In
the late 1800's a young Tod Browning left school to join a traveling circus
where he became friends with the various "sideshow acts." This childhood
experience stuck with Browning who would go on to create films involving
characters dealing with their deformities.
Made a year after
Browning's highly successful Dracula, Freaks would pretty much
destroy Tod Browning's career. Shot using actual freaks, (an idea
suggested to Browning by Harry Earles, who would play the midget
Hans), the film horrified most critics and the public alike (the
same people that destroyed the careers of the "sideshow acts,"
whose jobs included great pay and world wide travel in a family
atmosphere, in order to protect them from being "exploited").
Browning's masterpiece would fall subject to rampant censorship
and was banned in England for over thirty years!
The
story of Freaks concerns a beautiful trapeze artist, Cleopatra, who
schemes with the sadistic strongman Hercules, to marry and kill the
midget Hans for his secret riches. When Hans' protective family of "freaks"
catch onto the evil plot they attack Cleopatra and Hercules amidst a
vicious thunderstorm. In one of the most unforgettable moments in film
history pinheads, midgets, and men with no legs crawl, hop and run through
mud with knives clenched and rage in their eyes. The product of this
outbreak of violence leads to a brutal conclusion that still shocks
some sixty plus years after its initial release.
The
greatest achievement of Freaks is Browning's ability to turn the viewers
shock at the sight of the freaks, into respect and admiration. Our first
contact with the freaks takes place in the woods as various pinheads
and midgets dance and sing a bizarre jingle. It's an incredible moment
that will make the uninitiated both laugh and feel a tinge of disgust.
After seeing Randian, a poor bastard in a sack roll his own cigarettes
with his mouth, or Johhny Eck move so gracefully with no legs you can't
help but give credit to these talented performers.
The
cast of Freaks were the who's who of freakdom back in the day. From
the world famous "half boy" Johnny Eck who was missing his bottom torso
but could hop along at incredible speed, Daisy and Violet Hilton the
pretty Siamese twins attached at the sides, Randian the Hindu living
torso an incredible man wrapped in a kind of sack missing both his legs
and arms but still manages to roll and light his own cigarettes, and
perhaps the most famous - Schlitzie the Pinhead.
The
infamous wedding celebration dinner scene where the freaks accept Cleopatra
into their clan by shouting, "Goobble, Gobble, Goobble, Gobble, we accept
you one of us", had been immortalized by the Ramones and remains a favorite
among cult film enthusiasts.
I was recently going through some old magazines and came across this
sad letter from horror legend Forrest J. Ackerman concerning the brutal
robbery of Johnny Eck: 1988--Johnny Eck, the legendary "half-boy" of
Tod Browning's horror cult classic FREAKS, is now 76 years old. Recently
two 
intruders
burst into his apartment, pinned him to the floor and robbed him of
what little he had. Anyone wishing to express condolences to Johhny
or make a small financial contribution to overcome his misfortune is
invited to do so by addressing him John Eckhardt c/o Forrest J. Ackerman
at the address below. This suggestion comes unsolicited from Forrest
Ackerman, who wants it understood that Johnny knows nothing of it. Forry
begs well-wishers not to bug Johnny for a photo or autographs or memoirs.
-- Pretty sad stuff right there.
In
the late 1800's a young Tod Browning left school to join a traveling circus
where he became friends with the various "sideshow acts." This childhood
experience stuck with Browning who would go on to create films involving
characters dealing with their deformities.
