Trivia

Films focusing on John Dillinger mostly include references to Ana Cumpanas. She was portrayed by many actresses, but not always the name Anna Sage was used: Ann Morriss (as 'Mildred Jaunce') in _"Gang Busters: Dillinger {#2.4}" (1952)_ and Guns Don't Argue! (1957); Jean Willes in The FBI Story (1959); Jane Rose in Dillinger (1960), Diane Webster in The Last Days of John Dillinger (1971), Cloris Leachman in Dillinger (1973); Bernadette Peters (as 'Nellie') in Love, American Style (1969); Louise Fletcher in The Lady in Red (1979); Lucy Childs in Dillinger (1991), Debi A. Monahan in Dillinger and Capone (1995), Elena Albu in The Woman in Red (1997) and Branka Katic in Public Enemies (2009).

In Romania, new interest in the life of Ana Cumpanas was sparked by Mircea Veroiu's film The Woman in Red (1997)("The Woman in Red"). It is based on a 1990 book co-authored by three writers - Adriana Babeti, Mircea Mihaies and Mircea Nedelciu - reputedly suggested by Banat Swabian author William Totok. The book is a fictionalized account, depicting real and imagined events occurring in Romania after her return from America. The narrative moves beyond genre boundaries, mixing in metafictional elements and unrelated episodes involving, among others, writer Elias Canetti and psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. The postmodern novel was a bestseller in Romania and propelled Cumpanas back to iconic status.