Freaks 1932 Film
By Michael H Hershey

Freaks, which was released in 1932, tells the story of a group of sideshow performers that work a traveling carnival. The leader of the group, a midget named Hans, has a crush on a beautiful trapeze artist named Cleopatra. When Cleopatra learns that Hans is set to inherit a fortune, she, along with another performer named Hercules, scheme to steal Hans' fortune. When the other sideshow performers learn of this plan, they plan their revenge.

Freaks, which was called Forbidden Love in the USA, was produced and directed by Tod Browning. Tod Browning also directed other classic horror films such as Dracula. The film was based on the short story Spurs, which was written by Tod Robbines in 1923. The film used people that had actual deformities, as opposed to using makeup and costumes. The film was made on an estimated budget of $300,000. The film originally ran for 90 minutes, but many scenes were cut after a disastrous test screening. The final version was only 64 minutes long and cut out many scenes relating to the Cleopatra character. Several scenes that were particularly gory were also cut. There was originally a scene in which Hercules was castrated by the sideshow performers, but this and many other scenes were cut. The cut scenes are now considered lost.

When Freaks was released, it was the object of much controversy. The film was a Pre-Code movie. This means that it was produced between the time when sound pictures began and when the Hays Code began to be enforced in 1934. Many films from this era featured subject matter that would not be used again by Hollywood for over 30 years. The film was shocking to moviegoers and featured some very violent scenes. Many of these gruesome scenes were cut before the final version was released, but some remained. The film was so offensive at the time that it was banned in the UK for 30 years. The film saw a revived popularity in the early 1960s and its popularity continued through the next few decades. By now, the film is considered a classic example of the Pre-Code horror genre. Unrestrained by the Hays Code is was able to touch on subjects that would not be revisited by filmmakers for years to come. The films copyright status is currently unknown. It was thought to have been released into the public domain, but MGM, who was the original distributer of the film, is still claiming a copyright on the movie.

Classic Horror Movies is a great place watch public domain horror Films.

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