All right, I’ve finally seen ‘Freaks,’ and thought it was pretty neat. But startlingly short. I have read that it was originally much longer, but was extensively cut, but don’t know if it’s true.
Were enormous chunks cut from this movie? Does the cut material still exist? Why can’t I find a DVD with this material on it? What was cut? Why? How much?
Here’s what the IMDb says about alternate versions of Freaks:
http://us.imdb.com/Trivia?0022913
even more info.
From this link:
[spoiler]“The film’s original ending showed Hercules singing soprano in Madame Tetralini’s new sideshow, but due to intense test audience reactions this scene was cut.”
I remember reading in Stephen King’s Danse Macabre that Hercules was castrated, but I don’t know if it was shown on screen or if it was just implied. [/spoiler]
(Just thought I’d play it safe and use spoiler tags.)
Hmmm… Gr8Kat, I didn’t know what they ment by that.
http://us.imdb.com/Keywords?0022913
first listed:
(spoiler)
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“castration”
That’s so disappointing- that the footage was lost, I mean, not the Bad Thing that happened to Hercules.
Warner Bros. is planning to release Freaks on DVD in 2004, but to my knowledge they haven’t yet commented on what footage will be included.
As long as it has more footage of Johhny Eck! I’ve had a swell crush on him for ages…
elelle, there’s going to be a movie about just him (and his brother).
But I had to push my jaw back into position when I saw who’s playing them.
Why would the castration of an adult male cause him to sing soprano? The vocal cords would be fully developed by that time.
It’s just Hollywood shorthand. At that time they couldn’t show an actual genital amputation on screen.
From Dark Carnival (a Browning bio):
According to Skal & Savada, none of this material exists anymore (as of 2000, at least).