Review of Freaks (1932) by Antonio S — 23 Sep 2009

1932's "Freaks" has the distinction of being like no other film thanks to director Todd Browning's insistance of using real-life circus freaks as it's stars.

The plot centers around a midget circus performer (Harry Earles of "The Unholy 3" and "The Wizard of Oz") who burns for the love of a trapeze artist (Olga Baclanova). She plays coy at first, then joking behind his back. When she learns of his large inheritance, she teams up with the strongman (Henry Victor) in an attempt to marry him, poison him, and make off with the money. Unfortunately for them, when the rest of the freaks learn of the plot, they plot their revenge.

Originally the film was planned as the next starring vehicle for Lon Chaney who starred in several of Browning's earlier films, but Chaney's death in 1930 forced the film to take a new direction. Instead of harnessing Chaney's makeup effects, Browning chose to now fill the cast's slate with real life circus freaks of the early part of the decade (a move that seriously disturbed studio execs and everyone else filming elsewhere at MGM studios).

Some noteable faces show up in "Freaks". Earles of course was the badass baby impersonator from "The Unholy 3" and one third of the lollipop guild from "The Wizard of Oz". His real life sister Daisy Earles plays the role of Harry Earles's girlfriend (in case things couldn't get any weirder). Angelo Rossitto plays another midget performer, better known towards the end of his life in 1985's "Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome" as one half of Master/Blaster.

Other lesser known sideshow oddities essentially play themselves. Prince Randian does his shtick as the man with no arms or legs. In one scene we see him get a cigarette and light it with no use from his missing appendages. Sadly though the scene was trimmed so we're missing where he actually rolled the cigarette first, again, just with his mouth. Even stranger was he fathered several children in his life proving even in the 1930's, Prince Randian was in fact the original pimp, a black man missing all his limbs but still getting pussy on a regular basis.

Schlitze the Pinhead, a semi-celebrity on the circus stage, appears in all his odd glory sporting a bow in his hair and decked out in a dress. Other oddities appear including two other "pinheads", a bearded woman, a hermaphrodite, siamese twins, people with no bottom halves, and all sorts of other fun people.

The film shocked the living Hell out of audiences in the 1930's and the film was cut by about 20 minutes, including the revelation of what actually happens to Hercules at the fim's end. Today it's a cult classic and has been parodied in film and television for years. Most notable for parody is the film's famous wedding party scene where the freaks get their kicks chanting "Gooble Gobble, one of us" while drinking a ceremonious punch, until a piss drunk Baclanova throws the drink in Angelo Rossito's face and starts mocking everyone. 50 years later Angelo would be swimming around in pig shit on "Mad Max 3", proving again a midget gets no respect in Hollywood. A sad statement since Harry Earles really proves his acting chops here, as well as in Browning's "The Unholy 3" (and it's "talky" remake in 1930). A few years later he'd be relegated to a bit part singing about lollipops to Judy Garland in what was obviously a midget's dream job in "The Wizard of Oz". At least George Lucas threw another midget bash in 1988 with "Willow" and gave small performers something to do besides playing costumed creatures or children.

It's a dark morality tale, as is the usual with Todd Browning (a former circus performer himself). It still ain't pretty as makeup can age and not look as good to modern audiences, but ya can't hide true deformities, something that due to modern science are all but wiped out. It's in fact one of the only living pieces of footage of some of these people who spent their lives being constantly shit on by everyone, minus a few who had semi-successful careers such as Earles, Rossito, and Schlitze. Most enjoyed their time on the film, finally being treated with a little respect (minus 1930's Hollywood stars who had a tendency to lose their appetite when the cast of "Freaks" showed up for lunch everyday). Of course then there's Olga Roderick as the bearded woman who made it her life disowning the film. Upon giving birth to a baby girl, an super ecstatic Roscoe Ates gleefully wonders if it'll have a beard! Olga was far from fucking thrilled. Just another day in Hollywood.