JimStinson
10-11-2012, 10:42 AM
I happened to purchase an old autograph book (album) that was mostly baseball and happened to have some entertainment autographs. As sometimes happens there are names I've never heard of , As was the case when I came across this page signed by Violet and Daisy Hilton (pictured here) . I did some online research and was amazed , an interesting and tragic story.
Violet and Daisy Hilton are most famous for appearing in Tod Browning’s 1932 film Freaks. They were also one of the most popular side-show and legit show attractions ever. They worked with Bob Hope (ugh), Harry Houdini and Sophie Tucker, back when such things were still acceptable.
They were born in Brighton, England on February 19, 1908 – with joined buttocks. The bones of their lower spines and hips were fused to each other, and they shared the same blood circulation. Their mother was a barmaid that sold them to a midwife, when they were two weeks old. The midwife, "Auntie" and her husband, "Sir" (they also had a daughter, Edith) taught them to sing, dance, and play the saxophone, piano and clarinet. They exploited the girls from the time they were 3 years old – making them tour circuses, fairs and side-shows, and kept all the proceeds. Violet and Daisy were kept from making any friends, and if they disobeyed "Auntie," they would be beaten mercilessly. At the age of 8, the twins were brought to America.
When "Auntie" finally died, the twins were around 15 years old. They were going to make a run for it after the funeral, but it turned out that they were "willed" to Edith and her husband along with all the other earthly possessions. They were going nowhere. Their new owner never let the girls out of their sight, even sleeping in the same room with them. Eventually, the girls were taken from the circus shows, and brought into vaudeville.
It was Harry Houdini who taught the girls to use their mind power to separate themselves emotionally, giving each of them an individuality. They had to be together physically, but could block the other out totally.
When the girls were 23 years old, they were bizarrely (and falsely) named in a divorce case, and sued for $250,000. "Sir" drove them to meet the lawyers, who instructed "Sir" to step out of the room. Grudgingly, he left them with the lawyer. The twins saw this as their chance. The door was hardly shut on the man, when the twins begged for help from the lawyer. They told him in their meeting that they were treated like slaves, and begged him to help get them free of their "owners." In their own words, "We’ve been lonely, rich girls who were really paupers living in practical slavery." The lawyer took them on as clients – and sneaked them out of their music lesson, and smuggled them into a hotel. Again, in their own words, "We had dresses sent up, and selected no two alike, and all the silly hats we wanted. We could dress and act our age, and no longer be made up as children, with bows in our hair. I, Violet, had always wanted to drink a cocktail. I, Daisy, wanted to smoke a cigarette. We did." They took Edith and "Sir" to court, and came away with their freedom and $100,000. It was nothing compared to what they had earned. They lost millions.
After earning their freedom, they went to Hollywood, to be in Freaks. They also made a film later in their life called Chained for Life. For the next 20 years, the sisters ran their own careers. In 1962- their appeal was decreasing, and they were touring drive-ins throughout the country with the re release of Freaks. Their agent ditched them in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that is where they stayed.
They rented a trailer home for a few weeks, and got a job working for a man who owned a grocery store
Violet and Daisy never spoke about their show business days, and refused interviews and photo ops.
In December of 1968 – Violet caught influenza, and just as she got better, Daisy caught it. They were gone from work for a couple of weeks. It was January 4th of 1969 when their boss and his wife finally went over to the house and banged on the door, and got no answer. They called the police, who pried the door open. Inside, on a hallway floor, they found Daisy and Violet – dead. They were lying on a heating grate, on the hallway floor. They were probably trying to stay warm. They were 60 years old
Violet and Daisy Hilton are most famous for appearing in Tod Browning’s 1932 film Freaks. They were also one of the most popular side-show and legit show attractions ever. They worked with Bob Hope (ugh), Harry Houdini and Sophie Tucker, back when such things were still acceptable.
They were born in Brighton, England on February 19, 1908 – with joined buttocks. The bones of their lower spines and hips were fused to each other, and they shared the same blood circulation. Their mother was a barmaid that sold them to a midwife, when they were two weeks old. The midwife, "Auntie" and her husband, "Sir" (they also had a daughter, Edith) taught them to sing, dance, and play the saxophone, piano and clarinet. They exploited the girls from the time they were 3 years old – making them tour circuses, fairs and side-shows, and kept all the proceeds. Violet and Daisy were kept from making any friends, and if they disobeyed "Auntie," they would be beaten mercilessly. At the age of 8, the twins were brought to America.
When "Auntie" finally died, the twins were around 15 years old. They were going to make a run for it after the funeral, but it turned out that they were "willed" to Edith and her husband along with all the other earthly possessions. They were going nowhere. Their new owner never let the girls out of their sight, even sleeping in the same room with them. Eventually, the girls were taken from the circus shows, and brought into vaudeville.
It was Harry Houdini who taught the girls to use their mind power to separate themselves emotionally, giving each of them an individuality. They had to be together physically, but could block the other out totally.
When the girls were 23 years old, they were bizarrely (and falsely) named in a divorce case, and sued for $250,000. "Sir" drove them to meet the lawyers, who instructed "Sir" to step out of the room. Grudgingly, he left them with the lawyer. The twins saw this as their chance. The door was hardly shut on the man, when the twins begged for help from the lawyer. They told him in their meeting that they were treated like slaves, and begged him to help get them free of their "owners." In their own words, "We’ve been lonely, rich girls who were really paupers living in practical slavery." The lawyer took them on as clients – and sneaked them out of their music lesson, and smuggled them into a hotel. Again, in their own words, "We had dresses sent up, and selected no two alike, and all the silly hats we wanted. We could dress and act our age, and no longer be made up as children, with bows in our hair. I, Violet, had always wanted to drink a cocktail. I, Daisy, wanted to smoke a cigarette. We did." They took Edith and "Sir" to court, and came away with their freedom and $100,000. It was nothing compared to what they had earned. They lost millions.
After earning their freedom, they went to Hollywood, to be in Freaks. They also made a film later in their life called Chained for Life. For the next 20 years, the sisters ran their own careers. In 1962- their appeal was decreasing, and they were touring drive-ins throughout the country with the re release of Freaks. Their agent ditched them in Charlotte, North Carolina, and that is where they stayed.
They rented a trailer home for a few weeks, and got a job working for a man who owned a grocery store
Violet and Daisy never spoke about their show business days, and refused interviews and photo ops.
In December of 1968 – Violet caught influenza, and just as she got better, Daisy caught it. They were gone from work for a couple of weeks. It was January 4th of 1969 when their boss and his wife finally went over to the house and banged on the door, and got no answer. They called the police, who pried the door open. Inside, on a hallway floor, they found Daisy and Violet – dead. They were lying on a heating grate, on the hallway floor. They were probably trying to stay warm. They were 60 years old