16. Freaks (1932), dir. Tod Browning

[strange_complex]

IMDb page here. Seen round at Daz Towers with big_daz and gillywoo.

This was part one of a double-bill film evening we had last night, which somehow worked itself out so that it centred around the theme of people with severe physical deformities: Freaks followed by The Elephant Man. I'm not sure how that happened, because we'd collectively decided to watch these

Comments

[ms_siobhan]

BBC7 has broadcast an adaptation of The Elephant Man recently - very moving indeed, more so than the film I thought.
I think you're right about the reasoning behind the banning of Freaks - a case of 'out of sight, out of mind' if you ask me.

[strange_complex]

Argh, I wish I'd known! I remember hearing an adaptation of it on Radio 4 about 10 years ago, and I'm betting it's the same one being repeated. I would have loved to hear it again. I don't suppose you know by any chance who played Merrick in it? I remember thinking it was an excellent performance, but never seem to have found out who it was.

[ms_siobhan]

No idea who the actor was I'm afraid, but BBC7 does seem to have lots of things on a very long repeat loop - the Sherlock Holmes dramatisations have been on at least 3 times since 2005. I reckon it will be round again before too long.

[strange_complex]

Righty-ho - I shall keep my ears open!