Freaks is a classic film that has stood the test of time. Directed by Tod Browning, this controversial movie explores the lives of circus performers who were considered "freaks" due to their physical abnormalities. Despite its initial reception, "Freaks" has since gained recognition as a groundbreaking work of art that challenges societal norms and prejudices.
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Freaks will most likely go down in history as one of the most intriguing films ever made. Produced and directed in 1932 by Tod Browning (director of the famous Bela Lugosi film Dracula), the film follows a travelling carnival, with the main focus focusing mainly on the sideshow acts and their interactions. The idea came about when Harry Earles bought a short story called ‘Spurs’ from an author, Tod Robbins; the story was of horse-riding circus performers taking advantage of a wealthy dwarf. He took it to Browning, who, having worked previously in the circus & vaudeville, thought it was great and persuaded MGM to be involved. MGM thought it would be a great horror, playing off the back of Dracula. There is a story that the head of production, Irving Thalberg, read the screenplay, hung his head, and said, ‘Well, I asked for something horrible, and I guess I got it’. After an extensive search for actual sideshow performers, filming could begin. The studio wanted Victor McLaglen, Myrna Loy and Jean Harlowe to star, but they refused to perform with the sideshow performers. Olga Baclanova recalled when she first met the sideshow performers ‘Tod Browning shows me little by little and I could not look, I wanted to faint. I wanted to cry when I saw them. They have such nice faces... they are so poor, you know... Browning takes me and says, you know, 'Be brave, and don't faint like the first time I show you. You have to work with them.'... It was very, very difficult first time. Every night, I felt that I am sick. Because I couldn't look at them. And then I was so sorry for them. That I just couldn't... it hurt me like a human being.’ But there were issues; although many were seasoned sideshow performers, they weren’t necessarily actors, and some required extra care and patience. Browning said, "It got to the point where I had nightmares. I mean it. I scarcely could sleep at all. There was one terrible dream in which I was trying to shoot a difficult scene. Every time I started, Johnny Eck, the half-boy, and one of the pinheads would start bringing a cow in backwards through a door. I'd tell them to stop but the next take they'd do it all over again. Three times that night I got up and smoked a cigarette but when I went back to bed, I'd pick up the dream again."
It was filmed in Los Angeles, US, in 1931 at the MGM Studios, and there were mixed reactions; many of the MGM employers felt uncomfortable around the sideshow performers and made it known. The neurotypical & physically able actors, Daisy & Harry Earle and Daisy & Violet Hilton were allowed to move around the area, but unfortunately (and disgustingly if you ask me), the rest of the actors had to stay in a specially built tent when not filming. It was reported that Louis. B. Mayer, who was studio head then, was so horrified by the various performers that he tried to have the film shut down.
After filming, the film was shown to test audiences in January 1932. Audiences were horrified and found the film grotesque; one woman ran from the screening screaming. One woman sued the studio after claiming the film caused her to miscarry. One review from a critic who saw the original cut called it ‘rather gruesomely dramatised for the edification (or education) of those morbid persons who enjoy gazing upon unfortunate, misshapen, cruelly deformed humanity’. As a result, Thalberg edited the film without Browning’s knowledge. One cut scene from the end of the film showed the strong man Hercules singing soprano after the sideshow performers castrated him. The original run time of 90 minutes had been hacked away to 64 minutes and sadly, the cut footage no longer exists. The shortened version of the film was released in February 1932. It was a box office failure, receiving backlash from critics and audiences alike. The UK went as far as to ban the film for 30 years.
Since its original release, Freaks has gained a large cult following. People have embraced its tendency towards empathy and understanding rather than seeing it mindlessly as an exploitation film. Andrew Samis, an American film critic, called it one of the ‘most compassionate’ films ever made. In 1994, it was chosen to be preserved by the United States National Film Registry, which recognises ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically significant films.
The story is based around the sideshow performers and their ‘family dynamic’ that is thrown into disarray by trapeze artist Cleopatra. Cleopatra seduces the already engaged dwarf Hans with the sole intent of stealing his rather large inheritance; she is working with the strong-man, Hercules and they are factoring murder into their future plans. Hans falls for Cleopatra, declaring her the most beautiful, big person he has ever seen. His poor fiancé, dwarf Frieda, is quite rightfully upset and angry. Hans, you scumbag. Hans & Cleopatra marry soon after, but Cleopatra gets into the wine a little too much at the reception and kisses Hercules. No one notices as they are all enjoying the reception (apart from poor Frieda) and decide to hold an initiation ceremony to welcome Cleopatra as one of them. They are all sat around a table, trusting, drinking, and famously chanting ‘gooble gabble, gooble gabble, one of us, one of us! We accept you, one of us!’ And true colours begin to shine through. I won’t tell you more about the plot, but I highly recommend you watch it if possible; it’s a fantastic story of life, love, and revenge. It’s very reminiscent of the book Frankenstein and the whole debate about exactly who are the real monsters.
So, who were the sideshow performers who stole the show in Freaks? Sadly, a lot of information about the actors has been lost over the years, but this is what I’ve discovered:
Prince Randian – played The Living Torso
Prince Randian (his birth name is unknown) was born on 12th October 1871 in Demerara, British Guyana. He was born with no arms or legs due to tetra-amelia (an extremely rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder characterised by the absence of all four limbs) syndrome. He married a woman known as Princess Sarah and fathered five (some sources say four) children with her. At 18, Prince Randian was brought to the US by the famous showman, P. T Barnum, founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Prince Randian was a top-rated performer in the circus and Coney Island Carnival. He performed under many names, including The Human Torso, The Snake Man and The Human Caterpillar. Prince Randian’s act included wearing a one-piece that fitted tightly over his body, giving him the appearance of a snake or a caterpillar. He would move around the stage, using his hips and shoulders, and perform various tasks, including painting, writing, and shaving. The most famous part of his act, as seen in Freaks, was his ability to roll a cigarette, open a matchbox, strike a match, and light the cigarette – all using his mouth. He died from a heart attack on 19th December 1934 at the age of 63, hours after his final performance.
John Eckhardt JR – Played Half Boy
Johnny Eck was born on 27th August 1911 in Baltimore, Maryland, US. He was born with sacral agenesis, an exceedingly rare disorder in which foetal development of the lower spine is abnormal; he had very underdeveloped legs that didn’t function (for those of you who have seen Vikings – think an extreme Ivar the Boneless, but without the douchebag personality) and he would hide them using clothing. When Johnny was asked if he wished he had fully working, proportionate legs, he replied, “Why would I want those? Then I’d have pants to press”. At the age of 12, Johnny saw a magic show by John McAslan; when McAslan asked for a volunteer, he was astounded to see Johnny run onto the stage, using his arms and hands in place of his legs. After the show, the magician convinced Johnny to have him as his manager and to join the sideshow. Johnny performed with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, to name just a couple. In 1937, Johnny and his twin brother, Robert, were recruited by illusionist & hypnotist Rajah Raboid for his show, ‘Miracles of 1937’. Robert would play an audience member, called upon the stage to participate in the famous sawing of a man in half illusion. Robert would be switched, with Johnny playing the upper half of his body and a dwarf, hidden in a pair of jeans, would play the lower half. After being ‘sawn’ in half, the legs would appear to get up and run away whilst the body (Johnny) would chase after them, shouting, ‘Come back here!’. On 5th January 1991, Eck died after having a heart attack in his sleep; he was 79 years old.
Jane Barnell – Played The Bearded Lady
Jane Barnell was born on 3rd January 1871 in Wilmington, North Carolina, US. By the age of 2, she was able to grow a beard; her mother took her to various healers, including Hoodoo doctors, to try and suppress the condition. In 1875, Jane’s mother sold her to the Great Orient Family Circus & Menagerie (her father was working away whilst this happened). After touring with the circus for a few months, Jane fell ill with typhoid fever; she was first placed in a hospital and then transferred to an orphanage. Her father, who had been searching for her and had followed the circus, tracked her down and placed her in the care of her grandmother. Jane began to shave her beard and, inspired by stories her Grandmother told of Florence Nightingale, became a nurse at 17. Unfortunately, it seems that someone made an unkind comment about her appearance at work, and she left (why do people think it’s OK to do that? Some people are still as vile & unnecessary these days – stop it. There is no need to be a dick). In the Spring of 1892, she met circus performer Professor William Heckler, who persuaded her to embrace her beard and join John Robinson’s Circus. She settled on the stage name of Lady Olga Roderick and she worked with John Robinson’s Circus for 14 years. During her life, she also worked as a trapeze artist and photographer. She appeared in the film Freaks, but according to the DVD commentary, it left her unhappy with how sideshow performers were portrayed. She died on 21st July 1945 in Manhattan at the age of 74.
Josephine Joseph – Played Half Woman – Half Man
Not much is known about this performer, including her original name, date of birth or when she died. There are claims that they were born female, male, Romanian and named Betty, or even Jefferson Wheeler, before moving to the US in 1915. Josephine Joseph claimed to be an inter-sex person (called a true hermaphrodite in the early 1900s), but there was a lot of scepticism around this claim. One half was Josephine, a woman and the other half, Joseph, a man, and they would dress to this effect. In 1930, Josephine Joseph and their husband, George Wass, were performing in Blackpool under the ‘Half Woman – Half Man’ act, when they were prosecuted for performing a fraudulent act. George offered to show X-rays to the court, proving that Josephine Joseph was half woman, half man, but refused to allow her to be examined by a court doctor. They pleaded guilty, with George saying, “I am sorry. I will give up this show and leave the country”. George was fined £25 as her manager. Josephine Joseph is believed to have died on July 11th, 1966, in Delaware, US, but there is no confirmation.
Schlitzie – Played Himself
Schlitzie was possibly born Simon Metz on 10th September 1901 in The Bronx, New York, US, although all of this information has been debated. Schlitzie was born with microcephaly, a neurodevelopmental disease that left him with a smaller than ‘normal’ skull & brain and a severe intellectual disability (remember Pepper from American Horror Story?). He was also shorter than average, measuring just 4 feet and had sight issues. Schlitzie had the cognition of a 3-year-old, so he was very much dependent on others. It’s unclear how he ended up in the circus, although some sources say his parents were ashamed of him and sold him to George Kortes, a circus owner. Some reports say he was kept in a basement or attic before the sale. Although there is no proof, it would not be surprising. 1901 was a less tolerant time indeed. Microcephalic people were usually promoted as ‘pinheads’ and Schlitzie was advertised as such. He was typically portrayed as female under names such as The Monkey Girl and The Last of the Aztecs. He was often dressed in a loose dress, which may have been part of the act or as a practicality for his incontinence. Schlitzie was a tremendous success on the sideshow circuit, travelling with the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey, Foley & Burke Carnival, Clyde Beatty Circus and Tom Mix Circus. George Surtees, a chimpanzee trainer with the Tom Mix Circus, adopted Schlitzie and became his legal guardian. Everyone who knew Schlitzie said he was affectionate and loved dancing, singing, and attracting attention. Unfortunately, Surtees died in 1965, and his daughter had no interest in Schlitzie, committing him to a psychiatric hospital in Los Angeles. Poor Schlitzie became deeply depressed and missed the circus's excitement and family environment. Luckily, he was recognised by one of the seasonal staff at the hospital, a man named Bill Unks. Unks was a sword swallower who worked for Sam Alexander, and he mentioned Schlitzie to his employer. Soon, Alexander was made a guardian of Schlitzie, and he happily returned to the sideshow circuit. He died on 24th September 1971. He was estimated to be 70 years old.
Elvira & Jenny Snow – Played Pip & Zip
They were born Elvira and Jenny Snow in Georgia, US; exact dates aren’t known, but it is believed that Elvira was born on 2nd March 1902, and her sister Jenny was thought to be 12 years younger. Both were born with microcephaly. Remarkably similar to Schlitzie, they had an intellectual disability and a childlike innocence that endeared them to people. They performed at The World Circus Sideshow in Coney Island. Jenny died in 1934, aged just 20 years old. Elvira died in 1976 at the age of 75.
Elizabeth Green – Played Stork Woman
Betty Green was born on 10th October 1905 in Springfield, Massachusetts. She was born with a condition that caused an unusual appearance; she had a large, long nose and thin bone structure and was described in a newspaper article as "a cross between a crane and a shaved dachshund." Anton La Vey (who later founded The Church of Satan) didn’t believe Betty was a ‘freak’ and claimed she deliberately emphasised her worst features so she could enter the potentially very profitable sideshow circuit. This might have made sense as she was a shrewd businesswoman, owning five properties in the Boston area. Her agent said, ‘She may be koo koo enough to make people laugh, but she’s not koo koo when it comes to signing contracts’. Betty was the first performer under the name Koo-Koo The Bird Girl and performed a mainly comedy act, wearing a feathered body suit with a large feather on her head and shoes shaped to look like bird feet. Betty toured with the Ringling Brothers Circus. At one point, she was referred to as Molina the Pinhead, although this could have been to differentiate herself from Minnie Woolsey, who was also performing as Koo-Koo The Bird Girl. Betty appeared in Freaks but was billed as Stork Woman; Minnie Woolsey also appeared and was billed as Koo-Koo The Bird Girl. She died on 9th May 2001.
Minnie Woolsey - Played Koo-Koo The Bird Girl
Minnie was born in 1880 in Georgia with a rare congenital growth skeletal disorder called Virchow-Seckel Syndrome. She was shorter than average, with a small head, a narrow face with a pointed nose and a receding jaw with bad eyesight, was bald and had no teeth. Minnie also had a mild intellectual disability. Little is known about her early life, but she was placed in a mental asylum (more than likely because her parents didn’t know how to cope with her disabilities) and was rescued by a travelling showman. She performed under different names, including Minnie Ha Ha, The Blind Girl from Mars and the stolen moniker Koo Koo The Bird Girl and the act included dancing and speaking nonsensical words while wearing feathers. Minnie was hit by a car but survived and is believed to have been still performing at Coney Island until shortly before her death. Minnie died in 1964.
Angelo Rossitto – Played Angeleno
Angelo was born with dwarfism on 18th February 1908 in Omaha, Nebraska, US. He was discovered by the actor John Barrymore and made his screen debut opposite him in the silent film The Beloved Rogue in 1927. The same year, he appeared in another silent film, Old San Francisco. He starred in many films, including Samson & Delilah, Dracula vs Frankenstein and Mad Max; Beyond Thunderdome. Angelo died on 21st September 1991 in Los Angeles. He was 83 years old.
Daisy & Harry Earles – Played Frieda & Hans
Kurt Schneider was born on 3rd April 1902 and Hilda Emma Schneider was born on 29th April 1907 in Stolpen, Germany. They, along with their other 2 sisters Frieda & Elly, were born with hypopituitary dwarfism, meaning they were small in stature but proportioned. All four started working together in vaudeville and the sideshow circuits; they took on the surname of their manager Earles as their own and changed their first names. Kurt became Harry, Hilda became Daisy, Frieda became Grace, and Elly became Tiny. They performed as ‘The Doll Family’, touring with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. Observers described Daisy as a ‘miniature Mae West’. They appeared in films such as Freaks (in which they played a couple, so obviously, the romantic scenes had to be a little subdued!) and The Wizard of Oz, although they were credited with The Singer Midgets and not The Doll Family. They all retired in 1958 and lived together in Sarasota, Florida. It is said that Daisy has a husband, a ‘large person’ who worked as a chauffeur and security for the whole family; she had turned down many suitors over the years. I have seen posts saying Harry had a wife, but these are photos of him with his sister, Grace. Daisy died on 15th March 1980, aged 72. Harry died 4th May 1985 at the age of 83.
Daisy & Violet Hilton – Played The Siamese Twins
Daisy & Violet were born on 5th February 1908 in Sussex, England. They were twins, conjoined at the pelvis, sharing blood circulation but no major organs. They appeared in the British Medical Journal; the physician who helped deliver them, James Augustus Rooth, reported that a separation was considered but that one, or both, twins would have died. They were the first conjoined twins in the UK that survived for more than a few weeks. Their mother, Kate Skinner, was young and unmarried and agreed to sell them to her then-employer, Mary Hilton. Mary Hilton, her husband, and her daughter Edith would physically abuse the twins whilst simultaneously training them to sing and dance. They started touring at 3 years old under the name ‘The United Twins’; they received no money from tours, and Mary kept it all for herself. When Mary died, she left the twins to her daughter and her husband, Meyer Meyers (yes, I know). They lived in a mansion in Texas, US, with the Meyers; Violet learnt to play the saxophone, and Daisy learnt the violin. They were still being physically abused. Eventually, they escaped this life. In 1931, they sued the Meyers, gained their independence & freedom, and were awarded $100,000 in damages (hurrah!). They started performing as ‘The Hilton Sisters’ in vaudeville and various burlesque venues. Daisy had dyed her hair blonde, and they started dressing differently so people could differentiate between them (again, somewhat reminiscent of Dot & Bette in American Horror Story). At one point, Violet was in a relationship with Maurice Lambert, but they were refused a marriage licence in 21 states. In 1936, she married James Moore, a gay actor, as a publicity stunt. On paper, the marriage lasted ten years but was eventually annulled. Daisy also married a gay man, dancer Buddy Sawyer, but the marriage only lasted ten days. The Hilton's last public appearance was in 1961, in Charlotte, North Carolina, US. Their tour manager abandoned them there, and they had to take jobs at the local grocery store to survive. On 4th January 1969, the twins were found dead at home. Investigations showed they had died of the flu; Daisy died first, and Violet died between two and four days later. They were 60 years old.
Peter Robinson – Played The Human Skeleton
Peter was born on 8th April 1873, in Chicopee, Massachusetts, US, although some records say it was the 6th of April, and some say it was 1874. He had quite a normal childhood with no health issues until his early teens, when his weight began to plummet. Weighing just 58 pounds, he started working as a sideshow performer performing under various names, including The Living Skeleton, The Thin Man and The Cigarette Fiend. He worked at Coney Island and for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey. In 1916, he married Baby Bunny Smooth, a 467-pound ‘Fat Lady’ sideshow act. He had previously been involved with numerous ‘fat ladies’. They had two children and remained married until Peter’s death, although they did ‘marry’ various times as publicity stunts. Peter was a classically trained Shakespearian actor and was also an excellent harmonica player. He died in 1947.
And that, my friends, is the story of Tod Browning and his Fabulous Freaks. What do you think? A film taking advantage of people and the audience’s morbid curiosity? Or a film that helps to show who the actual ‘monsters’ are? As always, let me know what you think in the comments, take care of yourselves and I will see you soon!
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