#1  
Old 09-10-2014, 12:41 PM
realdealblues's Avatar
realdealblues realdealblues is offline
Guitarist Extraordinaire
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MI
Posts: 1,242
Happy Birthday Schlitzie Surtees (Remembered)

I'd like to remember one of the most memorable actors from Tod Browning's 1932 classic FREAKS. Today is believed to be his birthday. I always found him to one of the most memorable characters in the movie and always thought his story was quite interesting.




Schlitzie (alternatively spelled "Schlitze" or "Shlitze"; September 10, 1901– September 24, 1971), possibly born Simon Metz and legally Schlitze Surtees, was an American sideshow performer and occasional actor, best known for his role in the 1932 movie Freaks and his lifelong career on the outdoor entertainment circuit as a major sideshow attraction with Barnum and Bailey, among others.

Schlitzie's true birth date, name, and location are unknown; it is commonly accepted, at least by what was inscribed on his death certificate and gravesite, that he was born on September 10, 1901, in The Bronx, New York, though some sources have claimed that he was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Claims that he was born in Yucatán, Mexico, are mistaken reflections of Schlitzie's occasional fanciful billing as "The Last of the Aztecs". Schlitzie's identity may never be known, the information having been lost as he was handed off to various carnivals in a long line of mostly informal guardianships throughout his career.

Schlitzie was born with microcephaly, a neurodevelopmental disorder that left him with an unusually small brain and skull, a small stature (he stood about four feet tall (122 cm)), myopia, and moderate to severe mental retardation. It is possible, that these features have been caused by Seckel syndrome. It was said Schlitzie had the cognizance of a three-year-old. He was unable to care fully for himself and could speak only in monosyllabic words and form a few simple phrases. However, he was able to perform simple tasks and it is believed that he could understand most of what was said to him, as he had a very quick reaction time and the ability to mimic. Those who knew Schlitzie described him as an affectionate, exuberant, sociable person who loved dancing, singing, and being the center of attention, performing for anyone he could stop and talk with.

On the sideshow circuit, microcephalics were usually promoted as "pinheads" or "missing links", and Schlitzie was billed under such titles as "The Last of the Aztecs", "The Monkey Girl", and "What Is It?". In some sideshows, he was paired with another microcephalic.

Schlitzie was often dressed in a muumuu and either presented as female or androgynous to add to the mystique of his unusual appearance. Those who knew him alternately used masculine and feminine pronouns. Most sources say that his urinary incontinence, which obligated him to wear diapers, made dresses practical for his care needs. Some who knew him report that he did not develop incontinence until later in life.

The sideshow circuit was a tremendous success for Schlitzie; throughout the 1920s and 1930s he was employed by many upscale circuses, including Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Clyde Beatty Circus, Tom Mix Circus, Crafts 20 Big Shows, and Foley & Burke Carnival.In 1928, Schlitzie made his film debut in The Sideshow, a drama set in a circus, and which featured a variety of actual sideshow performers.

Schlitzie landed his most-known role as an actor in Tod Browning's 1932 iconic horror film, Freaks. Like The Sideshow, Freaks takes place at a carnival, and features a number of genuine sideshow performers: conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, "The Living Torso" Prince Randian, and dwarf siblings Harry and Daisy Earles among them. Schlitzie has a scene of (unintelligible) dialogue with actor Wallace Ford. Two other "pinheads" also appear in the film. When referring to Schlitzie, other actors use feminine pronouns.

When Freaks premiered in 1932, cinema audiences were scandalized by the appearance of sideshow performers. The United Kingdom banned the film for 30 years. The film was a financial failure, and Browning was never hired by a major studio again.

Schlitzie appeared in bit roles in various movies, and is credited with a role in the 1934 exploitation film Tomorrow's Children, as a mentally-defective criminal who undergoes forced sterilization. He is often widely cited as appearing in 1932's Island of Lost Souls, in a seconds-long role as "Furry Mammal", However, there has been some debate about whether the performer in these films is Schlitzie or a lookalike.

While Schlitzie was performing with the Tom Mix Circus in 1935, George Surtees, a chimpanzee trainer with a trained-chimp act in the show, adopted him, becoming his legal guardian. In 1941, Schlitzie appeared in his final film role as "Princess Bibi", a sideshow attraction, in Meet Boston Blackie.

Under Surtees' care, Schlitzie continued performing the sideshow circuit; after Surtees' death in 1965, his daughter, who was not in show business, committed Schlitzie to a Los Angeles county hospital.

Schlitzie remained hospitalized for some time until he was recognized by sword swallower Bill Unks, who happened to be working at the hospital during the off-season. According to Unks, Schlitzie seemed to miss the carnival dearly, and being away from the public eye had made him very depressed. Hospital authorities determined that the best care for Schlitzie would be to make him a ward of Unks' employer, showman Sam Alexander, and return him to the sideshow where he remained until 1968.

In his later years, Schlitzie lived in Los Angeles, occasionally performing on various sideshow circuits both locally and internationally (he frequently performed in Hawaii and London, and his last major appearance was at the 1968 Dobritch International Circus held at the Los Angeles Sports Arena). Schlitzie also became a notable attraction performing on the streets of Hollywood, his caretakers selling his stock carnival souvenir pictures. Schlitzie spent time in his final days living on Santa Monica Boulevard. He liked going to MacArthur Park at Alvarado Street and Wilshire Boulevard where he would visit the lake with his guardian, feeding the pigeons and ducks and performing for passersby.

On September 24, 1971, at age 70, Schlitzie died from bronchial pneumonia at Fountain View Convalescent Home. His death certificate listed his official name as "Shlitze Surtees" and his birth date as 1901.

Schlitzie was initially interred in an unmarked grave at Queen of Heaven Cemetery in Rowland Heights. In 2009, a fan took up a collection to have a marker placed at his grave.

In the 1960s, Freaks was rediscovered and enjoyed a long run as one of the first midnight movies, becoming a cult classic, and in 1994, it was selected by the National Film Registry as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". The film became the public's major exposure to Schlitzie, who remains one of the more memorable characters in the film.

Schlitzie's iconic image has lent itself to many products, including masks, hats, shirts, models, clocks, snow globes and dolls. Additionally, Schlitzie has been cited as an inspiration for Bill Griffith's comic strip Zippy the Pinhead.
__________________
"Well, it sounded like the scream came from down here...you're right, let's go upstairs." - John Triton

Last edited by realdealblues; 09-10-2014 at 12:43 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 09-10-2014, 07:56 PM
neverending's Avatar
neverending neverending is offline
Cranky

 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 12,416
A great tribute. Thank you.
__________________
Lee Widener, Author Website

Cartoon Artwork, Underground Art, Other Weird Stuff
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 09-10-2014, 08:37 PM
roshiq's Avatar
roshiq roshiq is offline
Pirate of Bengal

 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Dhaka
Posts: 8,691
Thumbs up

Freaks always been an all time favorite movie of mine & I always like to admire & know more about every actor & artist behind this movie for putting such brilliant efforts. Thanks a lot for sharing this, realdeal!
__________________
@Letterboxd
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 09-11-2014, 03:39 AM
_____V_____'s Avatar
_____V_____ _____V_____ is offline
For Vendetta
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 31,677
Excellent write-up.

Thanks for sharing. Stickied.
__________________
"If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 09-11-2014, 06:00 AM
Straker's Avatar
Straker Straker is offline
Midnight toker
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Across the pond.
Posts: 2,244


Nice one, RDB... That was a good read.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 09-11-2014, 01:49 PM
realdealblues's Avatar
realdealblues realdealblues is offline
Guitarist Extraordinaire
 
Join Date: May 2012
Location: MI
Posts: 1,242
Thanks. I hoped some of you would enjoy it. He was always very memorable too me.

I was amazed that someone born with his condition would live to be 70 years old. I always thought it was wonderful that George Surtees adopted him and took care of him, but was then also saddened to hear that when he died his daughter had Schlitzie committed to the county hospital.

Then to be found again by what seems like blind chance by another circus performer who recognized him and was able to get him released to spend the rest of his days laughing and dancing and feeding ducks in the park in what seems to have been a happy ending.

Then also saddened once again that it took a until 2009 before a fan would help get him a grave marker, but then happy that someone took the time to make sure he had one.

It's like a "Human Interest Story" you might read about in a newspaper or a magazine, but because of who and what he was, you probably never would.
__________________
"Well, it sounded like the scream came from down here...you're right, let's go upstairs." - John Triton
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 09-15-2014, 05:42 AM
FryeDwight FryeDwight is offline
Evil Dead
 
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New Hampshire
Posts: 2,855
Nice write up...FREAKS is a amazing film and my heart goes out to a lot of the cast. Stuff we take for granted would have been difficult for them.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 09:27 AM.