Savannah Smiles
Porn Superstar Suicide
Born Shannon Wilsey on October 9, 1970, died by her own hand on July 11, 1994.
This former rock groupie shot right to the top of the X-rated film industry with back to back contracts with Video Exclusives and Vivid Video. But Savannah's petulant behavior ranked her right up there with Stacey Donovan as a porn prima donna. Difficult to work with was the word in the industry.
Well known as a drug and alcohol abuser who had grown increasingly paranoid, Savannah's star was fading fast, or so it must have seemed to her, since she was considered a superstar outside and within the adult industry. For Savannah, a car accident that resulted in a broken nose, a rejection from Hustler magazine and debts to the IRS proved reason enough to call it quits. A sad ending to a porn star who seemed unhappy with herself and most everything around her.
AVN Article About Shannon's Suicide
The adult industry's most celebrated star, and perhaps its most controversial one, apparently took her life in the early morning hours of July 11 (1994) with a self-inflicted handgun wound to the temple.
Savannah was reportedly despondent over a car accident earlier in the evening in which she supposedly drove her white Corvette into a fence. Upset by a recent dancing engagement in Las Vegas for which she was still trying to get paid, Savannah thought she had broken her nose in the car accident and that it would prompt cancellation of her upcoming dance appearance which was scheduled at Goldfinger's in Nyack, N.Y.
The dancing engagements were an extremely important part of Savannah's curriculum, and she was known to earn as much as $5,000 in a single evening. To that extent, Savannah had commented one time on the Joan Rivers Show, that the best thing she liked about the porn business was that she didn't have to look at price tags anymore.
The Damage To Shannon's Car That Night
"Savannah lived expensively, but she was in a crunch for money. She saw her world collapsing," said writer/director and Savannah's industry confidante, Nancy Pera. Pera was Savannah's manager "as well as you could manage her," Pera said. "Savannah could be a pain in the neck, but I was very fond of her."
Savannah, according to Pera, was crying about a possible broken nose. She called Pera about 2:15 A.M., informing her of the car wreck. Pera arrived about 2:40 A.M. at Savannah's house in Universal City. Savannah had just purchased the home this past October, ironically, for cash because of bad credit.
By the time she arrived, Pera found a fire truck in the driveway. In the intervening minutes, Savannah had evidently gone to her garage, produced a 9mm semi- automatic pistol (though police would neither confirm this detail, comment, nor make a report available) and put it to her head. Meanwhile, detectives from the North Hollywood Division, responding to a 911 call, called the Fire Dept. Medical Unit. The paramedics arrived and transported Wilsey/Savannah to the St. Joseph Medical Center. Pera said the gun wasn't something "like Dirty Harry would use, but it was close to it." Pera found Savannah laying in a pool of blood but was still breathing.
"I said, 'Stay with us, Shannon.' I thought she would make it," Pera said. Savannah was rushed to St. Joseph's Medical Center in Burbank where she died 1:20 PM after almost 11 hours in a coma. Pera had last seen Savannah around 7 PM Sunday evening when they took Savannah's dogs for a walk around the neighborhood.
Savannah Filmography
All American Superstars (1998) (V)
Direct Dial (1997) (V)
Bums Away (1995) (V)
Where the Boys Aren't Part IV: Boarding House Blues Too (1995) (V)
Savanah Unleased (1994) (V) (as Savanah) .... Angel, Nurse
Sinderella 2: The Stepsister (1994) (V)
Summertime Boobs (1994)
Battle of the Superstars (1993) (V)
Deep Inside Racquel Darrian (1993) (V)
Hollywood X-posed (1993) (V)
Hustlers, The (1993) (V)
Naughty Butt Nice (1993) (V)
Savannah Affair, The (1993) (V)
Secret Fantasies 3 (1993) (V)
Starbangers 1 (1993) (V)
Superstars of Sex: Racquel Darrian (1993) .... Biker Chick
Superstars of Sex: Savannah (1993)
Wet Event (1993) (V)
Angels (1992/II) (V)
Best of Footworship 3 (1992) (V)
Dixie Dynamite and the All-Star Tit Queens (1992)
Flash Floods (1992)
Hot Holes (1992) (V)
House of Sleeping Beauties (1992) (V)
House of Sleeping Beauties 2 (1992) (V)
Indian Summer (1992) (V)
On Trial 3: Takin' It to the Jury (1992)
On Trial Part 4: The Verdict (1992) (V)
Savannah R.N. (1992) (V) .... Nurse
Sinderella (1992)
Art of Desire (1991) (V) .... Alexis
Autoerotica (1991)
Autoerotica 2 (1991)
Blonde Forces (1991) (V)
Blonde Savage (1991) (V)
Camp Fear (1991) (as Shannon Wilsey)
Ecstasy (1991) (V)
End Results (1991) (V) (as Silver Cane)
Execu-Comp #169 - Classic Super Sex (1991) (V)
Forever (1991/I) .... Kim
Happy Endings (1991) (V)
Hot Savannah Nights (1991) (V)
Hurts So Good (1991) (V)
Indian Summer 2: Sandstorm (1991) (V)
Laying the Ghost (1991)
Legal Tender (1991) .... Mal's Gals
Made in Heaven (1991) (V)
Nasty Reputation (1991) (V)
Naughty Nymphs (1991) (V)
New Wave Hookers 2 (1991) (V)
No Boys Allowed (1991) (V)
On Trial 2 (1991) .... Ellen Fargo alias Scarlett
On Trial Part 1: In Defense of Savannah (1991) (V) .... Savannah
On Trial Part III: In Defense of Savannah (1991) (V) .... Savannah
On Trial Part II: In Defense of Savannah (1991) (V) .... Savannah
On Trial Part IV: In Defense of Savannah (1991) (V) .... Savannah
Roxy (1991) (V) .... Roxy
Savannah Superstar (1991) (V) .... Savannah
Spectacle, The (1991) (V)
Surf City Sex (1991) (V) (as Silver)
Virgin on the Run (1991) (V)
Vision, The (1991)
Vow of Passion (1991) (V)
Invisible Maniac, The (1990) (as Shannon Wilsey) .... Vicky
Racquel's Addiction (1990) (V) (as Silver Kane)
Sorority House Massacre II (1990) (as Shannon Wilsey) .... Satana
Trouble Maker (1990)
Every Man's Fancy (1988)
Reflections of Innocence (1988)
Telemates (1988)
Turn Up the Heat (1988)
Tight Fit (1987)
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