Cleopatra is a gold digging trapeze artist who seduces sideshow midget Hans for his large inheritance. Fellow midget Frieda is suspicious and jealous of Cleopatra. Sweet Venus breaks up with brutish Strongman Hercules and he starts an affair with Cleopatra. Venus falls for the nice clown Phroso. Hans is completely under Cleopatra's spell and eventually marries her.
This is most notable for the real circus freaks in the movie. It even uses real Siamese twins Violet and Daisy Hilton when it probably doesn't have to. I guess it was horrific at the time but it's more of an oddity today. The acting skills of the freaks vary greatly. Some of them have trouble speaking in a normal voice. Hans' voice is quite squeaky. The story is scattered with some side stories touching on the various freaks showcasing their individual skills. The main story works well as a drama. This isn't really a horror at all.
This is most notable for the real circus freaks in the movie. It even uses real Siamese twins Violet and Daisy Hilton when it probably doesn't have to. I guess it was horrific at the time but it's more of an oddity today. The acting skills of the freaks vary greatly. Some of them have trouble speaking in a normal voice. Hans' voice is quite squeaky. The story is scattered with some side stories touching on the various freaks showcasing their individual skills. The main story works well as a drama. This isn't really a horror at all.