Freaks- We accept you, One of Us.

[msladysoul]

What do you all think of the movie "Freaks?"

I must say that movie was before its time.

From reading about the movie. I found audiences at that time wasn't keen on the movie. They were really afraid and thought it should be banned. It was for a long time, then came back in the 1960s and until this day, people enjoy this movie.

 

I didn't have any bad dreams after watching it. But those are the only "freaks" I ever seen. We don't see that many around today.

 

Olga was excellent in this part. Beautiful Leila Hyams was charming. All the freaks were real and very comfortable in their parts. I guess audiences were shocked that the freaks were real and weren't made to look that way by makeup or camera tricks.

 

Daisy and Violet who were the siamese twins joined at the hip, were kind of like stars in the business. But never made it full time because of their joining. They did another movie called Chained for Life which is suppose to be a film noir. About sisters joined but it didn't stop them from loving and making love and one kills the other sisters boyfriend, but since their joined how can one be punished without the other who didn't do anything.

 

One thing I learned from this movie is not to make fun of anyone cause you could end up like them or worse. TCM don't show the full film, some parts are cut out becaue its too graphic but I will be getting the DVD to see the full movie.

 

I found this interesting website talking about the freaks who were casted. Its kind of sad how some ended up.

 

http://www.missinglink.free-online.co.uk/freaksnattxt.htm

[nickdimeo]

It amazes me that MGM produced this picture. I love Todd Browning but it's very hard (for me) to view this one. I certainly can't view this movie while I'm eating something.

[KeithFromKC]

msladysoul,

 

I have the FREAKS dvd and it is definitely worth checking out for the accompanying documentary that's included. Very informative. The film itself is a bit of an anomaly. Even by today's standards, this film is pretty unusual and even a bit risque. I love director Tod Browning's work. There is an underlying darkness to most of his films, but FREAKS takes the cake! Thanks for including the link. I will have to give that a look.

[bansi4]

The movie "Freaks" is an eerie foray into the lives of those unfortunate human beings born with deformities, to say the least, and interesting enough to satify our curiosity.

Other than the performers in the film it was the 'Freaks' who were the real stars of the movie.

 

The siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton joined at the hip were born in England and given up by their mother to the mid-wife who delivered them. She would abuse and expose them until they were of age to go out on their own. Once in the states they made a few films and appeared on stage. Ironically they were both married although it didn't last long. They ended up in poverty living and working in North Carolina where they eventually died of the flu at age 60.

 

The 'Freak' billed as Schlitze the 'Pinhead' was born in Mexico and exhibited as a female was, in fact, a man. In the movie "Freaks" he wore a dress and a ribbon on his head. After his brief stint in movies he was confined to a state home for 30 years after which he was rescued. He was actually a lovable soul and continued on the sideshow circuit until he died at age 80.

 

The 'freak' billed as the Half-Boy was the amazing Johnny Eck. He had a twin brother who was born of normal size. Johnny was an active and strong fella who once climbed the steps of the Washington Monument on his hands. After many years on the sideshow circuit and with Ripley he returned to his mome state of Baltimore and became a screen painter. Asked once what he would do if he were of normal size he responded "I would beat the hell out of the SOB who made our lives so miserable" referring to his next door neighbor. Johnny died in the house where he was born at age 79 with his beloved brother at his side.

 

The adorable 'midgets' in the movie were Harry Earles and his sister Daisy. They would be joined by their sisters Grace and Elly to perform on the circuit as the Dolls. Harry was one of the Loppipop Guild in "The Wizard of Oz" and in both versions of "The Unholy Three" with Lon Chaney. The Dolls were near perfectly formed except for being of small stature and lived together until they died.

 

Amazing to say the least.

 

Mongo

 

 

 

 

[path40a]

Mongo, thanks so much for this additional information and background about those, er freaks (?), that appear in this film. Fascinating!

[evh55]

Yes, Mongo, thank you for the additional info on the players in Freaks. But I was disturbed by the first post in this thread. Did TCM show the complete version? Does anyone know and/or know why the complete version wasn't shown? Thanks!

[feaito]

I agree with all of you, "Freaks" is an odd picture to carry the "MGM" Logo, but it's a landmark movie and thank God it was produced...hadn't been for Thalberg.

 

I owned the VHS edition, but let me tell you that the DVD Edition (which I bought recently) is a MUST for movie buffs of the 1930's.

 

In the same "vein" (fantastic-horror), although not as "shocking", I recommend to all of you the DVD Criterion edition of "The Most Dangerous Game" (1932) (aka "The Hounds of Zaroff") starring Fay Wray, Joel McCrea and Leslie Banks (great villain).

 

 

[moviegeek3000]

1,000 thank yous!!

 

Now I'll be singing that cursed song for the rest of the day...."We accept accept her-we accept her-one of us-one of us.."

 

Doh!

[therealfuster]

is one of my very favorite films!

 

Being that as a teenager, I owned the book "Very Special People" which detailed many of the lives of the carnival performers in this film, I was very excited to see it the first time.

 

It is a bit of a rewriting of history, to think though that all people in the 1930's were adverse to seeing this film. Not only do I have some relatives who saw it then, and ;thought it was a magnificent movie, they say that it had a specialized following and was regarded as great by many people, just not the regular middle range audience.

 

Of course my relatives also liked Citizen Kane, but said they knew people who hated it, and asked for their money back at the box office.

 

There's obviously no accounting for taste!

 

I have discussed this film with some elderly folks I know, and they not only had appreciated the film on its release, but had seen many of the performers themselves, in the flesh in travelling carnivals which canvassed the US in the Twenties and Thirties. They said that the Hilton sisters were well known nation wide, and regarded as seasoned performers, and that the film was considered offbeat, but Browning fans got the point even then.

 

Being that during rereleases in the Seventies, the film still could cause some silly grown men to leave the theater, it obviously is not the time period which reviled the film, but the people of certain fearful minds of any time period, who can still detest this film or be frightened by it.

 

It can be frightening, what with Harry Earles becoming aware of Olga's villainy, and the ending scene in the mud, but one's emotions are manipulated throughout to begin to bond more with the "freaks" than some of the so-called normal people, who are patently offensive.

 

My personal favorite in the film is Prince Randian, who rolls the cigarette and lights it. From what I've read I believe he was married and had children, at least that was what my book, "Very Special People" said.

 

I love the theme that the "freaks" regard the "normal" people as the oddities, being that they will pay to see them, and that they have a code which makes them true to each other. Olga Baclanova is outstanding, as is the whole cast.

 

Johnny Eck did some fine artwork later in his life, and there is a website I've seen on the Net, spotlighting some of it.

 

I would highly suggest one read the story "Spurs" by Tod Robbins to get further background on this movie, and the influence on later films is inestimable, even reaching as far as "Boxing Helena" or "The Tin Drum" to my mind.