Review of Freaks (1932) by Renée W — 09 Dec 2007

First, this is not exploitation of disadvantaged people. Being a sideshow freak back in pre-WWII times meant that you did not have to live in a mental asylum and you had a source of income. The freaks themselves did not feel as though they were being exploited: this was their community where they were treated as equals.

This movie has pretty much all the big names in sideshow freaks at the time: Johnny Eck (The Living Half-Boy); Prince Randian (the Living Torso); Daisy and Harry (Schneider) Doll (which in the movie were Frieda and Hans, although they were brother and sister in real life); Zip the Pinhead and Schlitzie (microcephalics); The Hilton Sisters (Daisy and Violet, conjoined twins); Koo Koo the Bird Girl; Frances O'Connor (the living Venus De Milo); and many more.

The movie itself is only so-so. The dialogue is hard between Frieda and Hans (although they are German and English is their second language, so it's natural that it would sound forced). This movie is definitely a cult classic.