The Curious Savage

The Curious Savage is the story of an elderly widow named Mrs. Savage, whose husband has left her $10 million dollars. She intends to give the entire fortune away to people who wish to pursue their “foolish dreams,” but her stepchildren strongly object. To prevent her from doing away with their family’s wealth and ruining their legacy, they have her committed to a sanatorium called The Cloisters, and it is among the gentle residents there that she finds her true family. The Curious Savage is a warm comedy that compares the kindness and loyalty of psychiatric patients with the greed and hostility of so-called “normal people.” It opened in New York on Broadway in 1950 and played 31 performances with star Lillian Gish in the titular role.