10 Freaks That Inspired The New American Horror Story
7. Schlitzie
Fan favourite Pepper will be returning this season, linking American Horror Story: Asylum to Freak Show. Pepper is afflicted by microcephaly, a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes the skull and brain to be smaller than normal. A popular sideshow performer that also had microcephaly was Schlitzie (alternatively spelled Shlitze or Schlitze). His place of birth, real name and age are unknown. He may have been born as Simon Metz, but he was legally known as Schlitzie Surtees. Not only did the microcephaly affect his head size and shape, but it also caused him moderate to severe intellectual disability. Schlitzie could only perform basic care of himself and spoke in monosyllabic words. However, friends described him as exuberant, happy and talented. At sideshows, microcephalics were marketed as pinheads or missing links. Schlitzie sometimes went by the moniker The Last of the Aztecs. Times were different then, obviously. His most notable work occurred when he appeared in the 1932 film Freaks, along with the Hilton Sisters. The film was banned in the United Kingdom for 30 years, but that didnt stop Schlitzie. He performed with the Tom Mix Circus and was adopted by chimpanzee trainer George Surtees. After Surtees died his daughter committed Schlitzie to a Los Angeles county hospital. (Is this what happened to Pepper?!) He was finally removed and given to the care of another showman who helped him work the circuit into the 1960s. In his twilight years, he became a noteworthy attraction in Hollywood. He enjoyed his final years in the citys beautiful parks, feeding pigeons and performing for the people.
