The Horse's Head

#416) Little Miss Marker (1934)

OR “Luck Be a Little Lady”

Directed by Alexander Hall

Written by William R. Lipman and Sam Hellman and Gladys Lehman. Based on the short story by Damon Runyon.

Class of 1998

No trailer. In fact, the only footage I could embed was one of those YouTube tribute videos. 

The Plot: Bookie Sorrowful Jones (Adolphe Menjou) reluctantly agrees to take collateral (a “marker”) for a horse race when one of the betters (Edward Earle) places a $20 marker on his daughter Marthy (Shirley Temple). When the man loses the bet, he runs out and commits suicide, and Sorrowful and his gang take in Marthy, nicknaming her “Marky”. The gangsters become an extended family to Marky, with Sorrowful as her put-upon new father and nightclub singer Bangles Carson (Dorothy Dell) as a more agreeable surrogate mother. There are a few songs and loads of sweetness in one of Hollywood’s first attempts at a “Shirley Temple picture”.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives a quick rundown of Shirley Temple, calling her “[o]ne of the most popular stars of the 1930s” and “the biggest child star the world had ever seen”. There’s also an essay by film professor/Shirley Temple expert John F. Kasson.

But Does It Really?: It’s clear the NFR inducted “Little Miss Marker” as representation of Shirley Temple’s career, but when I think Shirley Temple, this is not the movie that comes to mind. Mention Shirley Temple to any film buff and they’ll picture her dancing up the stairway with Bill Robinson, or singing the likes of “Animal Crackers” and “Good Ship Lollipop”. Those moments are from three different movies, and none of them are “Little Miss Marker”. On its own, “Marker” is a quick, enjoyable, harmless movie, but compared to the other films that could represent Miss Temple on the list, it is found wanting.

Everybody Gets One: Shirley Temple started making movies when she was three years old! After being spotted by a casting director in her dance class, Temple signed a contract with Educational Pictures and starred in “Baby Burlesks”, a series of shorts that spoofed modern movies. Her success in those shorts led to a featured role in the Fox film “Baby, Take a Bow”, and later a Fox contract with a seven-year option. Temple quickly became a nationwide sensation, and her films the epitome of Depression-era escapism. “Little Miss Marker” was her only non-Fox film of the era, on loan to Paramount.

Wow, That’s Dated: Besides the obvious ‘30s slang, “Little Miss Marker” resorts to some of the negative African-American and Asian-American stereotypes of the day. The most visible example is Willie Best, who spent the bulk of his career playing a stereotypically lazy, slow black man, to the point where in some films he is credited as “Sleep ‘n’ Eat”. Yikes.

Seriously, Oscars?: No Oscar love for “Little Miss Marker”, but the Academy recognized Shirley Temple with the first ever Juvenile Oscar. Temple starred in six films in 1934, and this body of work earned her an honorary statuette. At six years old, Shirley Temple is still the youngest person to ever receive an Oscar.

Other notes

• Right from the start, this thing is pure Damon Runyon: lowlifes with names like Sorrowful Jones and Benny the Gouge putting all their money on a horse race. I keep expecting Stubby Kaye to walk by.
• It’s always hard to accurately judge a child’s acting ability, but what Shirley Temple lacks in polish, she more than makes up for in star quality. From her first moment on screen you know that she will melt the heart of every gangster in this movie.
• Adjusted for inflation, the $20 marker on Marky would be about $380 today.
• Adolphe Menjou is one of those actors who was not on my radar until this blog, and it’s a shame he’s not as well remembered today. From his lead comic turn in “The Front Page” to his later dramatic work in “Paths of Glory”, Menjou has quite the range, and provides a good foil for Shirley Temple here.
• This film is also the only NFR representation of singer/actress Dorothy Dell. Sadly, “Little Miss Marker” was one of Ms. Dell’s final films; she was killed in a car accident at age 19 one week after this film’s premiere. Shirley Temple formed a close bond with Dell during filming, and her death devastated the young actor.
• Finally, Shirley gets to sing! “Laugh You Son of a Gun” is a brief duet between Markie and Bangles, and it definitely leaves you wanting more.

• Watching this ‘30s movie about an adorable orphan makes me suspect that “Annie” (the musical and subsequent films) has replaced “Little Miss Marker” in our cultural heritage. They are just similar enough properties, but “Annie” has all those songs!
• Best exchange in the movie: “Wanna kiss me?” “Well, I ain’t runnin’ for mayor.”
• Not only does the movie take a sudden dramatic turn at the end, but then Charles Bickford’s Big Steve returns and…he’s the hero? What a weird movie.

Legacy

• After the success of “Little Miss Marker”, Paramount tried to buy out Shirley Temple’s contract with Fox, but she returned to her home studio and started making her best-known films. Temple’s star diminished in the 1940s, and she retired from acting at age 22. Ms. Temple had a successful second career as a diplomat, eventually becoming the US Ambassador to Ghana and Czechoslovakia.

• “Little Miss Marker” has been remade for film three times: 1949’s “Sorrowful Jones” with Bob Hope and Lucille Ball, 1962’s modern update “40 Pounds of Trouble” with Tony Curtis, and 1980’s “Little Miss Marker” with Walter Matthau, Julie Andrews, and a poster that definitely rips off “The Sting”.

• Ginger ale, a splash of grenadine, and a maraschino cherry is all you need to make the non-alcoholic drink named after Ms. Temple. Ironically, in her adult years Shirley admitted to hating the drink.

Further Viewing: I’m currently obsessed with the short-lived ‘80s TV show “Mad Movies”, in which Los Angeles improv group LA Connection overdubs public domain films. One episode turns Shirley Temple’s 1939 vehicle “The Little Princess” into an “Exorcist” parody. It’s a bit dumb and slightly dated, but it tickles me just right.

Listen to This: In 1950, Damon Runyon’s short stories “The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown” and “Blood Pressure” were combined to become the book for the Broadway musical “Guys and Dolls” by Frank Loesser. The original cast album made the National Recording Registry in 2004.

#415) Wings (1927)

OR “1917: The Multi-Take Version”

Directed by William A. Wellman

Written by Hope Loring and Louis D. Lighton. Story by John Monk Saunders.

Class of 1997

The Plot: After the outbreak of World War I, small town boys-next-door Jack Powell (Charles “Buddy” Rogers) and David Armstrong (Richard Arlen) enlist in the United States Air Service. David leaves behind the beautiful Sylvia Lewis (Jobyna Ralston), but Jack also vies for her affection, completely unaware that Mary Preston (Clara Bow) is in love with him. After basic training, Jack and David fly several missions, while Mary enlists as an ambulance driver. There’s plenty of love triangle complications to be had here, as well as some of the most amazing aerial footage ever preserved on film.

Why It Matters: While the NFR admits that “Wings” is “[s]hort on story but long on action”, their write-up is a tribute to the film’s “[d]azzling aerobatic dogfights”. An essay by film historian/curator Dino Everett also praises the film’s technical accomplishments.

But Does It Really?: The cultural significance of “Wings” has always seemed trivial to me: it’s the first Best Picture Oscar winner. But after viewing “Wings”, I can say that the film has a lot more going for it. The plot’s a bit thin, but the action-packed aerial sequences more than make up for any shortcomings. “Wings” was a technical innovation in its day, and those effects (as well as the film in general) hold up remarkably well 90 years later. “Wings” deserves a second look, as well as its place in the NFR.

Everybody Gets One: Of the main cast, Richard Arlen actually served as a pilot in Canada’s Royal Flying Corps during WWI, though he did not see combat. Arlen met Jobyna Ralston on the set of “Wings”, and the two married shortly after production wrapped.

Seriously, Oscars?: “Wings” premiered in August 1927 and was second only to “The Jazz Singer” at the box office. In February 1929, the newly formed Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voted “Wings” the winner for their Academy Award. The first ceremony was held that May, where “Wings” won Outstanding Picture and Best Engineering Effects. Still fine-tuning their new award, AMPAS eliminated Engineering Effects the following year, and merged Outstanding Picture with Best Unique and Artistic Picture (won by “Sunrise”) to create the Best Picture category. “Wings” was retroactively declared the first Best Picture winner, cementing its legacy in Hollywood history.

Other notes

• First of all, shoutout to the team behind the 2012 restoration. In addition to an incredible picture restoration, this print rerecorded the original J.S. Zamecnik score, and recreated the Handschiegl color process, used here to colorize the flames when a plane is shot down. This restoration helps a modern viewer appreciate the epic scale of the original release.
• Clara Bow’s part was essentially shoehorned into Wings, as Paramount insisted on their biggest star being in their most expensive film. As Bow herself put it, “I’m just the whipped cream on top of the pie.” It helps that Clara Bow has that certain…quality about her. I don’t know how to describe…that quality.
• I get the everyman appeal of Charles “Buddy” Rogers, promoted at the time as “America’s Boy Friend”. To badly paraphrase, he doesn’t need dialogue, he has faces.
• The film’s comic relief comes in the form of vaudeville performer El Brendel as Herman Schwimpf, the German-American recruit who constantly has to prove his loyalty to America because of his name. Good thing we don’t do that anymore…
• And here comes Gary Cooper in his breakout film role as Cadet White. I can’t wait to see young Gary’s star power in full….and he’s dead. What a waste.
• What can I say except that the dogfight scenes in this movie are amazing. Director William Wellman was hired for the film thanks to his flying experience in WWI, and his expertise really shines through. He even revolutionized filmmaking when he had cameras mounted onto the plane to capture closeups of the pilots mid-flight!

• The film’s action sequences were filmed at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas with assistance from the War Department. Wellman insisted on perfect weather conditions for shooting, leading to production delays. At a time when most movies were shot in a month, principal photography for “Wings” lasted seven months.
• For the record, a Fokker is an aircraft manufacturer that began in Germany just before WWI. Nothing else.
• “Wings” has two moments of pre-Code nudity! Blink and you’ll miss some male rear ends as Jack enlists in the Air Service, but the film’s most famous example is a brief shot of a topless Clara Bow as Mary is caught changing back into her uniform. No wonder this movie won Best Picture.
• The random doughboy who cheers on Jack during the climactic battle isn’t so random after all: it’s director William Wellman. Wellman’s wife Margery Chapin and daughter Gloria appear as the mother and child whose house is crashed into.
• In addition to all its other claims to fame, “Wings” also contains what is purported to be the first on-screen kiss between two men. It’s definitely not in a homosexual context, but it’s still there.

• The film’s stance on war is a bit muddled. Ultimately, the French soldier says it best: “C’est la guerre”. War isn’t hell, it’s just war. A bit down the middle, but the more extreme stance of “All Quiet on the Western Front” was still three years away.

Legacy

• “Wings” was considered a lost film, until a print was discovered by a Paris archive in 1992. This, however, conflicts with a recorded screening of the film that occurred at the Mary Pickford Theater in 1987. Any leads on this one?
• “Wings” still gets its share of references, primarily every year at the Oscars when previous Best Picture winners get their shout out.

• Here’s a weird one: Buddy Rogers and Richard Arlen appeared as themselves in connection to “Wings” on two separate sitcoms in the late 1960s. A 1967 episode of “The Lucy Show” features the two in a musical revue about pilots with Lucy and guest star Carol Burnett, while a 1968 “Petticoat Junction” has them attend the Junction’s premiere of “Wings” 40 years after the fact. The latter episode includes footage from the film.

• Hmmm, do I go for the Paul McCartney reference or the NBC sitcom reference? “Maybe I’m Amazed” is great, but I’m opting to end this post with some vintage Tony Shalhoub!

#414) Woodstock (1970)

OR “Farm Out”

Directed by Michael Wadleigh

Class of 1996

NOTE: The most readily available version of “Woodstock” is the 1994 Director’s Cut with 45 minutes of additional footage and performances.

The Plot: On a warm August weekend in 1969, the town of Bethel, New York is inundated with over 400,000 young people eager to attend the Woodstock music festival. Traffic jams, uncooperative weather, and protests from the locals do not stop these three days of peace and music. Orchestrated by filmmaker Michael Wadleigh, “Woodstock” the film captures the event from every angle. In addition to the legendary performances by some of rock’s finest musicians, attention is given to the “younger generation” in attendance, the event organizers caught off-guard by the turnout, the local townspeople who do/do not support the event, and hippies. Lots and lots of hippies.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives a rundown of the bigger names on the roster, and singles out the film’s soundtrack as well as its “innovate use of split frame visuals”.

But Does It Really?: There’s no way one movie could capture the essence of the Woodstock experience, but “Woodstock” comes remarkably close. Wadleigh’s cross-section approach to covering the festival, as well as the aforementioned split frame visuals, makes for an immersive, unforgettable movie about a landmark American event. “Woodstock” is the rare documentary that captures the cultural zeitgeist, and is a no-brainer for NFR inclusion.

Everybody Gets One: Underground film director Michael Wadleigh landed the plum job of covering Woodstock thanks to event organizer Arte Kornfeld, who had persuaded Warner Bros. to finance the documentary. Wadleigh could not afford to pay his film crew, and got them all to agree on a double or nothing contract: double pay if the movie was a hit, nothing if it wasn’t.

Seriously, Oscars?: Despite constant fights between Wadleigh and Warner Bros. over the film’s runtime and distribution, “Woodstock” became one of the highest grossing movies of 1970. At the 1971 Oscars, the film received three nominations (still a record for a documentary), and won Best Documentary. “Woodstock” lost its other two nominations – Editing and Sound – to Best Picture winner “Patton”.

Other notes

• Woodstock came to be when concert promoters Michael Lange and Artie Kornfeld approached business entrepreneurs Joel Rosenman and John P. Roberts about bankrolling a recording studio in Woodstock, New York. Rosenman and Roberts countered with a concert that would promote artists known to perform around Woodstock (such as Bob Dylan), and the four founded Woodstock Ventures. After the towns of Wallkill and Saugerties emphatically denied Woodstock permits to perform there, the company settled on a dairy farm in Bethel, on the condition that attendance not exceed 50,000. Incidentally, the concert is named after the company, not the town, which was never considered as a potential venue.
• Shoutout to the film’s editing team, led by the legendary Thelma Schoonmaker. Their use of split-screen helped to retain as much footage as possible after Warner Bros. demanded Wadleigh cut the film down from his intended six hours to three. Fun Fact: One of the assistant editors on this movie was young up-and-comer Martin Scorsese. And now you know the rest of the story!
• The chronology of the concert is jumbled in the film, but the first day of Woodstock did begin with Richie Havens. The guitarist actually ran out of songs to sing during his set, and improvised “Freedom” on the spot. You are watching a man literally make it up as he goes along.

• For whatever reason, it tickled me that such a massive event still did loudspeaker announcements. Could anyone beyond the first few rows actually hear anything?
• Just a reminder that Joan Baez is in three movies on the NFR. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. Joan was six months pregnant with her son Gabriel during Woodstock, and gives a shoutout to her husband David Harris, who was in Federal Prison for draft evasion.

• The Who’s set consists mostly of music from their album “Tommy” (now a major motion picture). We get a bit of the finale, performed at sunrise, hence the cool “lighting effect” near the end.

• I assume Sha-Na-Na were the first to capitalize on the ‘50s nostalgia wave that would permeate the 1970s. Can I blame them for “Joannie Loves Chachi”?

• Joe Cocker’s unhinged performance of “With a Little Help From My Friends” is A-maz-ing. Also, Joe Cocker is British? Lost that bet.

• What separates “Woodstock” from other “concert movies” is the emphasis on audience as well as performers. We witness the audience as they listen to the music, take shelter from the rain, call friends and family on the available pay phones, skinny dip in the nearby pond, and a variety of other activities. It helps with the overall feeling of actually being at Woodstock.
• “Woodstock” features an early performance by Crosby, Stills, Nash and…not Young. Neil Young refused to be filmed for the movie, rejoining the group after their acoustic first set.

• Fact: Jefferson Airplane (later Jefferson Starship) is the only group to perform at both Woodstock and “The Star Wars Holiday Special”. Light the sky on fire, kids!

• I was surprised when this movie showed me that not only did many Bethel residents on the other side of the generation gap support those attending the concert, but also supplied food and clothing throughout the weekend. Further proof that it’s hard to hate up close.
• Singer-songwriter John Sebastian happened to be attending Woodstock when he was called up on stage to perform (several acts had not arrived at that point). He’s clearly out of it, but in a sweet (and possibly drug induced) way. I’m just glad he remembered his guitar.

• Of all the songs in this movie, the one that got stuck in my head was Country Joe McDonald’s “FISH Cheer/Feel-Like-I’m-Fixing-To-Die-Rag”. It may be the catchiest anti-Vietnam song ever.

• Wow, Santana’s performance is so good the screen goes black for a second. THAT’S a showstopper.

• Sly and the Family Stone know how to put on a show. Even I was flashing the peace sign during “I Want to Take You Higher”.

• The exclusion of Janis Joplin from the theatrical cut is an unfortunate bit of shortsightedness; Joplin died only six months after the film’s release.
• Property owner Max Yasgur gives a brief, endearing speech to the crowd about the success of Woodstock. Side note: I 100% support casting Eugene Levy as Yasgar in 2009’s “Taking Woodstock”.

• Like the real Woodstock, the film closes with Jimi Hendrix’s iconic performance. Hendrix’s guitar skills are justifiably legendary, but that solo goes on way too long. They even intercut his set with footage of people packing up and leaving. Wrap it up, Hendrix!

• The final helicopter shot is the only full overview we get of Woodstock, and man is it a sight to behold.

Legacy

• The original Woodstock festival has, of course, become the quintessential music festival of the 20^th century. The founders of Woodstock have attempted reunion anniversary concerts over the years, with the results ranging from forgotten (Woodstock ‘89), to violence/cries of corporate sellouts (Woodstock ‘99), or cancelled (the planned Woodstock 50 of 2019).
• I am not going to list what happened to every performer/group from “Woodstock”. Suffice it to say that everyone is either tragically dead or miraculously still alive.
• Despite the film’s success, Michael Wadleigh would not direct another film until 1981’s “Wolfen” starring Albert Finney. Since then, Wadleigh’s only other film ventures have been related to “Woodstock”.

Listen to This: Many of the artists featured in the film are also in the National Recording Registry: Joan Baez (for her self-titled album), The Who (“My Generation”), Arlo Guthrie (“Alice’s Restaurant”), Janis Joplin (“Cheap Thrills“), Jimi Hendrix (“Are You Experienced?”), Sly and the Family Stone (“Stand!”), and Santana (“Abraxas”). Shockingly, the NRR has not inducted CSN&Y or Jefferson Airplane. Why not save time and induct the complete Woodstock recordings? Pretty historically significant if you ask me.

#413) Stagecoach (1939)

OR “Carriage Story”

Directed by John Ford

Written by Dudley Nichols. Based on the short story “The Stage to Lordsburg” by Ernest Haycox.

Class of 1995

The Plot: In 1880, a stagecoach leaves Tonto, Arizona Territory bound for Lordsburg, New Mexico. Among its passengers are ostracized prostitute Dallas (Claire Trevor), alcoholic Doc Boone (Thomas Mitchell), secret embezzler Henry Gatewood (Berton Churchill), Cavalry wife Lucy Mallory (Louise Platt), salesman Samuel Peacock (Donald Meek), and suspicious gambler Hatfield (John Carradine). Along the way, they pick up notorious fugitive The Ringo Kid (John Wayne), recently escaped from prison to avenge the death of his father and brother. It’s a tale about a morally gray outlaw forging the rugged west, including Monument Valley, and…bingo! I got John Ford bingo!

Why It Matters: The NFR can’t heap enough praise upon “Stagecoach”, calling it “a model for Westerns (and film drama as a whole) that would last well into the 21st century”, and praising the “outstanding” performances by Wayne, Trevor, and Mitchell, as well as the “groundbreaking” stunts by Yakima Canutt. There’s also an essay by film historian/writer/Sinatra buff Scott Allen Nollen.

But Does It Really?: “Stagecoach” is one of those pre-ordained “classic” movies that I’m happy to say lives up to the hype. John Ford weaves together all the classic western tropes without resorting to stereotypes (Well…except for one major outlier; see “Wow, That’s Dated”). The wonderful visual storytelling of Bert Glennon’s camera is mixed with the natural beauty of Monument Valley, with a perfectly cast ensemble headed by Wayne and Trevor. “Stagecoach” is not only a quintessential western, but a quintessential movie, period.

Everybody Gets One: Claire Trevor’s star rose pretty quickly in the ‘30s, playing variations of the “bad girl” character. Fresh off her Oscar nominated turn in “Dead End”, Trevor was the biggest name in the “Stagecoach” cast and received top billing over the lesser known John Wayne. Trevor’s career continued in film and television for another 40 years, earning an Oscar for 1948’s “Key Largo”.

Wow, That’s Dated: As always, Ford’s depiction of Native Americans never goes beyond anonymous savages. Sure he hired real Navajo to play the Apache (still off, but closer), and many more were hired as crew members and background extras, but it’s still the kind of culturally insensitive portrayal that would stay with westerns for decades to come.

Seriously, Oscars?: “Stagecoach” was a huge hit upon release, and received seven Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Unfortunately, this being the greatest year for movies and all, “Stagecoach” lost in all the major categories to “Gone with the Wind”, while Bert Glennon’s outstanding cinematography lost to Gregg Toland’s okay work in “Wuthering Heights”. “Stagecoach” did, however, manage two wins: Original Score, and Thomas Mitchell for Supporting Actor (aided by his work in “Wind” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”).

Other notes

• John Ford was determined to turn “The Stage to Lordsburg” into a movie, but was rejected by every major studio (westerns had been considered passé since the silent era). Independent producer Walter Wanger agreed to back the film, with a distribution deal from United Artists, on the condition Ford get Gary Cooper and Marlene Dietrich to star. When Ford stood by first choices Wayne and Trevor, Wanger acquiesced, but gave Ford half of his proposed budget as a compromise.
• The rest of the cast is made up of such Ford staples as John Carradine, Thomas Mitchell, and Andy Devine as the perpetually prepubescent comic relief. All this begs the question: Where’s Ward Bond?
• Ah yes, back in the days when riding shotgun involved an actual shotgun.
• Shoutout to cinematographer Bert Glennon, who does an excellent job highlighting the grandeur of the southwest. Rare is the black & white, academy-ratio movie that can present nature in such sweeping compositions.
• Now THAT’S an intro. John Wayne may get the best intro shot of any movie ever: A long shot to reveal his silhouette and position, quickly turning into a probing close-up of his facial subtleties. Perfect, except for the part where the camera loses focus.

• Everyone’s great in this movie; John Wayne and Claire Trevor in particular have wonderful chemistry. That being said, I disapprove of Ford being so verbally abusive while directing his actors. Most would talk back (Mitchell would reference recent Ford flop “Mary of Scots”), but Wayne took the abuse, knowing it was what he needed to become a better actor.
• Stagecoach, horses, cigars: I’m glad this movie’s not in Smell-O-Vision.
• “What this country needs is a businessman for president.” No. No we do not.
• What surprised me the most was how much of the dialogue overlaps, making the character interactions seem all the more realistic. Most say it was Altman or Hawks who pioneered this, turns out it was Ford!
• Just a reminder that if the infant playing Miss Mallory’s baby is still alive, it’d be 81 years old.
• Those smoke signals either mean that the Apache have planned an attack or elected a new pope.
• The sequence of the stagecoach crossing the river is impressive, especially the shots with the camera on top of the actual stagecoach. Quite the feat for 1939.
• One the one hand, the Apache attack is a awe-inspiring feat of filmmaking and stuntwork. It’s a surprise the Oscars didn’t create a stunt category then and there. On the other hand, it’s still very much an offensive depiction of the Apache. Which is a shame, because the whole sequence is one of the best scenes in any movie. I will, however, deduct additional points for the treatment of the horses during production. No PETA disclaimer for you!

• I was not expecting this movie to have such a happy ending. I suspected the ending would be hopeful, but I didn’t think it’d work out for everyone.

Legacy

• The success of “Stagecoach” not only promoted John Wayne from B-movie staple to A-list movie star, but also helped revitalize the presumed dead western genre.
• “Stagecoach” was the first John Ford movie to be shot on location at Monument Valley. Ford became enamored of the spot, and used it in practically all of his subsequent westerns. More recent westerns have also filmed at Monument Valley as a tribute to Ford.

• “Stagecoach” has received the remake treatment twice. The 1966 version with Ann-Margret and Alex Cord is considered good, but not as great. The 1986 TV movie was an excuse for Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings to make a movie together.

• Easily the film’s most significant cultural impact: Orson Welles considered “Stagecoach” to be a textbook example of a perfect movie, and watched it over 40 times while preparing “Citizen Kane”. As Welles would later put it, “It was like going to school.”

#412) Freaks (1932)

OR “Sideshow Hell”

Directed by Tod Browning

Written by Willis Goldbeck & Leon Gordon. Suggested by the short story “Spurs” by Tod Robbins.

Class of 1994

The Plot: Hurr-ay hurr-ay hurr-ay! Step right up, folks, see the movie that had audiences running out of the theaters! Yes, ladies and gents, it’s the one and only “Freaks”! Meet Hans (Harry Earles), the little person with a big inheritance! Witness as Cleopatra the trapeze artist (Olga Baclonova) cons Hans for his fortune with the greatest of ease! But there’s so much more to behold under this big top! See the Siamese Twins! The Human Torso! The Bearded Lady! The Pinheads! And many more who finally get their moment in the center ring! Do you dare peek at what’s inside this movie? Hurr-ay hurr-ay hurr-ay!

Why It Matters: The NFR gives a brief rundown of the film’s content, controversy, cuts and cult. Sorry; still trying to shake off the barker talk.

But Does It Really?: It’s crude and at times difficult to watch, but “Freaks” achieves what every classic film on this list does: it stands on its own piece of ground. For better or worse, there is no other movie like “Freaks”. The film’s bizarre subject matter and unforgettable imagery more than ensure the film’s longevity, though this may be an instance where one viewing is definitely enough. My question: if you’re going to include an oddity like “Freaks” in the NFR, why not also include “Reefer Madness” or the films of Ed Wood?

Everybody Gets One: Most of the cast were real-life sideshow performers who resigned themselves to the reality that the exploitation of their abnormalities were their only source of income. The primary exceptions were Daisy & Violet Hilton, conjoined twins who managed to avoid the sideshow circuit, instead playing vaudeville and burlesque (they were tap dancers and eventually jazz musicians).

Wow, That’s Dated: Circuses in general, sideshows specifically. Once a showcase for the differently abled, sideshows declined in popularity around the early ‘50s; a combination of television’s rise and the passage of laws forbidding such public exploitation.

Other notes

• Believe it or not, “Freaks” was a passion project for director Tod Browning. At age 16, Browning ran away from home to join the circus (honest!), performing as a clown and occasionally in the sideshow as “The Living Corpse”. Years later, Browning was a successful film director at MGM, and convinced the studio to buy the rights to the short story “Spurs”. “Freaks” was not greenlit until after Browning directed “Dracula” on loan to Universal, and MGM wanted their talent to make them an equally successful horror movie. “Freaks” is not what any of the higher-ups had in mind.
• The original plan was to cast bigger names like Victor McLaglen, Myrna Loy, and Jean Harlow as the other, non-sideshow characters. Producer Irving Thalberg, who did not want the film to have any stars, nixed this idea. The only one of the eventual leads to continue their film career was Wallace Ford, who spent the next 30 years playing wisecracking tough guys.
• For the record, the couple Hans and Frieda are played by real life siblings Harry and Daisy Earles. For obvious reasons, their characters’ romance was downplayed. Still, what a weird, unnecessary choice.
• If “Freaks” seems a little disjointed (and its 62 minute runtime seems a bit odd), you’re not alone. The film was originally 90 minutes, but disastrous test screenings led to MGM cutting a third of the film. As best I can tell, most of these cuts were dialogue that sympathized more with the sideshow performers and vilified the “normal” characters. Some of that commentary comes across, but it is definitely muted.
• This whole post could be highlighting each cast member. I do, however, want to single out Josephine Waas, aka Josephine Joseph, the Half-Woman Half-Man. Waas highlighted her hermaphrodite biology by splitting her appearance down the middle: male clothing and a hairy leg on one side of her body, female clothing and a shaved leg on the other. There is no evidence to support Waas was a hermaphrodite, and just prior to “Freaks”, her act was prosecuted in England for fraud, with Waas pleading guilty to avoid a trial and medical examination.

• Today in pre-Code era profanity: upon learning about Cleopatra’s ruse with Hans, Venus refers to Cleopatra as “that big horse”, as opposed to…something else.
• The acting in this movie is quite stilted. I suspect it’s a 50/50 split of non-professional acting from the sideshow personalities and ‘30s professional acting that seems wooden under a modern lens.
• Ah, the wedding feast. The sideshow’s initiation of Cleopatra (“We accept her, one of us!”) is a disturbing moment in a movie filled with them.

• The film’s ending also suffered from cuts. The fate of Hercules the strongman was deleted (hint: he now sings falsetto), and a “happier” alternate ending was shot and inserted into the final cut. Despite their best efforts, these alterations still muddle a movie whose message is seemingly, “freaks are people too, but do not mess with them”.

Legacy

• “Freaks” was a critical disaster and a box office flop. MGM pulled the film from theaters before it had completed its run (the only film to receive this distinction) and quickly sold the distribution rights to exploitation filmmaker Dwain Esper. Esper re-released the film under such titles as “Forbidden Love” and “Natures [sic] Mistakes”.
• Following the film’s failure, MGM assigned Tod Browning to B-pictures and never greenlit any of his choices again. Browning only made four films after “Freaks”, retiring after 1939’s “Miracles for Sale”.

• “Freaks” was rediscovered in the early ‘60s when it played at the 1962 Venice Film Festival, and had its 30-year ban in the UK lifted. The film had several “midnight movie” screenings throughout the ‘70s, and has enjoyed a cult following ever since.
• Most of the film’s cast disowned their involvement in “Freaks”, the notable exception being Johnny Eck (“The Amazing Half Boy”), who spoke fondly of his experience. Researching what happened to the cast post-“Freaks” (as well as post-freakshows in general) is thoroughly depressing, so let’s focus instead on “Side Show”, the Broadway musical that celebrates the Hilton sisters. Also depressing, but at least there are songs!

• Easily the most referenced moment from the film is the chant of “One of us! One of us!” Like many classic film moments, this line is so commonplace most people don’t even realize that they’re referencing “Freaks”.