Freaks
1932, NR, 64 min.
D: Tod Browning; with Wallace Ford, Olgas Baclanova.

The Austin Film Society’s current series examines the horror films from 1930-1960. The first six months of the series highlights classics of the Thirties. Freaks is one of those legendary films, made all the more legendary by its ill-repute over the years. Tod Browning sets this movie among the world of circus freaks, and uses a real troupe for his players. It’s a perverse story, full of psychic S&M, about a band of little people who take revenge on the sexy trapeze artist and her strongman boyfriend who cause harm to one of their members. “Gabba, gabba, hey.” UT film professor Charles Ramirez-Berg will introduce the film.

This article appears in September 17 • 1999.

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Marjorie Baumgarten is a film critic and contributing writer at The Austin Chronicle, where she has worked in many capacities since the paper's founding in 1981. She served as the Chronicle's Film Reviews editor for 25 years.