Freaks (1932) on Netflix
At a traveling circus, the trapeze artist Cleopatra courts Hans, a dwarf in the sideshow, while carrying on with the strongman Hercules. Frieda, Hans's fiancée, is wary of her.
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Trailer
Plot summary
A carnival's sideshow brings together performers of many kinds, among them dwarfs, conjoined twins and a bearded lady. Hans, a dwarf in the troupe, is devoted to Cleopatra, the trapeze artist, and gives her costly presents. Cleopatra is involved with Hercules, the strongman, and regards Hans's attentions as useful. Frieda, a dwarf who was once engaged to Hans and still cares for him, tells him that Cleopatra is only amusing herself with him, and he will not listen. Frieda's remark in Cleopatra's hearing, that Hans has a fortune waiting for him, gives Cleopatra and Hercules an idea: a marriage would put the money in their hands.
Cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Freaks (1932)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- MGM bought the rights to Tod Robbins's short story "Spurs" for a reported $8,000 after Harry Earles, a dwarf who would later star as Hans, suggested the film to director Tod Browning.
- MGM segregated the cast and crew of Freaks to a separate cafeteria during filming so that other studio employees could eat in the commissary without throwing up.
- After a disastrous test screening where people ran out and one woman threatened to sue MGM, claiming the film caused her miscarriage, the studio cut Freaks from its original 90-minute running time to just over an hour.
- Freaks was banned in the United Kingdom for over 30 years before being passed with an X rating in August 1963.
- Freaks was the only MGM film pulled from release before finishing its domestic engagements. Studio head Louis B. Mayer then sold the distribution rights to Dwain Esper for 25 years for $50,000.
- The Ramones' 1977 song "Pinhead" was inspired by Freaks, with the line "Gabba Gabba, we accept you, we accept you one of us" taken from the scene where the dwarf groom sings "Gooble gobble, we accept you, one of us" to his bride.
- The banquet sequence in Freaks where the freaks chant "We accept her, we accept her, one of us" has been referenced in The Simpsons and South Park, and the line is used in situations involving forced conformity.
- In 1994, Freaks was chosen for the United States National Film Registry, which keeps films deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.
