Johnny Eck and FREAKS
"There is little to be said about Freaks
(1932), Tod Browning's celebrated film, except that it does not merit that
reputation for cruelty accorded it by the litany of belated surrealists.
On the contrary, what I found touching was the human being's prodigious
capacity for adaptation. Seeing the armless man light a cigarette by using
only his mouth leaves us breathless with admiration. This story shows the
infinite ingenuity and the greatness of man. But enough moralizing. Freaks
is a very honest film that can be seen with more pleasure than horror."
Freaks is a basic morality tale about acceptance and our inability to judge character by appearances. The more I research this remarkable film, and public reactions to it, the more food for thought I gather. Below are some interesting links.
Please remember to email me or leave a message in the guestbook if you know of relevant sites I've overlooked.
Joe's
Sideshow
This site has many excellent pictures, and a great short summary/review
of the movie. A great first site to visit.
Internet
Movie Database
This link takes you directly to the IMDb page for Freaks, and provides
links to a review (a nice review, I think) and information on where to
buy the video. The Internet Movie Database is an interactive site, so those
of you who have seen Freaks can vote a rating for the movie, and those
of you with more information about the movie or the people who made it
can submit information. The IMDb is an all-around cool site for anybody
who likes movies.
seattle.sidewalk
Arespectful review by Mark Englehart.
TV Gen
Movie Database
A positive review, cast/crew information, links to buy or rent, and
a still from the film. There are also filmography links for the cast and
crew. The site also has a feedback feature for visitors, but it is highly
disorganized. Anybody who actually posts anything on Freaks, or who plows
through it and finds any coments on Freaks, please make note of it in the
guestbook so the rest of us can take a peek.
The
Cabinet of Dr. Casey Horror Movie Database
This is the Freaks page in the Movie Database section of a site devoted
to the horror genre. Viewers can post their comments on movies. As of my
last visit, only one person had posted comments. Go to it, guys! Let's
support people who get Johnny's flic in front of people in whatever way,
shape, or form.
Mr.
Showbiz Movie Guide
A brief synopsis (with a hilarious concession to politically correct
lingo), and information on how to buy or rent.
Casa
Nada
This is a Spanish language site that has a synopsis, brief biography
of Tod Browning, and a review. My Spanish is limited to what I remember
from mandatory junior high school Spanish class, so I understand very little.
Please stick a note in the guestbook if you visit this link and can understand
what it says. The rest of us would love to be clued in.
FREAKS
A warm review somebody posted.
Freaks Transcript
A transcript of the movie. There are some minor errors, but otherwise
an excellent and interesting place to visit.
HORRENDOUS! Review
A review with a still from the film, on a horror film database.
Cinema of the Fantastic, p. 33-48
Classic Film Collector, Fall 1976, n. 52, p. 57
Classic Images, November 1982, n. 101, pp. 66-67
Classics of Horror Film, pp. 77-79
Dictionary of Films, P. 119
Eighty Years of Cinema, pp. 91-92
Film Daily, July 9, 1932, p. 6
Film Quarterly, Spring 1964, v. 17, pp. 59-61
Film Society newsletter, April 1965, pp. 15-16
Films & Filming, August 1963, v. 9, pp. 22-23
Films in Review, June-July 1971, p. 374
Freaks: Cinema of the Bizarre, pp. 50-59
The Hollywood Professionals, v. 4, pp. 13-14, 35-38, 50
Hollywood Reporter, January 12, 1932, p. 3
Horror in the Cinema, pp. 48-50
Horror Movies (Clarens), pp. 90-94
International Dictionary of Films & Filmmakers, v. 1, pp. 161-162
Judge, August 1932, v. 102, p. 22
Magill's Survey of Cinema, Series II, v. 2, pp. 842-826
Motion Picture, April 1932, v. 43, pp. 30-32+
Motion Picture Herald, July 23, 1932, p. 48
Movie, July-August 1963, v. 11, p. 32
National Board of Review Magazine, March 1932, v. 7, pp. 9-13
New Yorker, July 16, 1932, v.8, pp. 45-46
Outlook, April 1932, v. 160, p. 229
Photon, 1973, n. 23, pp. 24-35
Rob Wagner's Script, February 20, 1932, v. 7, pp. 8-9
Sight & Sound, Summer 1963, v. 32. p. 145
Stories into Film, p. 11-31
Tod Browning
No site on Freaks would be complete without mention of director Tod Browning. Although my introduction to Browning was Freaks, he is best known for directing such horror greats as Bella Lugosi and Lon Chaney. Again, the sites speak for themselves. Also remember that these are but a smattering of the many fascinating Tod Browning sites on the internet. If you find yourself becoming more interested in his career, do a web search. Most sites focus more on his Lugosi and Chaney films. They are well worth a visit, and are far too plentiful for me to list.
Filmography
This link takes you to the Internet Movie Database filmography page.
Prolific fellow, our boy Tod! You can link here to a one-paragraph Browning
biography.
The
Wizard of Odd
A link to a short biographical page, with links, written for a bookseller's
site. Worth a visit.
Baseline's
Encyclopedia of Film
A summary of Browning's career, with prominent mention of Freaks, and
links. It also has the filmography from the Internet Movie Database, without
IMDb's links.
