Freaks (1932)

Director:

Tod Browning

Writer:

Clarence Aaron 'Tod' Robbins (story)
(more)

Release Date:

20 February 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Can a full grown woman truly love a MIDGET ?

Plot:

A circus' beautiful trapeze artist agrees to marry the leader of side-show performers, but his deformed friends discover she is only marrying him for his inheritance.

Plot Keywords:

Freak | Circus | Dwarf | Trapeze Artist | Trapeze

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Wallace Ford	...	Phroso
Leila Hyams	...	Venus
Olga Baclanova	...	Cleopatra
Roscoe Ates	...	Roscoe (as Rosco Ates)
Henry Victor	...	Hercules
Harry Earles	...	Hans
Daisy Earles	...	Frieda
Rose Dione	...	Madame Tetrallini
Daisy Hilton	...	Siamese Twin
Violet Hilton	...	Siamese Twin
Schlitze	...	Himself
Josephine Joseph	...	Half Woman-Half Man
Johnny Eck	...	Half Boy
Frances O'Connor	...	Armless Girl
Peter Robinson	...	Human Skeleton
Olga Roderick	...	Bearded Lady
Koo Koo	...	Herself
Prince Randian	...	The Living Torso (as Rardion)
Martha Morris	...	Angeleno's Armless Wife
Elvira Snow	...	Pinhead (as Zip)
Jenny Lee Snow	...	Pinhead (as Pip)
Elizabeth Green	...	Bird Girl
Angelo Rossitto	...	Angeleno
Edward Brophy	...	Rollo Brother
Matt McHugh	...	Rollo Brother (as Mat McHugh)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Aasen	...	Giant (uncredited)
Ernie Adams	...	Sideshow Patron (uncredited)
Demetrius Alexis	...	Mr. Rogers (uncredited)
Hooper Atchley	...	Doctoer (uncredited)
Jerry Austin	...	Knife-Throwing Dwarf (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	Hans' Butler (uncredited)
Mathilde Comont	...	Madame Bartet (uncredited)
Albert Conti	...	Landowner (uncredited)
Tiny Doll	...	(uncredited)
Edith	...	Crawling Girl (uncredited)
Delmo Fritz	...	Sword-Swallower (uncredited)
Murray Kinnell	...	Freakshow Barker (uncredited)
Michael Visaroff	...	Jean (uncredited)

Directed by
Tod Browning

Writing credits
Clarence Aaron 'Tod' Robbins		(story "Spurs") (as Tod Robbins)
Al Boasberg		additional dialogue (uncredited)
Willis Goldbeck		screenplay (uncredited)
Leon Gordon		screenplay (uncredited)
Charles MacArthur		uncredited
Edgar Allan Woolf		additional dialogue (uncredited)

Produced by
Tod Browning	....	producer (uncredited)
Dwain Esper	....	producer (reissue) (uncredited)
Harry Rapf	....	producer (uncredited)
Hildegarde Stadie	....	producer (reissue) (uncredited)
Irving Thalberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Cinematography by
Merritt B. Gerstad		(photographed by) (uncredited)

Film Editing by
Basil Wrangell		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons		(uncredited)
Merrill Pye		(uncredited)

Production Management
Harry Sharrock	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
William Ryan	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Will Sheldon	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
Errol Taggart	....	first assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
G.A. Burns	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
David S. Horsley	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Oliver T. Marsh	....	additional photographer (uncredited)
Paul Vogel	....	additional photographer (uncredited)

Other crew
Will Sheldon	....	script supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1932) (USA) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1932) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Excelsior Pictures Corp. (1949) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release) (as "Nature's Mistakes")
• Joseph Brenner Associates (JBA) (1970) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (Finland) (TV)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (Germany) (DVD)
• Magnus Opus (2005) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Tornado Film (2005) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cable Hogue Co. (1996) (Japan) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Galba Films (????) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)

Also Known As:

"Forbidden Love" - USA (informal title)
"Nature's Mistakes" - USA (informal title)

Runtime:

64 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Germany:16 | UK:12 (re-rating) (2001) | UK:15 (video rating) (1995) | UK:R (original rating) | UK:X (re-rating) (1963) | USA:Unrated | Ireland:(Banned) (1999) | Portugal:M/12 | Italy:(Banned) (original rating) | Italy:T (VHS/DVD rating) (self applied) | Finland:(Banned) (1932) | Canada:14A (video rating) | Finland:K-16 (1972) (Finnish Film Archive) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Canada:G (Quebec) | France:-18

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

This was remade in 1967 as She Freak.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: The shadow of the boom fall on Phroso's back when he and Venus are talking in the trailer, after her angry outburst at him.

Quotes:

[referring to a "half-man/half-woman" who has given Hercules an alluring look]
Roscoe:I think she likes you - but he don't.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Blood (1997) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Memphis the Majestic

Great horror classic from early 30's.

"Freaks" is one of the most controversial horror films from the 30's,mainly because director Tod Browning hired as the actors real sideshow freaks.It does have a rather unsettling effect,but I think that really does work for the film.Browning builds up a great amount of suspense with the good use of locations,story and lots of atmosphere.The ending,where we see freaks crawling in the mud,is pretty creepy.Anyway check this one out-it's worth watching.