Chained for Life (1952) User Reviews

Not Quite Exploitation

[sbibb1 · 3/10 · 20 February 2005]

"Chained for Life" is the story of two Siamese twin sisters, who at this point appear to be in their late 40s, as one sister falls in love. The film stars real life Siamese twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. The twins are connected at the lower back, and are able to function as normal people except that they are connected. It makes one wonder that if they were to have been alive today, would they have been able to be separated? The sisters made a living as vaudeville singers, not actors, and the best parts of this film are the musical numbers, both sisters had beautiful voices. When the sisters act, well lets just say its very fake and stilted.

The plot is simple, as a publicity stunt a trick shooter in the same vaudeville show as the sisters decides to marry one of the sisters, only to divorce her the next day. As revenge the other sister shoots to death her ex in law, and the film is told in flash back as a courtroom trial.

It is an interesting question posed to the audience, and one that I wonder how it would be answered in real life. If one conjoined Siamese twin commits murder, a crime punishable by death, the other sister will die too, meaning the state is committing murder. An interesting questions, and one that the audience is asked to answer. Sadly, its one answer I don't have.

The film is not quite exploitation, as the sisters are not exploited as freaks. This film is in the public domain and is available on VHS and DVD.

Text-Book Exploitation Flick

[EdYerkeRobins · 3/10 · 7 December 2001]

One has to really feel sorry for the Hilton sisters. Fine vaudeville singers, they were screwed over throughout their whole lives due to the fact that they were conjoined (siamese) twins. It should be fitting then, that they took the lead roles in this film, based on their lives.

CHAINED FOR LIFE tells the story (typical of the time, in "flashback") of Vivian and Dorothy Hamilton (couldn't they be a little less obvious with the names?), conjoined twins who sing in a vaudeville show, but are humiliated by their manager through a publicity marriage stunt that goes horribly wrong when one of the twins genuinely falls in love with the "husband" Andre, only to have her heart broken when he takes the pay advance promised him for the stunt, reveals he never loved her, and annuls the marriage to marry his "normal" lover. The other twin, who never liked him anyway, avenges her sister's sorrow by shooting him during one of his final presentations with his own pistol (he was the show's trick shooter). A single judge in court has to hear the case and decide the fate of both twins, the guilty and the innocent.

Sounds interesting right? I thought so too, unfortunately this film totally ditches the court-room aspect which pulled me in, focusing instead on the re-telling of the plight of the heartbreak and the marriage stunt. In retrospect, this was probably a good thing, because the film is boring, and limiting it to the court room would be the only thing that could make the film even worse. The acting is totally dry, and, although the film attempts to address the morality of the situation and has some interesting/thoughtful quotes in monologues towards the end, the script is humdrum, exactly the same as all the other dull, low-budget '50s "thrillers", only with conjoined twins!

One can't really blame the Hilton sisters though. They deliver the goods in several musical sequences in the film, which have no purpose whatsoever other than to show us that, though bad actors, the Hilton sisters are great singers; this is really the only reason to watch the film, to see the "amazing singing siamese twins". Really, it's sad that this film and FREAKS were the only way the Hiltons could be preserved, since neither film shows their true potential, as prejudice against them had ensured that they would never get a proper recording or film contract. This is why the film itself is ironic, since its only appeal to the audience is to gawk at the siamese twins (save for those short times when we are swept up in song and hear the voices, ignoring the bodies they came from) and its overlying message is about how they have suffered throughout their lives and how this gawking and exploitation is wrong.

Here It Is: The Ultimate, Weird Exploitation Flick

[lawprof · 4/10 · 4 July 2004]

Director Harry L. Fraser, who gave us the unforgettable "I Accuse My Parents," went over the top with Hollywood's first (and, I suspect, lone) drama of the travails of two women who truly were, both in the film and in real life, inseparable.

Teen actresses and major merchandising mavens Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen have been described as joined at the hip. That was the reality for former vaudevillians Violet and Daisy Hilton, the Siamese twins starring in this crime film. Violet is Vivian and Daisy is Dorothy, not that it matters much.

The twins, a bit long in the tooth when the movie was made, reprise their old hoofer routine in a show that includes a master marksman and his gal, a beautiful on-stage assistant. Having Vivian get married is a publicity idea which she accepts enthusiastically, her close sibling less so. But she comes around hoping for her sister's connubial joy. The intended groom is the show's Dead Eye Dick. His motive: money to go through with the wedding.

Complications arise including the refusal of a number of states to issue marriage licenses on the tenuous, indeed unsustainable, grounds that a marriage by one of the twins would constitute bigamy. Nonsense. In fact Siamese twins in the nineteenth century, never mind later, got married in the U.S. Vivian is jilted on her wedding night so we don't get to see any conjugal maneuvering (not that we would have seen much in a 1951 feature).

Vivian and Dorothy watch the marksman do his act and Dorothy casually shoots the guy dead. The film begins with a judge asking, from his desk, for help from moviegoers in deciding whether to find the homicidal woman guilty, the sentence then either requiring that the other also be executed or, if a lesser charge was sustained, both would go to the slammer. I imagine conversations going on long into the night by folks who viewed the film and couldn't stop talking about the jurist's dilemma. This is a film with a question about justice-unfortunately it's too arcane for any serious discussion.

Court scenes alternate with recounting of the tale. The courtroom is as fake as the plot. And the Alpha Video DVD cover's posters from the original release promise licentious tidbits that never come close to surfacing. "Joined Together How Can They Make Love?" "What Happens in Their Intimate Moments?" That's what I wanted to know and why I forked out $4.99 for the disc. Phooey.

4/10 (for its curiosity value)

Brain teaser

[Mark_D-2 · 2/10 · 24 September 1999]

Remember the old brain teaser, where someone is on trial for murder, and the judge states that though the party is clearly guilty, he is forced to set him free, and it turns out that the guilty person is a Siamese twin?? Well, someone decided to base an entire feature film around that brain teaser. "Chained for Life" stars the Hilton sisters; real life Siamese twins from the vaudeville era who play (guess what) Siamese twin vaudeville stars (vaudeville, by the way, was pretty much a dead issue by the time this film was made), one of whom gets involved with a gigolo who abandons her on her wedding night, and the terrible retributions that follow. The Hilton sisters seem to be quite competent singers (though somebody should pick out better songs for them to sing), but don't quite cut it as actresses. When one has dialogue, the other completely goes blank, as if she were somewhere else. Most of the film, though, is padded out with other corny vaudeville acts who add nothing to the story, but help bring the movie to feature length rather than being a short subject. And there's a dream sequence that's not to be believed. All in all, for exploitation completeists only.

Exploitation 101

[Michael_Elliott · 11 March 2008]

Chained For Life (1951)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

The Hilton Sisters of FREAKS fame were brought back to the screen in this, at the time, controversial film that tries to take a closer look at their lives. The two sisters are part of a theater group and to make money their manager sets up a marriage. When the man hurts one of the sisters the other kills him and it's up to a judge to see how this should be handled. Unlike FREAKS, this caught me off guard because it wasn't simply an exploitation film, which is what I was expecting. The film shows the personally lives of these Siamese twins and it's all rather interesting. I think it would have been better had the film not started in the courtroom and then replayed the events as they happened. Either way, those fans of the Browning film should certainly check this one out.

Not one without the other.

[michaelRokeefe · 3/10 · 8 June 2008]

More of an exploitation movie using the Siamese twins Violet and Daisy Hilton. The sisters have a vaudeville act that needs some more promotion by their 'no shame' manager Ted Hinkley(Allen Jenkins). He has a shame marriage arranged between one of the sisters and a playboy magician(Mario Laval). The two timing husband is shot and his sister-in-law is tried for murder. It was hard enough to get a marriage license due to regulatory laws and now it is a moral dilemma to punish one sister for the other's crime. Supposedly based loosely on the actual career of the Hilton sisters, who were born joined at the hip. Others in this melodrama: Patricia Wright, Alan Keys, Edna Holland and Norval Mitchell.

Oddly watchable despite its very low production values

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 24 September 2007]

This certainly isn't an art film, as the budget is practically just the cost of the film developing and most of the actors seem like amateurs. However, despite its mangy pedigree, the film itself is a lot better and more interesting than the salacious title would suggest.

The film is about conjoined twins (a.k.a. 'Siamese twins') who are a big headline act on stage. As part of a publicity stunt, the group's manager (veteran supporting actor Allan Jenkins) suggests they fake a romance between one of the ladies and an oily knife thrower. Like the main character in the movie FREAKS, the lady falls head over heals for the jerk and ultimately they agree to marry. Ultimately, though, he leaves her and crushes her spirit--leading the other conjoined sister to commit murder! What to do to punish them is really a good moral dilemma (albeit a weird one) and the film is pretty watchable in spite of the twins' lack of acting talent.

Not a bad little exploitation film--well worth a peek. However, if you do watch this movie, also try to see "Bound By Flesh"--a sad but fascinating documentary about the Hilton sisters--the stars of "Chained for Life".

Lame performances, lovely voices.

[Chrissie · 2/10 · 25 July 1999]

If you've missed "Chained for Life," you haven't missed much. Based loosely (very loosely) on Siamese twins Daisy and Violent Hilton's lives, Chained For Life is low melodrama at its lamest. The starring ladies did, however, sing very sweetly, and their musical performances are worth sitting through the rest of the movie.

The movie opens with a judge begging the audience for help in resolving a terrible dilemma. The action moves to a courtroom, where conjoined twin Vivian Hamilton is on trial for the shooting death of her sister Dorothy's two-timing husband. The story unfolds in flashback as various characters are called to testify about how a publicity stunt turned to cruel heartbreak and eventually murder.

With a premise close to the sisters' real-life romances, "Chained for Life" could have been compelling drama in the hands of competent writers, a competent cast, and a director capable of pulling adequate performances out of Daily and Violet. We're left with a pure exploitation film, memorable only for its novelty.

Every Freaking Act?

[catfish-er · 3/10 · 23 August 2019]

Okay, we get it, they were Vaudevillian performers. But, do we have to see every freaking act? The trial, the flashbacks, the dream sequences all drag on ponderously. But the worst are all the variety acts; just too long and too many!

"It all started as a publicity stunt for the show..."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 20 April 2009]

"Chained For Life" is offered as part of a four disc, twenty film DVD set from Mill Creek Entertainment, any one of which is worth it's relatively modest purchase price in entertainment value. Most of the flicks in the set fall into the exploitation genre of the 1930's, with a good number dealing with drug and alcohol abuse, and a few touching on illicit sexual behavior. The picture in question here doesn't come in that high on the sordid scale, but it is somewhat creepy in it's own way. I really never thought about it before, but how WOULD Siamese twins balance a life in which one or even both partners fall in love and expect to consummate a marriage with their other partner standing by? And how would the 'normal' partner deal with all of that? It's all just a little bit beyond my comprehension.

The story at the center of this picture deals with another anomaly - what is the proper punishment for a Siamese twin in the case of a capital crime? One partner is innocent, the other guilty - are they both imprisoned or do they both go free? The mind reels at the complexity of the legal issue which inadvertently thumbs it's nose at the concept of justice. To be sure, the murder that Violet Hilton was accused of had none of the earmarks of pre-meditation as presented in the court case. To my mind it never would have occurred if the table with Andre's weapon hadn't been placed directly in proximity of the sisters.

Just out of curiosity, what was the big deal with Andre's act anyway? I'm watching and expect to see some some kind of fancy trick shooting, and who would have thought - he manages to hit a target! I didn't get the fascination with that act. I got a bigger kick out of the Red Buttons looking guy juggling the plates and riding the bike. At least that looked like it required a little practice.

I guess the thing to do now is get a copy of Tod Browning's "Freaks" from 1932 to get a look at the Hilton girls in their prime - something I never would have thought I'd be doing if I hadn't seen "Chained For Life".

Real-life Siamese twins in a dull melodrama

[Leofwine_draca · 3/10 · 18 September 2015]

CHAINED FOR LIFE is an exploitation/sensation film follow up to Tod Browning's FREAKS, made some twenty years after that cult classic. Sadly, this is very much a middle-of-the-road production and the only - and I mean ONLY - thing going for it is the presence of real-life Siamese twins, The Hilton Sisters.

The narrative follows the template of a fictional biography that explores the girls and their origins, leading to their successful singing careers. Of course, being an exploitation film, events soon take a darker turn with the onset of marriage and then murder; the latter part of the film takes the form of a courtroom drama in which a moral dilemma is explored.

CHAINED FOR LIFE has plenty of reasons to watch it from the premise alone, but sadly the execution is very weak which robs this of about 90% of its interest. The Hilton Sisters are fine - and good singers to boot - but the rest of the script, cast, and production values are, and I hate to say it, terrible.

The strangest story ever told!

[CinemaArchive · 8/10 · 19 May 2001]

Unique film poses the question "How do you punish the guilty without violating the rights of the innocent?" A Siamese twin is charged with murder. In flashback style, the facts leading up to the murder, and subsequent trial are presented. the case is presented before only a judge. No jury is involved. He alone must decide how to punish only the guilty sister, without violating the innocent sister's rights. How will he decide? How would you decide? Definitely low budget, but worth viewing as an oddity. Definitely at the top of the list as far as Siamese twin murder mystery films go! Film will also hold the interest of vaudeville / circus side show fans.

You can't have one! You can't have one! You can't have one! Without the other!

[sol-kay · 7/10 · 23 August 2011]

***SPOILERS*** Exploitation movie released in 1954 some three years after it was made of the Hamilton Siamese twins Violet & Daisy really playing themselves as Violet and Dorothy Hilton in the film.

As the movie starts Violet is on trial for the murder of her sisters Dorothy's former lover trick shooter Andre Pariseau, Mario Laval, who left her at the altar and broke her heart. As it turned out that heel Andre never really was in love with Dorothy but used her to advance his career at her expanse. We then have this long flashback in how this tragedy began with the twins', who are a singing duet, manager Hinkley, Allen Jenkins, dreaming up this marriage between Dorothy and Andre to liven up both their stage acts. It was the wise and homely Violet who saw through this shame and tried to keep her sister Dorothy from falling for it!

Blindly in love with the smooth talking handsome and grease-ball like Andre Dorothy is determined to marry him even if in some 27 states in the union ,the USA, it would be considered to be an act of bigamy! That's in Andre being married or hitched up to two women, Dorothy and Violet, at the same time! It's later after Andre dumped Dorothy for his girlfriend and assistant Renee, Patricia Wright,in his trick shooting act that Violet planned to avenge her sister at the very first opportunity! That opportunity came the very next day at the theater that the twins and Andre were preforming their acts. With Andre having his back turned violet lets him have it, with the gun he used in his act, and put the two timing creep away for good!

****SPOILERS**** At the trial, the twins lawyer decided to have a bench not jury trial, the Judge Judge Mitchell, Norval Mitchell,is faced with an almost Solomon like decision in condemning Violet to death for 1st degree murder or life imprisonment for manslaughter. With him knowing that whatever happens to Violet will also happen to her totally innocent twin Siamese sister Dorothy the Judge comes up with the only decision that makes any sense. Not only to those in the movie and those of us watching but even the strict and uncompromising Hayes Commission. Which under normal circumstances would have not let the movie be released with the ending that it had. But in the case of "Chained for Life" The Hayes Commission overruled itself since it had,like Judge Mitchell, no other choice at all.

P.S The Hamilton Siamese Twins were in fact to be chained for life for the rest of their lives with an operation separating them out of the question it that it may have very well killed both of them. The twins who just turned 60 and were still preforming their song & dance act at a local theater were found at their shabby one room apartment in downtown Charlotta North Carolina on the morning of January 3, 1969 dead of pneumonia by their grocer landlord and employer. It was reported by the police pathologist they were dead for at least a week. Broke and with no place to go in being abandoned to their fate by their heartless manager, who took off with all their money,the twins died in poverty alone and forgotten to the world. A world, or some of the people in it, that took full advantage of them but threw them to the wolves when both Violet & Dorothy were no longer any use, monetarily, to them.

Raises Some Interesting Questions

[gavin6942 · 5/10 · 21 April 2011]

A Siamese twin kills the husband who left her. The courts have to decide if she is convicted of murder, how can they punish her sister, who had nothing to do with the crime?

Starring the Hilton sisters, probably the most famous conjoined twins who ever lived. They are connected in such a way that you can hardly even tell... how thy were able to fit out the birth canal is a mystery, as is why the doctor couldn't separate them. And also, how do they use the toilet? And how can they have different blood types?

I am frankly impressed with how old the sisters were... I cannot imagine sharing every intimate detail of my life with another person for decades on end. Bathrooms, showers, sex, marriage... what if one sister wants to read and the other likes loud music? What if one tries to roll over in her sleep? And then, is a marriage bigamy as the film suggests? I doubt it, but I see the point.

I enjoyed the William Tell overture on an accordion... second best use of the song ever? And there is a very early form of trick BMX biker here.

Alpha Video has an adequate video quality on their disc, though the sound could be touched up a bit. Some of it is pretty muffled, and considering there is a singing scene, it would sound much better if clear.

I didn't look for a courtroom epic, so I wasn't disappointed.

[richard.fuller1 · 2 December 2000]

If you want a story about gripping law drama, this isn't the place to go, but then I suspected that before I obtained the film. Chained for Life isn't Judging Amy, the Practice, Ally McBeal or Law & Order (thank goodness, if you ask me). It's pure grade B, with dead performances from Daisy and Violet Hilton, yet seems better than what I expected; filmed better and with interesting dialogue at times (the blind doctor the twins went to see about a separation). They sang better than I do and I was a single birth. Today's vaudeville is a webcam on the internet. And the music organ being played with a gun then stopping on one note was pure Hitchcock ( a master, yes, but at times, he stretched it too). The dream essentially summed up the movie: seeing how these conjoined twins lived and loved and contemplated being separated. They had a similar offering in Freaks, where one is engaged, yet the other one is always present. Both the dream and the doctor pretty well cover any curiosity about how they may have lived with their situation in real life.

If not for the completely and utterly disappointing ending which took place in less than five minutes and did not involve the sisters, the film might have held up better. Don't go looking for tense courtroom drama. It's not here. Want to see how someone copes with a physical challenge? This would be one to think about.

Strangely sad in spite of lurid story

[kidboots · 4/10 · 7 April 2009]

Violet and Daisy Hilton were born in 1908, in Brighton, England, to a young, unwed barmaid. When they were born, they were adopted by Mary Hilton, their mother's landlady. Soon after their birth they were put on exhibition and even toured Australia. They came to America and were a national sensation. The couple who were looking after them, the Myers, exploited them badly and took most of their money. Violet and Daisy certainly lived life to the full and "Chained for Life" mixes fact with fiction. Violet, who was the more lively one, was engaged several times and began a nationwide search in 1933 for a state that would issue her with a marriage license.

Vivian Hamilton (Violet Hilton) is on trial for murder and this is her story. She and her sister Dorothy, (Daisy Hilton) are Siamese twins and are auditioning for vaudeville. Their manager, Hinkley, (Allen Jenkins) thinks that with the right publicity they will go over big. He concocts an engagement between Dorothy and Andre, a romeo with a knife-throwing act, as a publicity stunt but Dorothy takes it seriously. Andre, who is getting paid to keep up the engagement farce decides to marry Dorothy but 2 people who are not happy - Dorothy's sister Vivian and Rene, Andre's fiancée.

There is a very poignant scene where Dorothy dreams she is not joined but is free to dance and walk by herself. They decide to have an operation that will separate them but are persuaded not to. Dorothy is determined to marry but 27 states turn her down. The problem is solved with the help of a kindly doctor who says he will marry her. Her manager arranges their wedding to take place on the stage. Rene threatens to expose Andre as a fraud but he retaliates by threatening to shoot her during their act - "remember, I use real bullets!!!" Andre then deserts Dorothy after a night saying he couldn't go on with the marriage. This is very similar to the Hilton's real life - Daisy was married but deserted after 2 weeks. Dorothy is pining and Vivian, in anger for her sister, kills Andre during his act. The film ends with a plea from the Judge to the movie patrons - "what would you decide - please write me your answers"!!!

Allen Jenkins is the biggest name in this film. He seemed to be in every other Warner Bros. film of the 30s - initially playing ruthless thugs ("Three on a Match" (1932)) but after a couple of years playing for laughs ("A Slight Case of Murder" (1938) and "Brother Orchid" (1940)). Jack Mulhall, who had brief stardom in silents and early talkies, is very low down in the cast, playing a doctor.

In spite of the lurid story, it is strangely sad and not played for sensationalism.

One of the dumbest exploitation movies ever with some good vaudeville acts

[lepoisson-1 · 1/10 · 2 March 2012]

*** contains a spoiler ***

The juggler, the bike rider, and the accordion player (vaudevillian acts - completely unrelated to the plot - added to make the movie longer) were really good. The acting, dialogue, and screen writing all compete for last place. The deep philosophical discussions the Siamese twin sisters have are laughable. The dream sequence is everything you don't want to see in a movie and more. This movie is dumb enough that it becomes funny.

Perhaps the sisters could really sing, but the sound was of such horrible quality that you couldn't tell (it was difficult to understand much of the dialogue too, not that it mattered). Adding even more to the low budget feel was the huge piece of dust caught in the upper left corner for the first few minutes.

*** spoiler *** And the judge talking to you at the end is the frosting on the cake. They don't make them like this any more...thank Goodness!

Unique Siamese-twin story...

[dwpollar · 3/10 · 29 January 2007]

1st watched 1/28/2007 - 3 out of 10(Dir-Harry L. Fraser): Unique Siamese-twin story asking the question as to how the law can separate them when pronouncing judgment when their physically attached to one another -- for life. An actual Siamese-twin couple called the Hilton sisters star in this offbeat, interesting, but badly acted story. The sisters can sing but we'll not talk about the "A" word. The rest of the cast isn't much better and this is what really makes this movie not work. The storyline is a basic boy meets girl(attached to another girl), marries this girl, leaves the girl and then angers the other sister to the point of taking action. We know there was a murder from the very beginning as it's revealed by the judge as he introduces the movie and then closes it out in the end as well addressing the audience with a question as to how law can make such a decision. It's obvious this was a B-level gimmick piece of film-making and therefore the production never rises above this level. Too bad, because it's definitely an interesting moral and legal question that could have been handled much better.

"One Of Us,one Of Us!" "Gooble Gobble,we except you"

[michaeldukey2000 · 5/10 · 12 July 2007]

If you're curious about the Hilton twins see them at their peak in Freaks or read about them in books like We Who Are Not Like Others. If that's not enough then boldly tread into the turgid land of rock bottom exploitation for another taste of the bizarre.

Like the carny shows of it's day Chained For Life promises much in the way of tabloid romance and melodrama but delivers only a little amidst a parade of 2nd rate vaudeville acts. It's just like shelling out two bits to see the Turkey Woman. On The Outside banner she's covered in feathers and has a beak growing out of her forehead. On the inside she's a scrawny old lad with short skinny arms and a fleshy wattle around her neck. If you buy one of her tiny bible or a photo of her then she'll dance and gobble around for you.

As far an an actual movie goes this is pretty bleak and half baked but as a record of the Hilton's musical talents it scores big.

Maybe one day we'll get the real story along with the Lobster Boy that molested his family and the inept bank robber that ended up in the Long Beach funhouse.

Manipulated by memory of the musical.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 11 January 2016]

I admit that I can't judge this low budget exploitation movie fairly. I have seen both Broadway productions of "Side Show", first in the late 1990s and then later in the revival a little over a year ago. Both lasted for only a short time, running exactly the same number of performances. In spite of a massive cult following and high praise by the critics, they had what is in my opinion the unfortunate complex of the guilt factor which potential audiences felt that they couldn't watch a musical about Siamese twins desperate to find a happy life and love because they would be too busy judging them for what they believe to be freaks. Indeed the Hilton sisters, violet and Daisy did appear in the 1932 cult horror movie, freaks, and their only other screen appearance was this very low budget film many years after that. They have greatly aged and certainly are not the beauties that are depicted in the musicals, but there is a sincerity in them that makes you really care about them.

Somewhat autobiographical, this has them as vaudeville performers, much like themselves, although they have different characters names. One of them is on trial for murdering her husband, as the drama flashes back to the events leading up to the alleged crime. Those who have seen the musical will recognize several familiar elements that are part of this as well as the stage show. They both long for love but realize that they're being tied together makes at virtually impossible. One fantasy sequence has one of the sisters, obviously depicted in long shots by a double, fantasizing about being "normal" and having a romantic excursion with a man she loves. Then they visit a doctor in desperation to be separated, after which the doctor explains the risks. The dream sequence is very beautiful to look at, and is much more lavish then what the budget for the remainder of the film called for. Of course, it's a white picket fence with flowers and beautiful gardens, and the glow on the close up the of you're having been separated is magnetic to be for sure.

Rather blowzy in appearance, the sister's ages are obvious, so the thought of one of them being a cold-blooded killer and a dangerous dame isn't believable. It's obvious that the husband to be (Mario Laval) is a scoundrel, and the presence of a much younger, more desirable woman (Patricia Wright) makes his motives more obvious. When he can't go through with the wedding night, the stage is set for retribution. Sometimes sweet, often exploitative, this shows that they were certainly great entertainers as singers, but their acting leaves much to be desired. They give it their best shot so you can't help but admire them. Also present is Allen Jenkins as their agent whom equally blowzy Edna Holland (as their companion) refers to as Mr. 10%. So even though this was made on an obviously very low budget, there is more than just a morbid curiosity attached to it. Their ending may have been sad, but their re-discovery through "Side Show" is a triumph of humanity over their sad lives and has opened up many hearts of those who were touched by the emotional impact of what the story revealed. In that sense, their lives were not a waste because their souls have lived on.

Another all too brief glimpse of the legendary Hilton ladies

[Der_Schnibbler · 7/10 · 4 September 2006]

The plot has been repeated elsewhere and so on to the film itself.

The cast is rather good, the only exception being the Hilton sisters' own wooden delivery. Still, if you can ignore that, you get a very interesting "moral issue" over which to ponder and, lest your humanity threaten to plunge you into the depths of despair over the poor darlings' conundrum, the film is sprinkled with numerous vaudeville acts which do not fail to entertain.

The movie presents a special treat to those fans of the Hilton twins who fell in love with them in "Freaks". The scenes on stage are part of the girls' real act, giving us what is perhaps the only glimpse we'll ever get into their real lives. Why has there only been a Broadway play based on them and no real biography yet? Someone out there must have the love and resources to make sure they are forever remembered fondly.

I felt a slight pinch of sadness thinking of Daisy and Violet Hilton, now in their early forties, playing roles that are essentially cruel jokes on their real lives. At one point Daisy's character ponders what they could possibly be missing that they do not have already (in allusion to Daisy taking the sham marriage seriously). As she puts it, "We have reached the top in show business." Quite stinging, considering their deformity ensured they'd never get past the vaudeville circuit. And, although Daisy's answer to that original question is part of a contrived script and delivered with all the emotion of a doorknob, I couldn't help but whisper a silent "god damn" to myself when she responds: "Happiness."

Ah, well. In the end, these were two brave, wonderful little ladies who deserve to be properly remembered and admired, not pitied. Hopefully one day they will receive their own tiny place in Americana as more than early 20th century cinematic oddities. In the meantime, even an exploitation piece such as this was not enough to obscure their charm, and it shows through every line of stilted dialog they deliver.

It's been said the ending is disappointing. I believe it to be a typical device (or gimmick, for the cynics among us) of movies of this period, but the question is: how else *could* they have ended it?

Enjoy the film. It has been given a bare bones release by Alpha Video and can be found on Amazon as well as oldies.com for a very low price.

Real life

[BandSAboutMovies · 3/10 · 17 October 2023]

Daisy and Violet Hilton were born joined at the hips and buttocks, sharing the same blood circulation but no major organs. Their mother was a barmaid and when the owner of her bar, Mary Hilton, met them, she bought them outright. She controlled them with physical abuse and ran their careers until she died and their contracts were given to Mary's daughter Edith Meyers and her husband Meyer, a former balloon salesman. In their San Antonio mansion, they beat the sisters into learning how to play jazz.

In the early 30s, they legally emancipated themselves with the help of Harry Houdini and went into vaudeville and then burlesque, even doing some limited exotic dancing that audiences did not react well about. Violet dated musician Maurice Lambert and despite applying in 21 states for a marriage license, no one would marry them. Around this time, they also appeared in the movie Freaks.

A few years later, Violet married actor James Moore - who was gay - as a publicity stunt. Daisy was also pregnant and gave her child up for adoption. She was also married to a dancer named Buddy Sawyer - also gay - for ten days.

This movie was made in 1952 - directed by Harry L. Fraser - and told the story of their lives. Well, except for the fact that Violet never shot a man that was in love with Daisy. It's kind of a not true story, because they use the name Dorothy and Vivian Hamilton.

Their manager sets them up with a gun shooting expert named Andre Pariseau (Mario Laval) who is supposed to date Dorothy, who falls in love with him. The problem comes in when Andre still has a lover, Renee (Patricia Wright).

Yet because their marriage would be bigamy, they can't get married until they meet a blind clergyman. Andre tells her on their wedding night that he can't live this kind of life, but Vivian knows that he's going back to the other way, so she shoots him dead. A judge has to decide what to do, because if he condemns Vivian to death, he'll kill an innocent woman. The movie then asks you, the viewer, what you would decide.

The Hiltons had a hot dog stand - The Hilton Sisters Snack Bar - and their last public appearance was in 1961 at a drive-in double feature of Freaks and Chained for Life in Charlotte, North Carolina. Their tour manager had taken their money and left, stranding them. They applied to work at a Park'n'Shop grocery store and only asked for one salary. The owner, Charles Reid, was a religious man and hired them both and built a special desk for them so that customers couldn't tell they were conjoined twins. The shop owner's church also provided them with a small home and they devoted themselves to work and that church for the rest of the decade.

In early 1969, Daisy caught a horrible case of the flu and died. Four days later, Violet died as well. She never called for help, realizing that she couldn't survive without her sister.

At their funeral, Reverend Jon Sills said, "Daisy and Violet Hilton were in show business for all but the last half dozen years of their life. In the end, though, they were cast aside by the glittery and glamorous world they had been part of for so long. In the end, it was only ordinary people who showed they cared about them."

Strange, But Good

[ANDREWEHUNT · 6/10 · 18 October 2008]

This is an unusual film, to say the least. Chained For Life (1951) is the story of Siamese Twins Dorothy and Vivian Hamilton (interestingly, Daisy and Violet Hilton get to keep their initials in the film), one of whom -- Vivian -- is accused of shooting her sister's lover. We see their story in flashback form: Dorothy falling in love with a nasty, two-timing sharpshooter Andre (Mario Laval); Dorothy and Vivian singing (they sound like the Andrews Sisters) in a vaudeville act; Andre falling for Dorothy as part of a publicity stunt cooked up by their manager; oh, and did I mention the endless vaudeville scenes in the movie? One of the reasons the film falls short of its potential is because there are too many vaudeville scenes -- too much sharpshooting, too many stale jokes, too many music routines -- and they severely undermine the film's pace because they drag on so long. There are some terrific moments in the film, though, especially the dream sequence where Dorothy -- well, actually, a double playing Dorothy -- is separated from Vivian and dances outside under the starry sky, meeting her dream lover (in this scene, we only see a close-up of Dorothy behind some tree branches, which conceal Dorothy/Daisy's twin, Vivian/Violet). Another memorable scene is a profoundly humane speech delivered by a blind minister condemning bigotry. It is interesting that a blind character can see the world more clearly than the characters with 20/20 vision. Overall, this is a compelling film that keeps you watching. I agree with one poster who expressed regret that the movie is not a more faithful account of Daisy and Violet's actual story. The twins lived a deeply troubled life and it is amazing to see how much they have aged in the 19 years since Freaks (1932) was made. They look old and tired in this film -- even older than their 43 years. They have wrinkles under their eyes and they seem like they've seen it all. They've lost their youthful vitality and innocence they had in Freaks. And some of the acting in the film is pretty iffy. But this film deserves a higher rating than what it gets on IMDb. This reviewer gives it a 6/10. It is well worth your time. And it is now included in an excellent four-DVD set of exploitation films called "Cult Classics," released by Mill Creek Entertainment. See it if you get a chance.

Not as lurid as you think.

[rwagn · 18 July 2004]

This exploitation feature isn't quite as lurid as one would think. The

Hilton sisters,who also must have been little people (comparing

their stature to the rest of the cast) do an admirable job conveying

the truths and difficulties they endured as Siamese twins.There is

a wonderful dream sequence where Dottie awakens to find that

she is a separate entity and she dances and runs freely. (This

being done with an obvious stand-in but is still an effective

sequence.) Being part of a vaudeville showcase I was delighted to

see highlights of some of the other acts, the juggler and the

accordian player to name two. The Hilton sisters are in very good

voice to boot. Sure the budget was low and the acting on par with a

community troop but there are worse ways you could spend 80

minutes. Be forewarned that the sound quality, at least on the

Arrow DVD, is a little below par but the print is much crisper than

the previous VHS release. Seeing that they were barely connected

at the lower back, I wonder had the Hiltons had been born today, if

medical techniques could have safely separated them. For $4.99

you will find this an enjoyable "B" film that stands up to repeated

viewing.

Based on a True Story (Minus the Murder)

[arfdawg-1 · 6/10 · 8 February 2017]

The Plot. Siamese twins are a singing act, apparently in vaudeville.

Their manager, to drum up business bribes a man who has a shooting act to become romantically involved with her.

The bribe works and business increases dramatically.

The man proposes marriage and the proposal is accepted. He walks out on her on their wedding night to remain with his assistant with whom he has a relationship.

The sister of the rejected bride shoots him during his act. The movie starts with the judge, who is hearing the case without a jury, advises us, the audience, that this is a difficult case.

The movie poses the question of whether he can punish the one who is the shooter without punishing the other sister.

This movie rocks. Yes, it's a super low budget vehicle made by a studio I never heard of, but it's well done given the budgetary limitations. Two real conjoined twins are the stars!

But it's all done straight. And it's got some good theatre scenes of old vaudeville/burlesque. Not really sure why this movie gets some bad ratings here.

It's really way better than these other reviews say.

No, it's not a masterpiece, but it's really quite an unusual find that is very engaging even though it gets a bit bogged down in the middle.