The sight of this ugly, but at the same time sweet, kind, lively and affable person evokes not so much horror as sympathy and tenderness. He was familiar to most visitors to circus performances and cinemas of the first half of the 20th century. Yes, and our contemporaries also recognize this face: after all, many on the Internet make gifs from frames of films with his participation, and from photos - demotivators … But at the same time, few people know who this person really was.
He remained in history under the name Schlitzie Surtis, but it is possible that his real name was Simon Metz. It is believed that he was born on September 10, 1901 in the New York Bronx, however, this is nothing more than an assumption. The reason for its unusual appearance and strange behavior is a rare disease - microcephaly (malformation of infant development).
People with this disease have a very small skull, and therefore a brain. That is why Schlitzi's height stopped at around 122 cm, and his intellectual development was equated to the level of a 3-year-old child. This terrible disease prevents a person from fully taking care of himself, speaking articulately, and the vocabulary of microcephalics is reduced to a few words or phrases. At the same time, the doctors who observed Schlitzi noted that the patient perfectly perceived what he heard, had an excellent reaction and the ability to imitate.
Microcephalics in the circus were called “pinhead people”. They are usually very good-natured and resemble small children in behavior.
There is no information about his real parents, but historians suggest that the child could be bought by visiting circus performers, and in the future, as a rule, his employers were his guardians. Like many unfortunate people with mental or physical disabilities, Schlitzi performed in a circus, various attractions and shows, but this is a topic for a separate article. Here it is worth noting that the host of the performances, as a rule, called these artists “people - pinheads”, “the missing link of evolution”, and the actor himself was announced as “The Last of the Aztecs” (alluding to the nation that was degenerating by that time), “girl -monkey "or simply" What is it?"
Schlitzi's circus troupe:
Promotional video:
Schlitzie had to perform with midgets, bearded women, Siamese twins, the famous "caterpillar man" and the like, but it was this little freak that the audience remembered for his charming smile and cheerful voice. During his long and vibrant theatrical career, Schlitzi managed to perform on the arena of all the most famous circuses in the United States. But real recognition and success came with a role in the acclaimed 1932 film "Freaks", directed by Tod Browning. The film was about a wandering troupe, and the main roles were played by real circus actors who had physical disabilities.
A scene from the 1932 movie "Freaks":
The release of this "blockbuster" gave rise to fierce controversy among not only film critics, but also many viewers. As a result, the film was removed from the hire for a long thirty years, and Browning had to look for a job for quite a long time. Historians say that Schlitzi managed to star in several more films, including a small role as a "furry mammal" in "Island of Lost Souls" in 1932, as well as a mentally ill criminal in "Children of Tomorrow" in 1934. There were other works in cinema, but little is known about them.
Schlitzi wax figure:
The turning point in Schlitz's career can be considered 1935, when fate brought him together with the chimpanzee trainer George Surtis. He gave him not only a surname, but also surrounded Schlitzi with care and attention. With extraordinary inspiration, the actor performed on the arena of circuses famous throughout the country, but his happiness lasted only until 1965, when his friend, mentor and "father" Surtis died. The trainer's daughter did not want to continue her father's business and further develop the circus business, and Schlitzi was sent to the district mental hospital.
But fate was favorable to the stellar “great fool”: the famous illusionist and sword swallower Bill Unks, who after the tour tried to earn some money, learned that he was in a madhouse. The artist realized that Schlitzi needed to be saved - without the opportunity to participate in the performances, he was in an extremely depressed state. Bill Unks managed to convince the doctors that Schlitzie could continue performing in the circus under the direction of entrepreneur Sam Alexander. This event can be called the second birth of the legendary little actor.
Schlitzi's performances continued until 1968, but pneumonia in 1971 ended the life of the famous freak. The death certificate was issued with the name and surname of Schlitzi Surtis, thus perpetuating not only the unusual actor, but also his mentor and named father.
