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| In 1931 Ted Metz secured a contract for Schlitze to appear in the MGM production of "Freaks" which was filmed in Nov and Dec of that year. All the sideshow characters used in the film were "discovered" on the East Coast. All, that is, except for Schlitzie who by then was living in the Los Angeles area. So how did director Tod Browning hear of him? Director Ari Roussimoff has said that Schlitzie was recommended to Browning by armless wonder Paul Dismuke who had previously worked for Browning in the silent film "The Unknown" (1927) and with Schlitzie in another silent film "The Sideshow" (1928), previously mentioned. Because "Freaks" constituted Schlitzie's fifteen minutes of fame the surname "Metz" has become closely associated with Schlitzie who for all intents and purposes never had a surname of his own. Following the making of the film, Ted continued to tour his Aztec Indian show in small fairs and carnivals but finally hit the big time when he got the sideshow rights to the Tom Mix Circus. |
| Close-Up, Cast of "Freaks". Clockwise, lower left: Jenny Lee and Elvira Snow, pinheads; SCHLITZIE; Pete Robinson, human skeleton; Josephine-Joseph, half man-half woman, who at one time had his own Ten-in-One; Olga Roderick "Lady Olga" who dyed her hair and beard for the film, to the chagrin of director Browning and Minnie Woolsey, Koo-Koo, the Bird Girl who was almost totally blind by this time and who once was billed as the "Blind Girl from Mars". |
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| With Wally Ford as "Phroso" in Tod Browning's "Freaks". Ford was only about 172cm (5' 8") tall which gives you a sense of just how small Schlitzy was. "Freaks" was one of Ford's first films in a career that spanned three decades. |
| Schlitzie appeared in the side show of the Tom Mix Circus for seasons 1936, '37 and '38. Ted Metz secured the rights to the side show in the circuses' short three-season run. Hired on by Ted also was veteran talkers George Surtees and his wife Dodi. This unassuming couple were soon destined to become major players in Schlitzie's life story. |
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| author's collection |
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| Tom Mix (1880 - 1940) was Hollywood's first cowboy movie star. He appeared in circuses in the early 30's till be bought his own but ultimately was not successful in it's short three-season tenure. He died in an auto accident in southern Arizona. |
| Fairgrounds, Tom Mix Circus, 1936 |
| This was a ticket to the Circus itself, the "Big Show". The side show or "kid show" was always run as a separate affair under its own canvas and charged it's own admission fees. |
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| (below) Schlitzie and nurse; photo detail, Ed. Kelty photo, Tom Mix Circus 1937 |