets "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane." It would be interesting to know what possessed Miriam to do it. Maybe she thought this would be HER "Baby Jane" and be as successful for her as WHTBJ was for Bette Davis. Sadly, Miriam probably never got a chance to see it since it never reached theaters until two years after her death. Perhaps it's just as well.