Details

Release year: 1932

Storyline

When a sideshow performer's friends discover that a trapeze artist only wants to marry him for his inheritance, they seek revenge.

Top credits

Directors

Tod Browning

Writers

Cast

Wallace Ford — Phroso
Leila Hyams — Venus
Olga Baclanova — Cleopatra
Roscoe Ates — Roscoe

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Did you know

• The on-screen romance between Hans and Frieda was very subdued because the roles were being played by real life brother and sister Harry Earles and Daisy Earles.

• Although production chief Irving Thalberg decided to re-cut the picture immediately after the disastrous test screening, he could not cancel the world premiere on January 28, 1932 at the 3,000-seat Fox Theatre in San Diego. This is the only venue at which the uncut version of "Freaks" is known to have played. Ironically, the unexpurgated "Freaks" was a major box-office success. Crowds lined up around the block to see the picture, which broke the theatre's house record. By the end of the run, word had spread that "Freaks" was about to be butchered, and the theatre advertised, "Your last opportunity to see 'Freaks' in its uncensored form!"

• The film's original ending showed Hercules singing soprano in Madame Tetrallini's new sideshow because he has been castrated by the freaks. After intensely negative reaction by preview audiences, this scene was cut.