Vic Savage

This page is about the American movie director. For the Spinal Tap member Viv Savage, click here.

Vic Savage was an American movie director, writer, producer, and editor. His filmography consists of two films, but he is best known for the sci-fi-horror B movie The Creeping Terror, which has gained notoriety as one of the worst movies of all time.

Early life[edit]

Vic Savage was born August 14, 1933 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, as Arthur Nelson White. "Vic Savage" was one of many aliases he donned throughout his life. He claims to have been a Cherokee Indian, born in Oklahoma. He attended the Meriden School for Boys, in Meriden, Connecticut.

In his adolescent years, he had several near-encounters with the law that he said inspired his movie Street-Fight (1959).

Career[edit]

Savage wrote Street-Fight in 1959, which later turned out to be the directorial debut of Joseph Sargent.

The Creeping Terror[edit]

1964 saw Savage direct, produce, and partially edit The Creeping Terror (though credited as A.J. Nelson), a film that attempts to emulate 1950s sci-fi, which had lost a lot of audience interest by the mid-1960s. The film treatment was originally written by Allan Silliphant (though credited to Robert Silliphant) of the same Silliphant family who bore Stirling (upon realising the potential harm the film could have on the family reputation, Silliphant backed out of the production.

Savage used this as an opportunity to exploit the citizens of the town he was filming in. He managed to convince each of them that in order to have a part in this movie, they had to pay him. He portrayed the movie as an investment deal, and they'd get their money paid back in full plus more due to the success the movie would have in theatres. The scam worked, though Savage would not pay them back in full, nor would the movie have any success in theatres.

Personal life[edit]

Vic Savage went by many pseudonyms, including Arthur Nelson White, Art J. Nelson, Arthur White, and, of course, Vic Savage. Court and legal documents carry many of these aliases, making much of his life murky and difficult to document.

Savage married Lois A. White. They had three children, but divorced later. Later, Lois would write an exposé memoir called Hollywood Con Man, about living with Savage

Apart from conning the actors in The Creeping Terror (and being a frequent con artist), Savage abused drugs and narcotics, was an alcoholic, frequently used prostitutes, and heavily verbally and physically abused Lois. At one point in life, to pay off a debt, Savage made a child pornography film. He was said to be a psychopath, and showed strong tendencies towards that nature.

Death[edit]

Savage died May 25, 1975 in Kansas City, Kansas, of unknown causes.

Legacy[edit]

The Creep Behind the Camera, an exposé docudrama about the production of The Creeping Terror overlapping with Savage's rocky personal life, was made in 2014.

References[edit]

Created page "Vic Savage", about B-movie director[edit]

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