Freaks (1932)

A dwarf (Harry Earles) in a traveling carnival sideshow falls under the spell of a glamorous trapeze artist (Olga Baclanova). When she discovers that the dwarf has inherited a huge fortune, she connives to marry him and then poison him to get his money. Loosely based on the short story SPURS by Tod Robbins and directed by Tod Browning (DRACULA). Critically dismissed and a box office flop when first released in 1932, the ensuing years have made FREAKS a much admired classic of horror cinema. The film's ending (an act of revenge) is certainly one of the most disturbing images in horror cinema as is the attack in the rain by the show's "freaks". Over 90 years since the movie's release, it's still an incredibly disturbing film. There's an uncomfortable feeling that its deformed sideshow performers are being exploited that doesn't sit right although many (now) consider it a sympathetic portrait of its "freaks". Some of the acting is terribly crude, notably Henry Victor as Hercules the strongman. Still, a must viewing at least once for anybody interested in horror cinema. The film was originally 90 minutes but MGM edited it down to 72 minutes and alas, the original 90 minute version no longer exists. With Wallace Ford, Leila Hyams and Roscoe Ates.