Movie Review: Freaks (1932) directed by Tod Browning
Madame Tetrallini (Rose Dione) is, by 1930s standards, a good circus owner. She likes to think of the circus employees as a family, and is especially considers her employees with disabilities or deformities as her “children.” Most other people, including themselves, call them “freaks.” Thanks to her skill as a manager and genuine kindness, the Tetrallini Circus has accumulated a varied cast of top-notch performers, some of whom perform in the main circus, while others are in the side show. Because most of them have faced abuse and discrimination in the outside world, the freaks tend to stick together, “offend one and you offend them all.” And the normal-bodied circus workers largely treat them with friendliness, or at least professional courtesy.
But all is not well in this traveling show. Strongman Hercules (Henry Victor) just had his girlfriend seal trainer Venus (Leila Hyams) break up with him (deleted dialogue had him asking her to do “private performances” for wealthy men.) So he’s on the prowl for a new honeypot. Meanwhile, stunningly beautiful trapeze artist Cleopatra (Olga Baclanova) is still doing quite well in her act, but is beginning to feel the aging process coming on, and is looking for a husband before that aging becomes visible in her act or appearance. Cleopatra and Hercules are certainly attracted to each other, but she has her reasons for not making it official just yet.
Little person (called a “midget” in-story) Hans (Harry Earles) has become infatuated with Cleopatra, to the disgust of his longtime sweetheart Frieda (Daisy Earles), a fellow little person. Cleopatra isn’t interested in him “that way”, but flirts outrageously with him because he keeps giving her presents of money and jewelry. Everyone else can tell she’s just stringing him along, but Hans won’t listen. Things take a turn for the worse when Cleopatra learns that Hans can afford his expensive presents because he’s actually the scion of a wealthy family and recently inherited a fortune. She and Hercules sure could use that money!
This infamous horror movie was created after the Hays Code had come in but before it was fully enforced. So it has a fair amount of material that wouldn’t be allowed in another year, but it was still so shocking that test audiences were freaking out and the studio decided drastic cuts were needed. Thus the version we have today is missing about thirty minutes of the run time (the footage is lost barring a miracle) and has a different beginning and end to cushion some of the impact.
The plot is actually pretty tame by modern standards, and most of the runtime is light drama about the everyday lives and relationships of the circus folk. The bearded woman and the human skeleton have a baby. Venus starts a new slow burn romance with clown Phroso (Wallace Ford). Daisy and Violet Hilton (playing basically themselves, as they did in Chained for Life which I reviewed earlier) are engaged to different men, but as conjoined twins, it’s going to be tight quarters.
And it’s notable for the time that an absolute minimum of special makeup or camera tricks were used. Most of the “freaks” are actual performers who appear basically as they did in real life. The movie treats them as just folks.
The horror kicks into gear at the wedding feast. Cleopatra and Hercules have had way too much to drink and when the sideshow performers show their friendship by chanting “One of us!” the bride shows her disgust at their very existence. She makes a condescending exception for her husband Hans, but the others are chased off by Hercules. Cleopatra moves immediately to the next phase of her plan, slowly poisoning Hans so that she can inherit his money.
“Offend one, and you offend us all.” Hans’ comrades start observing Cleopatra and Hercules very closely, watching for their chance. And the “normal” circus folk aren’t happy either. Hercules’ show partner Roscoe (Roscoe Ates), who’d joined him in “good-natured ribbing” of Josephine Joseph the half-man half-woman at the beginning of the movie, now publicly snubs the strongman for his outright cruelty. Venus is so convinced something shady is going on with Hans’ illness that she threatens to break the carny code and squeal to the police.
The climax comes as the circus wagons head towards their next engagement in a heavy rainstorm. Hercules jumps out of his wagon to force his way into Venus’ wagon to silence her, while Cleopatra prepares a final lethal dose for Hans. The freaks are ready though, and they crawl menacingly through the mud towards the betrayers….
At what should be the end, we see what has become of Cleopatra, an indelible image.
Even chopped up as it is, this is an interesting movie that simply could not be made today not because of “political correctness” or “woke” but because the world has changed so much. Younger teens and children should watch it with a trusted adult who’s familiar with the subjects they’ll be asking about.
Recommended to people interested in the history of horror and circus fans.
