Bound by Flesh (2012) - full transcript

[ ♪♪ ]

I AM VIOLET HILTON.

THIS IS MY

PROSPECTIVE BRIDEGROOM

MAURICE LAMBERT.

WE TRIED VERY HARD TO PROCURE

A MARRIAGE LICENSE,

BOTH IN THE

STATES OF NEW YORK

AND NEW JERSEY,

BUT WERE REFUSED

IN BOTH PLACES.

I FEEL VERY, VERY UNHAPPY

ABOUT IT

BECAUSE I LOVE MAURICE VERY,

VERY DEARLY

AND HE LOVES ME.

AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON

IN THE WORLD

WHY WE SHOULD BE DENIED

THE PLEASURE OF BEING HAPPY.

[ ROCK MUSIC PLAYS ]

[ twin ]

THE EYES OF THE CURIOUS WORLD

HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON US

ALMOST FROM THE MOMENT

OF OUR BIRTH.

[ Dean Jensen ]

THEY WERE BORN

IN A FEBRUARY NIGHT IN 1908.

[ Amy Fulkerson ]

IN BRIGHTON, ENGLAND,

THEIR MOTHER WAS UNWED.

[ Jensen ]

KATE SKINNER, A GROCERY CLERK,

AND ALSO A BARMAID.

KATE WORKED FOR MARY HILTON,

WHO OPERATED A PUB

AND ALSO WORKED

AS A MIDWIFE,

ALONG WITH

HER HUSBAND, HENRY.

USUALLY GOT THE SERVICE

OF THEIR BARMAIDS FREE

BECAUSE THEY

PROMISED THE YOUNG WOMEN

THAT SHE WOULD BE THERE

TO ATTEND TO THE BIRTHS.

SHE HAD A VERY DIFFICULT LABOR,

STARTED EARLY IN THE MORNING.

THEY LIVED IN ROW HOUSES,

AND BECAUSE SHE WAS TORMENTED,

PEOPLE WERE POUNDING ON

THE WALLS ON EITHER SIDE OF HER

TELLING HER TO SHUT UP.

TWINS ACTUALLY RAN

IN KATE'S FAMILY,

SO IT WASN'T A GREAT SURPRISE

WHEN THE DELIVERY TOOK PLACE

THAT TWINS WERE BORN.

MARY HILTON, OF COURSE,

DETECTED IMMEDIATELY

THAT SOMETHING

WAS PECULIAR HERE.

THEY WERE JOINED BACK-TO-BACK,

AND THEN WHEN KATE DISCOVERED IT

MOMENTS LATER,

SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED,

YOU KNOW, THAT SHE HAD BROUGHT

INTO THE WORLD "FREAKS."

SHE WOULD NOT

EVEN HOLD THE CHILDREN,

MUCH LESS SUCKLE THE CHILDREN.

SHE THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS

A PUNISHMENT FROM GOD.

SHE HAD THESE CHILDREN

OUT OF WEDLOCK.

DR. ROOTH CAME,

AND WHILE THE BABIES

APPEARED VIGOROUS AND HEALTHY,

HE SAID THE TWINS WOULD DIE

IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD.

AT THAT POINT IN HISTORY,

THE MORTALITY RATE

FOR CONJOINED TWINS

WAS PROBABLY SOMETHING LIKE

1,000 DEATHS PER ONE SURVIVAL.

THERE HAD NEVER BEEN

ANY SUCCESSFUL SEPERATIONS.

KATE WAS PROBABLY

SOMEWHAT CHEERED,

KNOWING THAT HER BABIES

WERE GOING TO DIE,

AND PRAYED THAT THEY WOULD

PASS OVER NIGHT.

BUT IN THE MORNING,

THEY WERE ALWAYS THERE,

ALWAYS SQUIRMING.

MARY HILTON VISITED KATE

EVERY DAY

TO BATHE THE BABIES

AND FEED THE BABIES,

AND THE TWINS SEEMED TO BE

GETTING EVER STONGER.

SHE SOLD THE GIRLS

TO MARY HILTON.

[ Jensen ]

INITIALLY, SHE JUST KIND OF

TOOK POSSESSION OF THEM.

ULTIMATELY, THEY WERE

LEGALLY ADOPTED, YES.

DID SHE HAVE GENUINE AFFECTION

FOR THESE LITTLE GIRLS

OR, YOU KNOW, WAS SHE

ALWAYS THINKING THAT PERHAPS

THERE WAS THE OPPORTUNITY

TO DISPLAY THEM,

TO PROMOTE THEM?

[ Jensen ]

SHE WAS A POORLY EDUCATED WOMAN,

BUT A SAVVY WOMAN

AT THE SAME TIME.

SHE SAW FROM THE BEGINNING THAT

THAT THESE TWO LITTLE... THINGS

WERE CASH COWS.

KATE DID ULTIMATELY NAME THEM

DAISY AND VIOLET.

THEY BOTH HAD

ENTIRELY SEPARATE ORGANS.

JUST KIND OF A LITTLE

RIBBON OF FLESH

THROUGH WHICH THE BLOODS

AND FLUIDS WOULD CIRCULATE

FROM ONE TO ANOTHER.

INITIALLY, THEY WERE RATHER

TIGHTLY FASTENED

TO ONE ANOTHER,

BUT AS THEY GREW OLDER,

THAT RIBBON OF FLESH

BECAME MORE

AND MORE ELASTICIZED,

JUST FROM THEIR MOVEMENTS.

[ twin ]

WE SEEM TO MOVE

WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT

BECAUSE WE PROPELLED EACH OTHER.

[ Fulkerson]

MARY WAS A REAL PROMOTER.

SHE HAD A REAL KNACK FOR HOW TO

SORT OF SELL THE STORY,

AND SHE WOULD HAVE

THESE LITTLE PHOTO POSTCARDS,

AND YOU COULD BUY ONE

OF THESE LITTLE POSTCARDS

AS A SOUVENIR,

AND WOULD SET THEM UP

IN ONE OF THE FAMILY ROOMS

OF THE HOME,

AND YOU COULD GO OFF AND,

YOU KNOW, FOR A SMALL FEE,

YOU COULD GO INTO THE HOME,

SEE THE LITTLE GIRLS,

AND IF YOU

WANTED A SOUVENIR,

YOU COULD BUY ONE OF THESE

LITTLE POSTCARDS

AND SEE

THE BRIGHTON UNITED TWINS.

[ Jensen ]

HER PUB WAS CALLED

THE QUEEN'S ARMS.

SHE DISPLAYED THE CHILDREN,

NOW A MONTH OLD OR SO,

IN A BACK ROOM OF THE PUB,

AND PEOPLE COULD COME IN,

AND FOR A COUPLE OF PENCE,

HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO VIEW THE CHILDREN.

SO, IT WAS THIS CONSTANT

STREAM OF PEOPLE

NOW COMING TO THE BAR.

[ Fulkerson ]

ONE OF THEIR FIRST MEMORIES

IS BEING LITTLE GIRLS

IN THE TAVERN

AND HAVING PEOPLE LIFT UP

THEIR DRESSES

AND TESTING CONNECTION

BETWEEN THEM TO PROVE

THAT THEY WERE REALLY CONJOINED.

[ Jensen ]

LITTLE RIBBON OF FLESH WAS

SENSITIVE TO TOUCH,

SO IF SOMEBODY TOUCHED IT,

YOU KNOW,

IT MIGHT BRING ABOUT A MOVEMENT.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND, AT THIS TIME,

WAS A POPULAR SEASIDE RESORT.

THERE WERE WAX MUSEUMS,

BOARDWALKS, A GREAT VARIETY

OF ENTERTAINMENT.

IT WAS A VERY GLITZY PLACE

ON THE SEA.

[ Fulkerson ]

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID

VERY, VERY EARLY,

WHEN THEY WERE QUITE SMALL

WAS APPEAR IN PIT SHOWS,

WHICH WERE POPULAR

AMONG LOWER-CLASS COMMUNITIES.

WHEN YOU WOULD COME IN,

THE PERFORMERS WOULD BE

ON LITTLE STAGES

THAT WERE ONLY SIX INCHES

ABOVE THE GROUND.

AND THERE WOULD BE A RAILING

ALMOST THE LENGTH OF THE TENT

AND THE WIDTH OF THE TENT,

THAT ENCLOSED THESE STAGES.

AND THE PEOPLE THEN

WOULD COME IN

AND LEAN ON THE RAILING.

[ Fulkerson ]

AS BABIES, THEY WEREN'T

DOING MUCH

OTHER THAN BEING IN THIS SPACE

WITH PEOPLE LOOKING

DOWN ON THEM.

IT MUST NOT HAVE BEEN

A VERY ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE.

[ twin ]

OUR EARLIEST MEMORIES

CENTER ABOUT A DOCTOR

PLEADING WITH AUNTIE

TO PERMIT HIM

TO CUT US APART.

DOCTORS ALWAYS WANTED TO POKE

AND PROD,

AND TALK OPENLY

IN FRONT OF THEM

ABOUT SEPARATING THEM.

MAYBE IT WAS PRIMITIVE ENOUGH

THAT ONE OF THEM

WOULD HAVE DIED,

I DON'T KNOW.

AFTER SHE HAD BEEN

IN THE ORIGINAL PUB,

AND THEY HAD SOME MONEY

OFF OF DISPLAYING THE GIRLS,

THEY INVESTED IN

A LARGER PROPERTY.

BUT THAT WAS REALLY

KIND OF SMALL POTATOES.

[ Jensen ]

MARY HILTON,

EVER THE OPPORTUNIST,

DECIDED AFTER

SOME SEVERAL MONTHS

TO ACTUALLY

TAKE THEM ON THE ROAD.

WHEN THEY DECIDE THAT THEY'RE

GOING TO LEAVE ENGLAND

AND TRAVEL

TO OTHER PARTS OF EUROPE,

UM, THEY'RE MAKING APPEARANCES

MORE IN SORT OF THEATERS

AND MORE ESTABLISHED

SORTS OF PLACES.

[ twin ]

THERE WAS A SPEECH

REPEATED TO US DAILY,

OVER AND OVER AGAIN

LIKE A PHONOGRAPH RECORD.

IT WAS SPOKEN BY A BIG,

CURLY-HAIRED WOMAN

WHO BATHED, DRESSED, AND FED US.

SHE NEVER PETTED OR KISSED US,

OR EVEN SMILED.

SHE JUST TALKED.

"YOUR MOTHER GAVE YOU TO ME.

YOU ARE NOT MY CHILDREN."

SHE WOULD REMIND THEM

THAT THEIR MOTHER

DIDN'T WANT THEM.

THAT THEIR MOTHER

HAD GIVEN THEM UP,

AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE

GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING

THAT SHE GAVE THEM.

[ Jensen ]

MARY WAS SORT OF

A CONTROLLING, DEMANDING PERSON,

AND, OF COURSE,

WOULDN'T ALLOW THE TWINS

ANY FREEDOMS AT ALL.

[ twin ]

WE WERE TAUGHT

TO CALL HER "AUNTIE,"

AND EACH OF HER FIVE HUSBANDS

WAS "SIR."

[ Jansen ]

THEY WERE AFRAID OF HER.

BUT LOVE HER?

NO.

THEY RAN AFOUL OF AN

ASSORTMENT OF "SIRS,"

AS THEY WERE CALLING THEM.

USUALLY WHO WERE PROMOTERS.

AND THEY WERE SIMPLY USED

FOR THEIR DRAWING POWER.

THE WOMAN WHO CARED FOR THEM

REALLY DRILLED INTO THEM,

I THINK

THAT THEY WERE GOING TO

BE PERFORMERS,

THEY WERE GOING TO

BE EXHIBITIONED,

THEY WERE GONNA

BE ON THE ROAD

TO MAKE HER MONEY.

THERE WAS A LOT OF BRUTALITY

THAT WAS INVOLVED WITH IT

JUST TO SO-CALLED

KEEP THEM IN LINE.

[ Jensen ]

MARY WOULD GET ANGRY,

TELL THEM THAT THEY

WERE SO REPELLANT.

[ twin ]

HER TEMPER WAS SOMETHING

THAT HER DAUGHTER

OR HER HUSBAND

COULD NOT CONTROL.

AND WHEN WE DISPLEASED HER,

SHE WHIPPED OUR BACKS

AND SHOULDERS

WITH THE BUCKLE END

OF A WIDE BELT.

THEY STARTED SHOWING ELSEWHERE.

[ Philip Morris ]

CIRCUSES AND SIDESHOWS.

THEY BECAME A VERY,

VERY BIG ATTRACTION,

BUT THE GIRLS NEVER

SAW ANY OF THE MONEY.

[ twin ]

AT AN EARLY AGE,

WE WERE TAUGHT TO RECITE,

READ, AND SING.

[ Jensen ]

THEY STUDIED VIOLIN AND PIANO

SAXOPHONES, CLARINETS.

[ Violet ]

IT WAS AMAZING

HOW MUCH TRAINING

WAS CRAMMED INTO OUR

EARLY LIVES.

IN PREPARATION FOR OUR DEBUT

IN BERLIN,

OUR FIRST APPEARANCE

IN A THEATER,

I, VIOLET, PLAYED

"THE PRINCESS WALTZ" --

TWO AND A HALF HOURS

WITHOUT A MISTAKE.

[ Jensen ]

THEY BECAME MULTI-TALENTED

BY THE TIME THEY WERE

6, 7, AND 8.

WAX MUSEUMS WERE ALL OVER

AT THAT TIME.

WAX MUSEUMS USUALLY OFFERED

A VARIETY OF ENTERTAINMENT

THAT CHANGED PERIODICALLY.

SO THEY MIGHT

BRING IN MAGICIANS,

THEY MIGHT BRING IN

VARIOUS "FREAKS."

HOUDINI HAD SEEN THE TWINS

AT THIS WAX MUSEUM,

AND WAS ABSOLUTELY FASCINATED

WITH PEOPLE WITH UNUSUAL

AND EXTREME ANOLMALIES.

HE WAS PARTICULARLY DRAWN

TO DAISY AND VIOLET.

NOT ONLY DID THEY HAVE

THIS CURIOUS ANOMALY --

VERY RARE FOR CONJOINED TWINS

IN THAT PERIOD

TO EVEN HAVE REACHED THE RIPE

OLD AGE OF 6 OR 7 OR 8.

BUT THEY WERE ALSO SUCH FETCHING

THINGS TO LOOK AT.

LIKE ONE OF RAPHAEL'S PAINTINGS

OF CHERUBS.

THEY WERE THAT LOVELY.

IF YOU GO BACK TO THE TURN

OF THE CENTURY,

TO THE '20s AND '30s,

IF SOMEONE HAD A DEFORMITY,

NORMALLY YOU DID NOT

SEE THAT PERSON

OUT ON THE STREET.

THE PARENTS WOULD MAYBE

RAISE THE CHILD,

BUT WOULD NOT TAKE THEM

OUT IN PUBLIC.

BUT HERE ARE TWO GIRLS

THAT ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS --

I MEAN, JUST MARVELOUS --

AND IF ANYBODY SAW THEM,

THEY WOULD JUST FALL

IN LOVE WITH THOSE GIRLS.

THOSE OLD DIME MUSEUMS

THAT THEY PERFORMED IN AS KIDS,

THE AUDIENCE COULD BE TOUGH.

I MEAN, HERE YOU ARE --

GORGEOUS YOUNG GIRLS,

OUT THERE ON STAGE,

APPEALING TO NOT ONLY THE FANCY

OF ALL THE YOUNG MEN

IN THE AUDIENCE

FOR LEGITIMATE REASONS,

BUT ALSO FOR

PRETTY FREAKY REASONS.

IKE ROSE WAS THE OPERATOR

OF ROSE'S MIDGETS,

A TROUP OF PERFORMING MIDGETS.

[ Jensen ]

IKE ROSE VISITED MARY

AND ASKED FOR AN OPPORTUNITY

TO REPRESENT THE HILTON TWINS,

AND MARY AGREED TO THAT.

AT THIS POINT, THEY WERE CALLED

THE BRIGHTON UNITED TWINS.

THEY PLAYED IN SOME

QUITE IMPRESSIVE VENUES,

CONCERT HALLS,

MUSICAL THEATERS,

AND IKE ROSE, AT THE SAME TIME,

WAS REPRESENTING

THE BLAZEK SISTERS,

WHO WERE ALSO CONJOINED TWINS.

THE BLAZEKS WERE GROTESQUE,

ALMOST,

THEY WAY THEY WERE

JOINED TOGETHER.

SOMETIMES IKE WOULD SHOW

BOTH DAISY AND VIOLET

AND THE BLAZEK SISTERS

IN THE SAME VENUES.

IKE ROSE PREVAILED

ON MARY HILTON

TO TAKE THE PAIR TO AUSTRALIA.

THEY HAD INITIALLY BEEN

BROUGHT DOWN

TO A PIER AT LUNA PARK

IN AUSTRALIA.

AND WHEN THAT VENTURE FAILED

AND IT LOOKED LIKE THEY WEREN'T

GOING TO MAKE THE MONEY

THAT THEY HAD BEEN PROMISED...

[ Jensen ]

IKE ROSE DROPPED

FROM THE PICTURE.

THEY HOOKED UP

WITH ANOTHER SHOW,

AND THEY STARTED TRAVELING

ACROSS AUSTRALIA.

[ Jensen ]

TRAVELING WAS JUST HORRENDOUS.

THE INTERIOR OF AUSTRALIA,

FRYING-PAN HEAT,

TRAVELING BY TRAIN

AND BY HORSE-DRAWN WAGON,

AND IT WAS WHILE THEY WERE OUT

IN THE OUTBACK

THAT THEY MET MYER MYERS,

WHO WAS ESSENTIALLY

A BALLOON SALESMAN.

HE WAS INSTANTLY ENAMORED

OF THE TWINS.

MYER MYERS, ANOTHER PERSON

THAT WAS VERY SAVVY.

ASKED MARY HILTON, YOU KNOW,

IF HE COULD BEGIN

TROUPING WITH THEM.

MARY WOULD HAVE BEEN

WELL INTO HER 50's.

[ Fulkerson ]

MARY WASN'T VERY HAPPY

TRAVELING ACROSS THE OUTBACK.

THERE WERE CERTAIN TROUBLES

THAT, YOU KNOW,

SHE WASN'T QUITE PREPARED FOR.

[ Jensen ]

SHE WAS THERE

IN THIS DESOLATE COUNTRY

WITH HER DAUGHTER, EDITH,

AND HERSELF,

SO SHE NEEDED SOMEBODY ELSE.

HE KIND OF TAKES ON

THIS SORT OF PROTECTION ROLE

FOR MARY.

HE MET EDITH,

MARY HILTON'S DAUGHTER,

AND REALLY PURSUED THAT

AS A RELATIONSHIP.

[ twin ]

WE THOUGHT THAT EVEN WHEN

HE BEGGED AUNTIE TO LET HIM

MARRY EDITH,

HIS EYES WERE CRUEL.

EDITH WAS VERY MUCH

A MATERNAL FIGURE TO THE GIRLS.

THE TWINS WERE MUCH FONDER

OF HER

THAN THEY WERE

OF MARY HILTON.

DAISY HAD A TWISTED LIMB.

ONE LEG WAS BENT OR SOMETHING,

AND SHE WAS

KIND OF HALF-CRIPPLED,

AND SHE TALKED ABOUT

HOW SHE WOULD RUB IT NIGHTLY

WITH LINIMENT, AND, YOU KNOW,

HAVE HER EXERCISE,

AND FINALLY THE LIMB

STRAIGHTENED OUT.

[ Jensen ]

EDITH WAS IN HER

MIDDLE-TO-LATE 20s.

SHE HAD ABOUT AS MANY CURVES

AS A CORNSTALK.

HE HIMSELF

WAS PNEUMATICALLY ENLARGED

BECAUSE HE WAS JUST

THIS KIND OF, LIKE, ROUND MAN.

VERY SHORT, BUT VERY STOUT.

AND ONCE HE'S MARRIED TO EDITH,

HE REALLY STARTS TO

ASSERT HIS INFLUENCE

OVER HOW THEY'RE MANAGED.

[ Jensen ]

THEY STARTED SHOWING

AT COUNTRY FAIRS

WHAT WE WOULD NOW CALL

THE STATE FAIR

AND THE COUNTY FAIR --

ALL THOSE FAIRS THAT WE

THINK ABOUT NOW

AS BEING PRINCIPALLY

ABOUT CARNIVALS AND RIDES.

BUT IN THEIR DAY,

IN THEIR BIRTH,

THEY WERE ALL ABOUT FARM FOLK

GETTING TOGETHER

AT THE TIME OF HARVEST

AND CREATING THE FAIR,

NOT ONLY TO SELL THEIR PRODUCE,

BUT ALSO COMPETE, AND

WERE ENTERTAINED THEREBY.

BECAUSE IT WAS

THE PERFECT EXCUSE

FOR THE CARNIVAL FOLK

WHO WERE LOOKING FOR A PLACE

TO MAKE THEIR MONEY,

TO BE ATTRACTED TO

THOSE STATE AND COUNTY FAIRS.

MYER WAS A BIG REASON WHY

THEY ACTUALLY CAME

TO THE UNITED STATES.

ABOUT 1915, THEY LANDED

IN SAN FRANCISCO.

THEY GOT TO ANGEL ISLAND.

ANGEL ISLAND, OF COURSE,

IS LIKE ELLIS ISLAND.

THEY'D HAVE TO PASS

THROUGH CUSTOMS

TO GET INTO THE COUNTRY.

WHEN THE TWINS GOT OFF THE BOAT,

THE AUTHORITIES INITIALLY

REFUSED TO PERMIT THEM

TO ENTER THE COUNTRY.

SO THEY WERE HELD THERE

FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

MARY, AGAIN, VERY SHARP WOMAN,

WENT INTO SAN FRANCISCO

AND STARTED TALKING

TO THE NEWSPAPER PEOPLE THERE,

AND IT BECAME A BIT OF

A CAUSE CèLéBRE

THAT THESE POOR LITTLE CHILDREN

WERE BEING HELD IN CONFINEMENT.

ULTIMATELY, THE AUTHORITIES

AGREED TO LET THE TWO

INTO THE COUNTRY.

ONCE THEY WERE IN

AND WERE BOOKING GIGS,

YOU REALLY SEE

MYER AND MARY WORKING JOINTLY

TO TRY TO PROMOTE THE GIRLS.

THEY BEGAN RECEIVING OFFERS,

AND ONE OF THEM CAME FROM

A TRAVELING CARNIVAL,

CLARENCE WORTHAM'S

WORLD OF WONDER.

C.A. WORTHAM --

CLARENCE A. WORTHAM --

WAS THE KING OF THE CARNIVALS,

AND BY 1910 TO 1920,

HE HAD THE MOST-RECOGNIZED,

LARGEST CARNIVAL

IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE WORTHAM SHOW WAS

A MIDWESTERN SHOW.

NORTH AND SOUTH, ON UP TO CANADA

TO TORONTO.

CARNIVALS WERE AN OUTGROWTH

OF THE COLUMBIAN

WORLD'S EXPOSITION

IN CHICAGO IN 1893, '94.

THEY CALLED THE WHITE CITY

"THE COLUMBIA EXPOSITION."

THEY HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF SHOWS.

THEY HAD TWO RIDES.

ONE WAS A WATER RIDE.

ONE WAS THE ORIGINAL

FERRIS WHEEL.

THE REST WERE ALL SHOWS.

THEY WERE ALL

INDEPENDENTLY OWNED,

AND THEY HAD BEEN BOOKING

AFFAIRS IN OTHER PLACES.

WHEN ALL THOSE ASSORTED

DIME MUSEUM OPERATORS

UM, WHICH WERE

PREMIERE FORMS OF ENTERTAINMENT

IN THE 19th CENTURY,

CIRCUSES WHICH TRAVELED

AND DIME MUSEUMS,

WHICH COST A DIME TO GET IN.

THINK "RIPLEY'S

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!"

AND ROADSIDE ATTRACTIONS --

THAT'S THE KIND OF THING

THAT WERE DIME MUSEUMS --

SMASHED TOGETHER

WITH THE SMITHSONIAN,

BECAUSE YOU SAW ITEMS

OF NATURAL WONDER,

AND ITEMS OF FREAKISH WONDER,

AND LIVE PERFORMANCE.

WHEN THEY ALL WERE TOGETHER

FOR THOSE TWO YEARS

THEY GOT TOGETHER --

THEY GOT ACQUAINTED

WITH ONE ANOTHER,

AND THEY DECIDED,

"INSTEAD OF US SPLITTING UP,

GOING OUR SEPARATE WAYS,

LET'S STAY ORGANIZED."

IF THEY COULD CLUMP TOGETHER

AND MOVE LIKE CIRCUSES

AND CREATE CARNIVAL --

"OH, WE CAN

MAKE MONEY OFF OF THIS

BECAUSE RURAL AMERICA

HAS NO OTHER

FROM OF ENTERTAINMENT."

IT'S BEFORE MOVIES,

IT'S BEFORE RADIO,

IT'S BEFORE TV,

IT'S BEFORE ANY OF THAT STUFF.

IT'S BEFORE MOST TOWNS EVEN

HAVE A THEATER.

AND THIS WAS THE START

OF CARNIVALS

AS WE KNOW THEM.

WHEN YOUR CIRCUS

CAME TO TOWN,

THAT DREW THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

FROM THE COMMUNITY.

NOW CARNIVAL COMES INTO THE MIX,

AND THE CARNIVAL IS DRAWING

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE.

THERE WAS AN AREA THAT WAS

MIDWAY BETWEEN

ONE PART OF THE FAIR

AND THE OTHER.

THAT'S WHERE ALL THESE SIDESHOWS

AND THE BIG WHEEL SAT.

THE CIRCUS CREATED THE MIDWAY,

BECAUSE FROM THAT BIG TOP

TO THE MARQUEE OUT FRONT

TO THE FRONT DOOR,

THAT'S THE MIDWAY

TO THE BIG SHOW.

OF COURSE, WHAT A CARNIVAL DID

WAS REALIZE,

"YOU KNOW, WE COULD

MAKE AN ENTIRE LIFE

OFF OF THE MIDWAY."

I REMEMBER... THE SIDESHOW

VERY WELL

BECAUSE, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW,

THE SWORD SWALLOWER

WHO USED TO GET DRUNK

AND BURN HIS THROAT,

AND FAT LADIES, FISH AND HUMANS,

MERMAIDS, WHICH WERE NOT,

OF COURSE.

IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.

SIDESHOW IS SEEN AS THIS

AMAZINGLY AMERICAN INSTITUTION,

BUT IN FACT, OF COURSE,

ITS ROOTS ARE ANCIENT.

I MEAN, ANY TIME PREHISTORICALLY

SOMEBODY SAID, "HEY, COME HERE.

I GOT SOMETHING REALLY WEIRD

TO SHOW YOU,

THAT'S THE BIRTH OF SIDESHOW,

ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE GOING TO

CHARGE YOU MONEY TO LOOK --

THE PERFORMANCE

OF SUCH WEIRD THINGS

AS SWORD SWALLOWING

AND EATING HORRIBLE THINGS

TO PROVE TO PEOPLE

THAT YOU CAN DO IT.

BUT REALLY THE SIDESHOW IS ONLY

ABOUT 100 YEARS OLD

IN THE UNITED STATES.

SO, EVERY CARNIVAL

HAD A SIDESHOW.

EVERY FAIR HAD A SIDESHOW.

EVERY CIRCUS --

AND THERE WERE

30 CIRCUSES IN OPERATION

IN THOSE YEARS --

EVERY CIRCUS HAD A SIDESHOW.

MOST OF THEM HAD SOME FREAKS.

IF YOU WERE LUCKY AND YOU HAD

FOUR OR FIVE LEGITIMATE FREAKS,

THOSE WERE YOUR STARS,

BUT YOU FILLED IT IN

BECAUSE YOU HAD TO

HAVE ENTERTAINMENT.

YOU ALWAYS HARD-SELL THE FREAK

ON THE FRONT OF THE SHOW.

YOU WANT PEOPLE TO THINK

THAT THEY'RE GONNA COME IN

AND SEE 80 TURTLE BOYS,

14 PAIRS OF SIAMESE TWINS --

I MEAD YOU GOT TO DO THAT

BECAUSE WHETHER PEOPLE

LIKE TO ADMIT IT OR NOT,

FREAKERY SELLS.

'CAUSE YOU ONCE YOU

GET THEM INSIDE,

IT'S 50 CENTS TO GET IN

AND $50 TO GET OUT.

BECAUSE EVERY ACT

IS SELLING YOU SOMETHING.

THE HILTON SISTERS --

THEY'RE SELLING

THAT AUTOBIOGRAPHY.

WHAT YOU PRINCIPALLY SEE

IN A SIDESHOW

IS NOT FREAK ACTS AT ALL.

WHAT YOU SEE ARE WHAT THEY CALL

WORKING ACTS.

YOU KNOW, AN ACCORDION PLAYER,

HAWAIIAN BANDS, GLASS BLOWERS.

I MEAN, ALL THIS WACKY STUFF

WAS IN SIDESHOWS

BECAUSE ALL THOSE THINGS

WERE EXOTIC.

THEY'RE AMAZING ACTS.

SOME WOULD ARGUE THEY'RE THE

MOST ENTERTAINING THING

MOST ENTERTAINING THING

IN THE SIDESHOW.

THE FREAK PERFORMERS DIDN'T DO

ALL THAT THE HILTON SISTERS

COULD DO.

A LOT OF THE FREAKS JUST

STOOD UP AND SAID

"LOOK AT ME. HERE I AM."

THEY DID ONE THING

BECAUSE THEIR ACT IS SUPPOSED

TO TAKE FIVE MINUTES.

AND THEN YOU GO TO

THE NEXT GUY

AND YOU GET FIVE MINUTES,

AND YOU GO TO THE NEXT PERFORMER

AND YOU GET FIVE MINUTES.

THE FREAKS WOULD BE SEATED

ON THE STAGE

THROUGHOUT THE SHOW.

AND YOU WALK DOWN

THROUGH THAT SHOW,

USUALLY YOU'RE LED

BY THAT INSIDE TALKER,

OR THE INSIDE LECTURER,

USUALLY THE MAGICIAN

BECAUSE HE'S THE MOST

DISPOSABLE COMMODITY

ON THE SIDESHOW.

PEOPLE DRANK AND PEOPLE

GOT UPPITY.

PERCILLA THE MONKEY GIRL

AND HER HUSBAND,

EMMETT THE ALLIGATOR-SKIN MAN,

LITERALLY HAD A SIGN

THAT THEY KEPT RIGHT IN FRONT

OF THE PLATFORM THAT SAYS,

"IF YOU WILL BE QUIET

AND BEHAVE,

WE WILL GIVE YOU A GOOD SHOW."

THE BORN FREAKS WERE THE ROYALTY

IN THOSE SHOWS.

THOSE WERE THE PEOPLE

THAT DREW THE CUSTOMERS

TO THE CARNIVAL.

THEY GOT THE LION'S SHARE

OF THE MONEY.

THE TWO HIGHEST-PAID PEOPLE

ON THE SHOW

WERE ALWAYS THE BORN FREAK

AND THE GUY WHO OWNED THE SHOW.

AND SOMETIMES THE GUY

WHO OWNED THAT SHOW

MIGHT TAKE A HIT

ON THE MONEY

TO MAKE SURE

THAT THE BORN FREAKS

STAYED LOYAL TO THE SHOW,

BECAUSE IF YOU COULDN'T PAY 'EM,

THEY'RE LEAVING.

THEY'RE OUT OF THERE.

BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN GET

BIG MONEY FROM ANY SIDESHOW.

AND, OF COURSE, THE HILTON

SISTERS CERTAINLY COULD.

THE OLD LINE

FROM THE BORN FREAKS,

ALL THE ONES I EVER INTERVIEWED,

WHO'D BEEN IN THE BUSINESS

IN THE HEYDAY

BETWEEN WORLD WAR I

AND WORLD WAR II,

ALL OF THEM TOLD ME --

EVERY LAST ONE OF THEM --

"A," IF THEY COULD STILL DO IT,

AND IT WAS STILL LIKE IT WAS,

THEY'D STILL BE DOING IT,

AND "B," "I GOT PAID

TO BE UP THERE.

THEY HAD TO PAY MONEY

TO LOOK AT ME."

GIVEN THE ALTERNATIVES

TO WORKING IN

THE SIDESHOW BUSINESS

FOR A LOT OF THOSE PERFORMERS,

THERE WASN'T MUCH ELSE

OTHER THAN HOPING THE GOVERNMENT

OR YOUR FAMILY

WOULD TAKE CARE OF YOU.

IT'S JUST THE HILTON SISTERS,

OVER THEIR LONG CAREERS,

TRAINED TO BE MANY,

MANY DIFFERENT THINGS,

WITH THE HOOK BEING,

"LOOK. WE'RE CONJOINED."

THERE WERE FREAKS

WHO HAD TO PERFORM

TO SHOW WHAT THEY COULD DO.

ARMLESS WONDERS.

IT WAS REALLY JUST DOING THINGS

THEY NORMALLY WOULD DO

IN THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES.

I RAN FREAK SHOWS

FOR MANY YEARS,

AND I ALWAYS PREFERRED

THAT THE PEOPLE DID SOME

KIND OF AN ACT

TO ENTERTAIN.

HANDICAPPED PEOPLE,

IF YOU WANT TO CALL THEM THAT,

ON THE SIDESHOW CERTAINLY

WERE NEVER MISTREATED.

THEY WERE OUR STARS.

YOU DON'T MISTREAT YOUR STARS.

THEY WERE THE ONES WHO WERE

MAKING YOU A LIVING,

AND IN CHANGE

YOU MADE THEM A LIVING.

THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IN

THOSE SIDESHOWS

FOUND COMMUNITY AND CAMARADERIE

WITH OTHER PEOPLE

THAT HAD TO GO THROUGH

THE SAME CHALLENGES IN LIFE

THAT THEY DID.

DAISY AND VIOLET VERY EARLY ON

WERE STILL SET APART

FROM OTHER SIDESHOW PERFORMERS

WHO WEREN'T ALLOWED

TO REALLY INTERACT WITH THEM

IN THE SAME WAY

WHEN THEY WERE CHILDREN,

IN LARGE PART,

BECAUSE OF MYER MYERS.

HE DIDN'T WANT THEM TO HAVE

THAT STIGMA OF BEING FREAKS.

"YES, WE'RE GOING TO

DISPLAY THE GIRLS,

AND YES, WE'RE GOING TO

MAKE MONEY OFF OF THEM,

BUT THEY'RE NOT FREAKS."

AND SO THEY ALWAYS SORT OF HAD

A DIVISION BETWEEN THEM.

I FELT A KIND OF SORROW

AT THIS WHOLE THING.

THEY WERE VERY SAD PEOPLE.

MOST OF THEM DRANK TOO MUCH

OR THEY -- THEY JUST --

THEY HAD PROBLEMS,

WHICH YOU CAN IMAGINE,

BEING EXPLOITED.

IT WAS A VERY DEBASING,

A VERY NASTY WAY

TO MAKE MONEY.

BUT THESE WERE VERY MISERABLE,

UNHAPPY PEOPLE.

I DON'T KNOW A HAPPY FREAK.

[ Daisy ]

IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA,

AUNTIE DIED, AND AS WE

LOOKED AT HER

OUR FIRST CORPSE,

THE CUNNING AND SHREWDNESS

SEEMED OUT OF HER FACE.

I, DAISY, DID NOT CARE

THAT SHE WAS DEAD.

"WHY CRY?" I ASKED VIOLET.

"WE HATED HER FOREVER.

[ Violet ]

"I'M AFRAID WITHOUT HER,"

I, VIOLET, ANSWERED,

"NOW SIR WILL BOSS US."

[ Daisy ]

LET'S RUN AWAY.

[ Jensen ]

THEIR EXISTENCES THEN

WERE ALMOST DICKINSIAN

IN THE SENSE THAT THEY WERE

SO FULLY CONTROLLED

BY MYER MYERS.

HE WAS REALLY

A QUITE HATEFUL MAN.

[ Fulkerson ]

AFTER MARY HILTON'S DEATH,

HE HAD TOTAL CONTROL

AT THAT POINT

OVER WHAT WAS HAPPENING

WITH THEIR CAREERS.

[ Jensen ]

HE THOUGHT HE

WAS INHERITING THEM.

[ twin ]

WILLED AS AN OLD RING

OR A CHAIR?!

IT COULDN'T BE!

[ Myers ]

SEE HEAR, AUNTIE LEFT YOU TO US.

YOU AND HER JEWELRY

AND HER FURNITURE ARE OURS.

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!

ANTICIPATED THAT,

AS HELLISH AS THEIR LIVES

HAD BEEN,

THINGS WERE GOING TO GET

EVEN WORSE.

HE HAD A TERRIBLE TEMPER,

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING

THAT EVEN HIS WIFE ADMITTED.

IF THEY DIDN'T DO THINGS RIGHT,

THEY GOT PUNISHED,

THEY GOT HIT,

THEY GOT SLAPPED.

[ twin ]

WE HAD TO WORK AS HARD,

AND THE ONLY PRIVACY

WE WERE TO HAVE

WAS IN OUR MINDS.

THE NEW OWNERS SLEPT

IN THE SAME ROOM WITH US.

WE WERE NEVER

OUT OF THEIR SIGHT.

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY ALWAYS HAD TO LIVE

WITH HIM AND EDITH,

AND WHEN THEY WERE TRAVELING,

THEY WOULD STAY

IN THE SAME HOTEL ROOM.

HE WAS VERY PROTECTIVE

THAT HE DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY

TO SEE THEM

WHEN THEY WEREN'T PERFORMING.

HE WANTED THEM TO PAY

TO COME AND SEE THE GIRLS

AND TO KEEP THIS AURA

OF MYSTERY AROUND THEM.

[ Jensen ]

OTHER FREAKS WERE SO TROUBLED

BY THE TREATMENT THAT DAISY

AND VIOLET WERE RECIEVING

FROM MYER MYERS THAT,

IN EFFECT, THEY REBELLED.

THEY REFUSED TO WORK.

IT WAS SORT OF LIKE A SIT-DOWN

STRIKE BY THE FREAKS.

AND THEY MADE THE DECISION THAT

THE MIDWAY WAS CLOSED

TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

AND THE WHOLE JOINT

WAS DAISY AND VIOLET'S.

THEY WERE SORT OF PRINCESSES

FOR THE DAY.

[ Fulkerson ]

MOST OF THE TIME,

THEY WERE WORKING,

AND IF THEY WEREN'T WORKING

AND SPENDING TIME

WITH EDITH AND MEYER,

THEY WERE HONING THEIR CRAFT.

THEY WERE TAKING DANCE LESSONS,

THEY WERE TAKING MUSIC LESSONS,

AND SINGING LESSONS, AND...

EVERYTHING THAT THEY DID

WAS ABOUT THE SHOW,

ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE,

TO MAKE MORE MONEY

FOR EDITH AND MEYER.

WHEN THEY WERE ON STAGE,

HAD THIS REALLY SORT OF

WITTY REPARTEE WITH EACH OTHER.

THAT'S -- THAT'S INBORN.

I THINK EVEN IF THEY HADN'T BEEN

CONJOINED TWINS,

THAT THEY MIGHT

HAVE BEEN DRAWN TO SHOW BUSINESS

IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM.

EVERY TIME YOU SEE A CHILD STAR,

THERE'S LIKELY SOMEONE

BEHIND THAT CHILD STAR

WHO MAYBE IS HELPING

THE KID ACCOMPLISH

WHAT THE KID WANTED TO DO...

BUT IS PROBABLY

IN 10 OR 15N YEARS

GOING TO COME UP

ON THE WRONG END

OF A LAWSUIT THAT GETS FILED.

THEY WERE SIMPLY USED

FOR THEIR MONEY,

AND GIVEN, IN ESSENCE,

A PITTANCE IN RETURN.

[ Rosengren ]

THEY WERE REALLY CASH COWS

FOR THE MYERS.

AND THEY WERE LOW

TO LET GO OF 'EM,

AND THEY KEPT THEM VERY,

VERY CONFINED.

MY MOTHER AND DOROTHY, MY AUNT,

AND A FEW OTHER PEOPLE WERE

THE ONLY ONES ALLOWED

CLOSE TO THEM.

THEY WERE WORKING WITH

THE WORTHAM CARNIVALS,

AND THEY CAME TO DO A STAND

IN SAN ANTONIO AS

AS PART OF --

WE CALL IT FIESTA NOW,

BACK THEN IT WAS CALLED

THE SPRING CARNIVAL.

[ Jensen]

SAN ANTONIO WAS A GREAT

WINTERING PLACE

FOR BOTH CIRCUSES AND CARNIVALS.

[ Fulkerson ]

MEYER REALLY LIKED

SAN ANTONIO

AND WHEN THEY ENDED THEIR RUN

WITH WORTHAM

AND COME BACK TO SAN ANTONIO

IN THE OFF-SEASON,

HE HAS THIS DREAM

THAT HE'S GOING TO BECOME

A WEALTHY TEXAS RANCHER.

HE CERTAINLY MADE QUITE A BIT

OF MONEY

OFF OF MANAGING

DAISY AND VIOLET,

THOUGH HE DID NOT BECOME

A RANCHER, BY ANY MEANS.

HE CERTAINLY INVESTED IN A LOT

OF PROPERTIES AROUND THE AREA.

AND WHILE HE WAS HERE

IN SAN ANTONIO,

HE BUILT A VERY LARGE MANSION.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT A

$5- OR $6-MILLION HOUSE NOW.

[ Jensen ]

SORT OF JAPANESE-INFLUENCED,

BRICK HOME.

GREAT CIRCULAR DRIVEWAY.

GREENHOUSES, FOUNTAINS.

[ twin ]

WE COULD NEVER ENJOY

THE MAGNIFICENT,

SPLENDID ESTATE,

LET ALONE CALL IT OUR OWN HOME.

DURING PERIODS,

THE SERVANTS WERE FIRED

AND WE DID THE CLEANING.

"YOU NEED THE EXERCISE,"

WE WERE TOLD COLDLY.

WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY,

RIDING IN THE CAR WITH MY MOTHER

DOWN VANCE JACKSON ROAD, SHE --

WHEN WE WOULD PASS THIS

BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL HOUSE,

MANSION, SHE WOULD SAY,

"THAT'S WHERE THE SIAMESE TWINS

USED TO LIVE."

[ Jensen ]

PEOPLE WERE PAYING

TO SEE THE TWINS,

MAYBE 15 CENTS OR SO.

GREAT STREAMS OF THEM WERE GOING

INTO THE TOWN.

SO, YEAH, HE WAS MAKING

AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY.

I NEVER SAW THEM

WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

THEY NEVER WENT TO SCHOOL,

FOR ONE THING.

[ Fulkerson ]

MYER MYERS TAKES THE GIRLS

TO NEW YORK TO TRY TO GET THEM

IN VAUDEVILLE.

[ Jensen ]

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN

IN THE MID '20s.

THE TWINS NOW WOULD HAVE BEEN

16, 17.

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY'D GOTTEN

QUITE A FEW REJECTIONS.

NOBODY COULD SEE WHERE

A SIAMESE TWIN ACT

WOULD FIT

INTO THE VAUDEVILLE SCENE.

MYER MYERS HAD STAGED

THIS LITTLE SHOWCASE

TO KIND OF TRY

TO GET INTEREST IN THEM,

AND, UNFORTUNATELY,

THEY GOT OUT ON THE STAGE

AND THEY KIND OF FROZE UP.

THEY DIDN'T REALLY HAVE

THE PROJECTION AND THE CHARISMA

THAT THEY WOULD LATER

REALLY EMBODY.

DESPITE ALL OF THAT,

THEY DID FIND SOMEBODY

WHO REALLY

TOOK INTEREST IN THEM

AND THOUGHT THAT THEY

HAD POTENTIAL.

[ Jensen ]

TERRY TURNER WAS A BIG FORCE

IN THE WORLD OF ENTERTAINMENT.

HE WOULD PROMOTE

FLAGPOLE SITTERS

AND ALL KINDS OF CRAZY

STUFF LIKE THAT.

HE WAS SMITTEN WHEN HE SAW

THE GIRLS PERFORM

AND TOOK OVER

THE AGENTING OF THE TWINS.

HE REALLY WAS INSTRUMENTAL

IN SHAPING

HOW THEY WOULD BE PRESENTED

TO VAUDEVILLE,

AND WAS THE ONE

WHO REALLY KIND OF

CAME UP WITH THEIR COSTUME

OF THE RINGLETS IN THE HAIR

AND THE BIG BOWS

THAT WERE SORT OF

OUTSIZED TO THEIR TINY,

LITTLE BODIES,

AND THE LITTLE, WHITE,

FRILLY DRESSES.

IF THEY WERE JUST THESE SWEET

LITTLE GIRLS, LIKE YOUR

LITTLE GIRLS AT HOME,

IT DIDN'T MATTER SO MUCH

THAT THEY WERE CONJOINED TWINS.

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS JUST SORT OF

A BONUS.

THEY COULDN'T BE THE, YOU KNOW,

BRIGHTON UNITED TWINS ANYMORE.

THEY NEEDED TO BE AMERICAN.

WHEN THEY HIT VAUDEVILLE,

THEY BECAME THE SAN ANTONIO

SIAMESE TWINS.

[ twin ]

THEATRICAL LIGHTS SOON BLAZED

WITH OUR NAMES.

OUR WORK AS MUSICIANS, DANCERS,

AND SINGERS STOOD OUT.

[ Fulkerton ]

THE INITIAL THING THAT GOT

PEOPLE INTO SEE DAISY AND VIOLET

WAS THE FACT THAT THEY WERE

CONJOINED TWINS.

[ Jensen ]

IT WAS PRETTY POIGNANT,

YOU KNOW,

BECAUSE PEOPLE GO

TO THE THEATER

WITH SOME CARES OF THEIR OWN,

THEN WHEN THEY WOULD SEE

DAISY AND VIOLET,

WHO WERE CARRYING A CROSS

THAT WAS FAR, FAR HEAVIER

THAN ANY OTHERS.

[ Fulkerson ]

ONCE THEY SAW THE TALENT

AND PUTTING ON

A VERY ENTERTAINING,

HIGH-QUALITY SHOW,

THEY REALLY DREW A WIDER

AUDIENCE AFTER THAT.

THEY HAD THIS JOIE DE VIVRE.

THEY RADIATED THAT

TO THE AUDIENCE.

THEY EARNED $1,000 A WEEK,

WHICH WAS, IN THE MID '20s,

A STAGGERING SUM OF MONEY.

[ twin ]

WE WERE BIG TIME.

46 WEEKS ON THE MARKET

LOW CIRCUIT

AT $2,500 A WEEK.

OUR SALARY JUMPED THEN

TO $3,000,

THEN FOLLOWED 44 WEEKS

ON THE ORPHEUM CIRCUIT

AT $3,850 A WEEK.

[ Jensen ]

THEY WERE HUGELY POPULAR,

AND AT ONE POINT,

THEY WERE EARNING

$5,000 A WEEK.

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY WERE ONE OF

THE HIGHEST-GROSSING ACTS

IN VAUDEVILLE.

[ Jensen ]

THEY WERE INIMITABLE.

I MEAN, THERE WAS NOT

ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THEM.

THEY WOULD CONCLUDE THEIR TURN

ON THE STAGE WITH

A FOUR-PART DANCE,

AND THERE WOULD BE

TWO YOUNG MEN

WHO WOULD COME OUT

FROM THE LEFT AND RIGHT WINGS

OF THE STAGE

AND JOIN WITH THE TWINS,

AND THEN THE FOUR OF THEM

WOULD GLIDE AROUND THE STAGE.

IT NEVER FAILED TO BRING DOWN

THE HOUSE,

AND ONE OF THE DANCERS

WAS LESTER TOWNES.

IN FACT, LESTER TOWNES WAS...

BOB HOPE.

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY WERE RIGHT UP THERE

WITH THE BIG STARS

OF THEIR DAY, AND,

YOU KNOW, THEY HAD EVERY RIGHT

TO BE THERE.

[ Jensen ]

THEY WERE APPEARING

ON THE BILLS

WITH GEORGE BURNS

AND GRACIE ALLEN,

FANNY BRICE,

SOPHIE TUCKER, CHARLIE CHAPLIN.

ON AND ON AND ON,

THE PEOPLE WHO --

WHO REALLY SHAPED

MUCH OF POPULAR AMUSEMENT

IN AMERICA.

AND THERE WOULD BE

AFTER-SHOW SOIREES

AND THEY WOULD GO

OUT TO DINNER WITH THEM

AND ALL THAT,

SO ALL OF THESE PEOPLE

BECAME THEIR FRIENDS.

THEY APPEARED IN ADVERTISEMENTS,

NEWSPAPER ADVERTISEMENTS.

THEY MADE RECORDS,

AND A LOT OF SHEET MUSIC

WAS PRODUCED,

AND THE TWINS WOULD APPEAR

ON THE COVERS.

[ Violet ]

WE SIGNED CONTRACTS

WHICH SIR NEVER READ TO US.

ALL OUR ACTIVITIES WERE

IN HIS HANDS.

AND WE LEARNED THAT HE HAD

HIMSELF NAMED AS

OUR LEGAL GUARDIAN

WHAT'S MORE, WE UNDERSTOOD THAT

IF WE EVER RAN OUT ON HIM,

IF WE EVER

REFUSED TO PERFORM

AT HIS COMMAND, WOULD BE PUT

IN AN INSTITUTION.

[ Daisy ]

WE HAD LEARNED, YOU SEE,

TO PUT OUR WORRIES ASIDE.

AS WE DANCED, PLAYED, AND SANG,

ONLY PLEASURE AND THE FEELING

OF WELLBEING

EVER WAS PROJECTED BY US

OVER THE FOOTLIGHTS

OF THE THEATER.

YOU SEE THIS CRAFTED PERSONA

OF WHO THEY PRESENTED

TO THE WORLD,

AS OPPOSED TO HOW THEY

MIGHT HAVE BEEN.

[ Violet ]

IT WASN'T EASY TO LAUGH

WHILE OUR HEARTS ACHED

AND YEARNED

FOR FREEDOM AND LOVE.

[ Rosengren ]

THEY WERE OPTIMISTIC, SWEET,

TOTALLY INNOCENT.

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY WERE THESE BUBBLY,

VIVACIOUS GIRLS THAT HAD

EVERYTHING GOING FOR THEM

IN LIFE.

[ twin ]

BUT AT 18, WITH THE WORLD

AT OUR FEET,

WE'D NEVER HAD A DATE,

NEVER HELD HANDS WITH A MAN

OR BEEN KISSED!

[ Fulkerson ]

MYER MYERS WAS ABLE TO

LEGALLY GAIN CONTROL OF THEM

AT THE AGE OF 18.

THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN

LEGALLY ADULTS

AND ABLE TO EXERCISE

THEIR RIGHTS.

BUT HE HAD GONE TO A LAWYER

TO SAY THAT THEY

WEREN'T CAPABLE

OF TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES

IN THAT WAY,

AND THEY DIDN'T REALIZE

WHAT HAD BEEN GOING ON

OR THAT THEY HAD

ANY LEGAL RIGHTS,

UNTIL, I GUESS,

THEY WERE ALMOST 22

AT THE TIME OF THE TRIAL.

THEY DID NOT EVEN KNOW

WHAT MONEY WAS.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE POCKET MONEY

OR ANYTHING.

[ Daisy ]

"READ ALL THE NEWSPAPERS

YOU CAN,"

HARRY HOUDINI WHISPERED TO ME,

DAISY, ONE NIGHT

AS HE PASSED ME

IN THE WINGS,

AS IF HE KNEW WE HAD NEVER

BEEN PERMITTED

TO READ A NEWSPAPER.

THEY SAW THE FABULOUS INCOME

THAT THEY WERE PRODUCING.

[ Fulkerson ]

HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY,

"I'M GONNA GIVE YOU

AN ALLOWANCE,"

OR, "I'M PUTTING SOME MONEY

IN THE BANK FOR YOU,"

BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY

EVER MATERIALIZE.

IF THEY EVER WANTED TO SPEND

ANY MONEY,

THEY HAD TO ASK PERMISSION.

THE MYERS DID NOT LET

ANYONE NEAR THEM

WHO MIGHT HAVE

INTERFERED WITH THEIR...

MONEY-MAKING ABILITY.

AND THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO

HAVE GUYS AROUND.

IN MY COUNTRY, ALL YOU NEED

TO MAKE A HIT WITH THE LADIES

IS TO SING TO THEM.

[ Daisy ]

STAGE FAME DID NOT ANSWER

THE WISH IN OUR HEARTS.

I, DAISY, WAS IN LOVE.

DAISY HAD FALLEN IN LOVE

WITH DON GALVAN.

HE WAS A SINGER.

♪ THAT'S THE STORY OF

♪ THAT'S THE GLORY OF LOVE

[ Jensen ]

MYER MYERS ABSOLUTELY

PROHIBITED ANY KIND OF CONTACT.

[ Violet ]

WHY CAN'T WE GO OUT

AND HAVE SOME FUN?

OTHER GIRLS OUR AGE DO.

WE'VE NEVER SMOKED A CIGARETTE,

TASTED A COCKTAIL,

HAD OUR HAIR CUT.

[ Meyers ]

YOU ARE NOT OTHER GIRLS!

YOU ARE SIAMESE TWINS.

DON GALVAN, AT ONE POINT,

BOUGHT A VASE OF FLOWERS

AND PLACED IT OUTSIDE

DAISY AND VIOLET'S ROOM

AT A THEATER.

MYER MYERS HAPPENED TO SPOT

THAT VASE,

AND THERE WAS THIS

NOTE OF ENDEARMENT.

HE KICKED THAT VASE,

AND DAISY WAS SO UPSET,

SHE AND VIOLET GANGED UP

ON MYERS

AND PUT THEIR FOOT DOWN

AND SAY, "NOW,

FROM HERE ON, THINGS ARE GOING

TO BE SOMEWHAT DIFFERENT.

WE WANT OUR OWN ROOM.

WE WANT OUR OWN MONEY."

AND HE STARTED LOOSENING

HIS REINS

ON THE TWINS A LITTLE BIT

AND TURNING OVER SOME OF

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

FOR PROMOTING THEM

THEM AND TRAVELING WITH THEM

TO OTHERS,

AND ONE OF THEM

WAS BILL OLIVER,

WHO HAD BEEN PRIMARILY

A PROMOTER OF

PROFESSIONAL WRESTLERS.

HE LOOKED AFTER THE TWINS.

AS BILL OLIVER WAS MARRIED,

BUT A RELATIONSHIP DEVELOPED.

HE WOULD SOMEHOW CARRY ON

THIS ROMANCE WITH BOTH TWINS

SIMULTANEOUSLY.

IT ABSOLUTELY CAUSED FRICTION

BETWEEN THE SISTERS.

THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, TIMES WHEN

THEY WOULDN'T SPEAK TO

ONE ANOTHER.

I MEAN, THEY'RE INCHES APART,

BUT THEY WOULDN'T SPEAK

TO ONE ANOTHER.

THEY WOULD GO ON STAGE AND,

YOU KNOW, PERFORM

AS EFFERVESCENTLY

AS ALWAYS,

BUT THEN WHEN THEY

GOT OFF STAGE,

THEY WOULD NOT

SPEAK TO ONE ANOTHER.

THE TWINS BOUGHT BILL OLIVER

ALL KINDS OF THINGS,

INCLUDING A NEW CAR.

HE WASN'T CONTENT

JUST TO HAVE...

DAISY AND VIOLET,

BUT APPARENTLY HE HAD

SOME OTHER WOMEN OUT THERE,

AS WELL.

HIS WIFE FOUND OUT.

AND WAS SUING THEM FOR

ALIENATION OF AFFECTION.

AND THAT BECAME A GREAT

CAUSE CèLéBRE IN THE PAPERS.

BILL OLIVER, IN THE EYES

OF SOME MEN,

I GUESS, BECAME SORT OF

A HEROIC FIGURE.

EVERYBODY WAS SPECULATING ABOUT

WHAT HIS NIGHTS WERE LIKE.

HERE'S THIS 40-SOME-YEAR-OLD GUY

BEING ABLE TO SERVICE TWO

25-YEAR-OLD WOMEN.

[ LAUGHS ] THAT'S PRETTY GREAT.

AND, SO, WHEN MEYER FOUND OUT

ABOUT THIS LAWSUIT,

I MEAN, HE

REALLY, YOU KNOW, BLEW UP.

[ twin ]

SIR PUT US IN THE CAR AND

DROVE US TO THE OFFICE OF THE

LAWYER MARTIN J. ARNOLD.

[ Rosengren ]

MARTIN ARNOLD, WHO WAS

PRIMARILY THE LAWYER

WITH MY FATHER,

WHO GOT THEM LIBERATED

FROM THE MYERS, WAS A FRIEND,

AND HE WAS A REALLY FINE MAN.

[ Jensen ]

BILL OLIVER AND HIS WIFE

LIVED IN KANSAS CITY,

FAR AWAY FROM SAN ANTONIO,

SO IT WASN'T

EVEN IN THE SAME JURISDICTION.

ARNOLD SAID, "DON'T WORRY ABOUT

EVER HAVING TO APPEAR IN THAT."

[ Daisy ]

I, DAISY, SEEM TO HAVE

FOUND COURAGE

IN THE KINDLY APPEARANCE

AND SOFT VOICE

OF THE TEXAS LAWYER

WHO I FELT WOULD

GIVE US PROTECTION.

HE WHISPERS, YOU KNOW,

KIND OF BEHIND THE SCENES

ABOUT WHAT

THE REAL SITUATION IS,

AND HE STEPS IN TO TRY AND SAY,

"IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU

NEED TO TALK TO ME ABOUT?"

[ Jensen ]

AFTER LEARNING ABOUT

HOW HATEFUL

MEYER'S TREATMENT

OF THE TWINS WAS,

HE TOLD THE TWINS

THAT HE WOULD REPRESENT THEM

IN AN EMANCIPATION SUIT.

A TRIAL WAS HELD IN SAN ANTONIO,

AND IT RECEIVED

NATIONAL PUBLICITY.

[ twin ]

WE WANTED FREEDOM,

AN ACCOUNTING OF OUR MONEY,

AND A RECEIVER APPOINTED

TO MANAGE OUR PROPERTY.

[ man ]

ISN'T IT A FACT

THAT THEY SIGNED...

[ Violet ]

DURING MY, VIOLET'S, TIME

ON THE WITNESS STAND,

I LOOKED AT SIR AND SAID,

"THE CONTRACTS WE SIGNED

WERE ALWAYS COVERED,

EXCEPT FOR THE DOTTED LINE."

WHEN WE HESITATED TO SIGN,

SIR WOULD RAVE

AND ASK US

IF WE THOUGHT HE WAS A THIEF,

AND IF WE DIDN'T TRUST HIM,

AND IF WE WERE AFRAID.

SO WE ALWAYS SIGNED.

[ Jensen ]

MYER MYERS

WAS FORCED TO TESTIFY.

[ Arnold ]

I'M ASKING YOU AGAIN,

DID THE GIRLS GET THAT MONEY?

[ Meyers ]

I DON'T KNOW.

THEY WERE PAID THROUGH

MY BOOKKEEPER IN NEW YORK.

[ Arnold ]

DID YOU EVER STRIKE THEM

OR THREATEN TO STRIKE THEM?

[ Meyers ] NO.

[ Arnold ] SO IT WAS JUST

A FAMILY AFFAIR?

[ Meyers ]

YES, AND A HAPPY FAMILY, TOO.

UNTIL YOU STEPPED IN

AND CORRUPTED IT.

[ Arnold ]

ALL THIS PROPERTY WAS BOUGHT

WITH THE MONEY EARNED

BY THESE LITTLE GIRLS.

[ Jensen ]

PEOPLE WOULD BE WAITING

OUTSIDE THE COURTHOUSE

EVERY DAY FOR THE TRIAL

TO START.

WHEN THE COURTHOUSE OPENED

IN THE MORNING,

THERE WAS A FLOOD OF PEOPLE

YOU KNOW, RACING

THROUGH THE CORRIDORS.

SOME OF THEM ALMOST GOT

STOMPED TO DEATH.

[ Rosengren ]

W.W. McCRORY WAS THE JUDGE

ON THAT.

HE AND HIS CHILDREN

WERE CLOSE FRIENDS

OF MY PARENTS

AND OF THE ARNOLDS,

SO THE JUDGE ON THAT CASE

WAS VERY CLOSE

TO THE TWINS.

THAT'S WHY THEY PICKED HIM.

[ TWIN ]

ALL CONTRACTS EXISTING

BETWEEN HIM AND US

WERE DISSOLVED.

[ Jensen ]

THE COURT AWARDED THEM

SOMETHING APPROACHING $100,000.

[ Daisy ]

THE JUDGE ORDERED SIR

NEVER TO INTERFERE

WITH OUR LIVES AGAIN.

OUR NEW LIFE BEGAN

ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.

WE WENT TO SHOWS, NIGHT CLUBS,

DINNER PARTIES.

[ Violet ]

WE DRANK WINE AND SMOKED.

AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING

OF THE END,

BECAUSE UNDER THE MEYERS,

THEY WERE TAKEN CARE OF,

BUT THEY HAD ABSOLUTELY

NO CHANCE OF ANY

KIND OF FREEDOM

THAT WOULD HAVE ENABLED THEM

TO HANDLE FAME ON THEIR OWN.

[ twin ]

WE LOOKED FORWARD TO A FUTURE

PROMISING REAL HAPPINESS.

[ Rosengren ]

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.

YOU MAY GET IT.

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY'RE GONNA TRY TO SAMPLE

AND DO ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY

HAD NEVER BEEN ABLE TO DO.

THEY COULD CUT THEIR HAIR,

BUY THEIR OWN CLOTHES.

[ twin ]

I WANTED TO HAVE YELLOW HAIR...

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY CAN DRINK CHAMPAGNE

AND EXPLORE WHAT LIFE

WAS GONNA BE LIKE

ON THEIR OWN.

[ Jensen ]

THEIR FREEDOMS NOW WERE

COMPLETELY UNCHECKED.

THEY WERE OUT ALL OF THE TIME,

EVERY NIGHT.

I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY

SEXUAL FREEDOM.

[ Fulkerson ]

ONE OF THE GREAT STORIES IS

THAT DURING THE TRIAL,

THEY WERE LIVING AT

THE ST. ANTHONY HOTEL,

AND FOR THE FIRST TIME,

THEY COULD REALLY

HAVE GENTLEMEN CALLERS.

THEY HAD BOYFRIENDS,

AND I WOULD SEE

ONE OF THEM FALL ASLEEP

WHILE THE OTHER ONE

WAS DOING SOMETHING ELSE.

NOT [LAUGHS]

HAVING RELATIONSHIPS.

THEY COULD REMOVE THEMSELVES

ALMOST --

IT WAS A PSYCHIC THING --

ONE FROM THE OTHER.

NEVER FROM EACH OTHER

AS PERFORMERS OR SISTERS.

[ Daisy ]

"I CAN GET RID OF YOU,"

I, DAISY, WOULD SAY

TO MY SISTER.

I COULD, MENTALLY.

JUST AS SHE COULD DISMISS ME.

[ Violet ]

WE HAD TO DO,

AS HARRY HOUDINI

ONCE SAID TO US,

"LIVE IN YOUR MINDS, GIRLS."

HE TOLD US THAT AS WE STOOD

BESIDE HIM IN THE WINGS

ONE NIGHT

IN THE DETROIT THEATER.

"IT IS YOUR ONLY HOPE

FOR PRIVATE LIVES.

JUST RECOGNIZE NO HANDICAP."

THEY KNEW THEY WERE

INDIVIDUALS, ACTUALLY.

YOU COULD TELL DAISY

FROM VIOLET,

OR VIOLET FROM DAISY.

BUT THEY WERE MAKING THE BEST

OF THEIR WORLD

AFTER THEY GOT FREE,

BUT THEY COULD NOT COPE.

THEY TRIED TO HAVE SOME SENSE

OF NORMALCY.

AT ONE POINT, THEY HAD

A SMALL APARTMENT

HERE IN SAN ANTONIO,

AND HERE WAS A PLACE THAT THEY

COULD CALL THEIR OWN,

THAT THEY COULD,

YOU KNOW,

GET THEIR OWN GROCERIES,

AND, YOU KNOW,

THEY COULD FIX IT UP

JUST THE WAY THEY WANTED,

AND IT WAS KIND OF

PLAYING HOUSE.

[ Jensen ]

TOD BROWNING,

THE GREAT FILM DIRECTOR,

WHO HAD DONE "DRACULA" MOVIES

WANTED TO DO THIS FILM

THAT WAS BASED ON A SHORT STORY

THAT INVOLVED A LOT

OF SIDESHOW FREAKS.

HE WANTED THE REAL THING.

THE TWINS WERE NOT

IN THE CIRCUS,

THEY WERE IN VAUDEVILLE NOW.

I MEAN, THEY WERE, YOU KNOW,

SORT OF THE ELITE

OF THE "FREAKS."

INITIALLY, THEY BRIDLED

AT THE IDEA

OF APPEARING WITH OTHER FREAKS.

I MEAN, THEY DID IT

FOR THE MONEY,

BUT I THINK THEY THOUGHT

THAT APPEARING IN A MOVIE

MIGHT BE A FIRST STEP

FOR THEM TO MOVE

TO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS.

TOD BROWNING WAS, AT THAT TIME,

A VERY PROMINENT DIRECTOR.

HE DIDN'T WANT

THE MAKEUP DEPARTMENT

TO CREATE HIS FREAKS.

HE, AGAIN, WANTED

THE REAL THING.

SO, HE HIRED ALL OF THESE FREAKS

FROM VARIOUS CIRCUSES.

WE'LL MAKE HER ONE OF US!

[ Jensen ]

WHEN THE FILM CAME OUT,

IT WAS BANNED IN BOSTON

AND WAS BANNED IN A LOT

OF OTHER PLACES.

GOOBLE-GOBBLE!

[ LAUGHS ]

[ Rosengren ]

THEY WERE PHYSICALLY

BETTER OFF

WITH THE MYERS

THAN THEY WERE

WHEN THEY WERE OUT

ON THEIR OWN

WITH THE PREDATORS...

IN THE THEATER AND ON BROADWAY

AND ON THE STAGE.

THEY HAD THE RIGHT TO HIRE

AND FIRE THE PEOPLE

WHO WORKED WITH THEM.

THEY HAD A SERIES OF MANAGERS

WHO, SOME WERE OKAY

BUT INADEQUATE,

AND OTHERS WERE DOWNRIGHT EVIL.

BECAUSE THEY'D BEEN

SO SHELTERED,

THEY DIDN'T NECESSARILY

MAKE THE BEST CHOICES

FOR MANAGING

THEIR OWN CAREERS

OR MANAGING

THEIR OWN FINANCES.

BUT THE MISTAKES WERE THEIRS

TO MAKE.

[ Rosengren ]

THEY WERE MALLEABLE

AND PASSIVE

IN A WAY,

DAISY MORE THAN VIOLET,

THEY COULDN'T TELL A REAL SCAM

OR A CON MAN

FROM A GOOD PERSON.

THEY HAD NO ABILITY TO JUDGE

ANYBODY OR ANYTHING.

REMEMBER, IN THE DEPRESSION,

EVERYBODY WAS STARVING.

THESE MANAGERS OF ACTS

WERE VOCIFEROUS

IN THEIR APPROACH.

THEY WERE HUNGRY.

UNFORTUNATELY, THEY'RE RIGHT

AT THE POINT

WHERE VAUDEVILLE ISN'T

AT ITS HEYDAY ANYMORE.

YOU'RE STARTING TO FIGHT

WITH MOTION PICTURES

FOR PEOPLE'S ATTENTION.

WHILE THEY HAD

A WINNING PERFORMANCE,

IT WASN'T THE SAME.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO...

NECESSARILY FIGHT AND STAY

QUITE AS RELEVANT.

>> IT WAS IN THE '30s,

I BELIEVE, SOMETIME JUST BEFORE

THE SECOND WORLD WAR,

WHEN SIDESHOWS

OR PERFORMANCE SHOWS

BECAME KIND OF DéCLASSé

AND PEOPLE JUST QUIT GOING.

THAT'S WHEN PEOPLE WHO WERE

MANAGERING THEM GOT MORE GREEDY

AND THEY HAD LESS GIGS,

SO TO SPEAK.

THEY LEFT SAN ANTONIO

AND MOVED TO NEW YORK.

IN THEIR APARTMENT IN NEW YORK,

THEY HAD CONSTRUCTED

IN THEIR LIVING QUARTERS

AND OLD-TIMEPHONE BOOTH,

THE KIND WITH THE SLIDING DOOR.

YOU PUT YOUR MONEY IN

AND MAKE A CALL.

WELL, THEY HAD ONE OF THOSE

IN THEIR APARTMENT.

SISTERS COULD GO

INTO THE PHONE BOOTH,

WHISPER SWEET NOTHINGS,

AND THEN THE OTHER SISTER

WOULD BE SITTING RIGHT OUTSIDE

THE PHONE BOOTH,

BUT UNABLE TO HEAR

THE GOINGS ON.

AND THEN IT BECAME

REALLY INTERESTING,

BECAUSE WHEN ONE SISTER

OR ANOTHER HAD A MAN OVER,

THINGS STARTED HEATING UP,

THE OTHER SISTER

WAS ALWAYS THERE.

OH, VIOLET.

[ Jensen ]

WHEN SPARKS WERE BEGINNING TO

MOVE FROM A MAN

AND ONE OF THE SISTERS,

THE OTHER SISTER MIGHT

PICK UP A MAGAZINE

AND START READING.

OR EAT AN APPLE OR SOMETHING

LIKE THAT.

WHEN ONE OF THE SISTERS TOOK...

A MALE COMPANION TO BED,

THAT OTHER SISTER WAS ALWAYS

INCHES AWAY.

CLOSE YOUR EYES, VIOLET.

GO AHEAD! CLOSE 'EM!

WHAT DID I DO?

PINCHED DAISY'S ARM.

HAD TO BE SO INTIMIDATING

FOR THE MAN.

BECAUSE HE KNOWS

THAT HIS PERFORMANCE

IS ALWAYS BEING GRADED

BY THAT NON-PARTICIPATING

SISTER.

THEY FREQUENTLY HAD ROMANCES

WITH MUSICIANS

AND WITH BAND LEADERS.

BOTH HAD BEEN ENGAGED

ON MORE THAN ONE OCCASION.

APPARENTLY THE RELATIONSHIPS

DIDN'T TEND TO LAST.

[ Jensen ]

AN ORCHESTRA LEADER

NAMED BLUE STEEL,

A BIG RCA RECORDING ARTIST

WHO ALSO HAD A

COAST-TO-COAST

LIVE RADIO PROGRAM,

HIS SIGNATURE SONG WAS

ONE CALLED "DARLING,"

AND HE WOULD FREQUENTLY

DEDICATE IT TO VIOLET.

AND HE WAS MARRIED, AS WELL.

THEY RETURNED TO ENGLAND.

THEY WERE HOPING TO SEE

THEIR MOTHER, KATE SKINNER.

THEY HAD NO CONTACT WITH HER

OVER THE YEARS,

SO THEY WENT BACK TO BRIGHTON

AND DID FIND THEIR MOTHER,

BUT SHE WAS, BY THEN,

IN A CEMETERY.

HAD DIED GIVING BIRTH

TO ANOTHER CHILD.

IT WAS BELIEVED THAT THE FATHER

OF THAT CHILD

WAS THE SAME FATHER

TO DAISY AND VIOLET.

WHO CAME TO A PROMINENT FAMILY,

THE ANDRESSES.

HIS FATHER WAS

A NEWSPAPER PUBLISHER.

IF IT'S TRUE THAT HE WAS

THE FATHER,

THIS FATHER DID EVERYTHING

TO KEEP THAT SUPPRESSED.

IT WAS DURING THAT TIME THAT

THEY MET HARRY MASON,

AND HARRY MASON WAS A PUGILIST,

A BOXER.

HE WAS A WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION,

AND VIOLET DEVELOPED A ROMANCE.

VIOLET WAS A BOXING ENTHUSIAST.

THEY RETURNED

TO THE STATES THEN.

THEY WERE IN THIS TROUPE,

"THE HILTON SISTERS' REVUE,"

VIOLET AND A BAND LEADER

THAT THE TWINS HAD,

MAURICE LAMBERT, BECAME

ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED.

MAURICE LAMBERT PROPOSED AND

VIOLET ECSTATICALLY SAID YES.

THEY WOULD GO FROM ONE STATE

TO ANOTHER

GIVING PERFORMANCES.

AND THEY TRIED EVERYWHERE TO GET

A MARRIAGE LICENSE.

THEY WERE REBUFFED EVERYWHERE

BECAUSE MARRIAGE CLERKS

CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL.

27 DIFFERENT STATES HAVE

DENIED YOU THE RIGHT TO MARRY.

BUT WHY?

THE WAY IT WAS VIEWED

MOST PLACES

WAS THAT THIS WOULD

CONSTITUTE BIGAMY.

AND I DON'T SEE ANY REASON

IN THE WORLD

WHY WE SHOULD BE DENIED

THE PLEASURE OF BEING HAPPY.

MY SISTER, DAISY,

FEELS THE SAME WAY ABOUT IT

AS SHE, TOO, WANTS

ME TO BE HAPPY.

I THINK MY SISTER'S MARRIAGE

WILL BE A WONDERFUL THING,

BECAUSE I AM VERY SURE

THAT THEY LOVE EACH OTHER

AND WILL BE MARRIED

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

MAURICE, WHO WAS PRETTY SHY,

HE WAS ABSOLUTELY DESOLATED

AND BECAME THE BUTT OF JOKES.

THEIR ROMANCE DIED

OF FRUSTRATION.

ONE DAY HE JUST

WASN'T THERE ANYMORE.

HE COULDN'T TAKE IT ANOTHER DAY.

THERE WAS A KIND OF...

DESPERATE...

"I'M OKAY"-NESS ABOUT THEM

THAT WAS ADMIRABLE.

[ Jensen ]

THE TWINS WERE TRAVELING

WITH THEIR OWN REVUE.

DAISY BECAME WITH CHILD

BY ONE MEMBER

OF THE SHOW BAND.

ULTIMATELY, THEY HAD TO DISBAND.

JUST WASN'T GENERATING

ENOUGH MONEY.

[ Fulkerson ]

WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE GIRLS,

THEY WERE THE TOP OF THE PILE.

AND I DON'T THINK

WHEN THEY WERE INDEPENDANT

THAT THEY HAD

THE SAME SORT OF...

KNOWLEDGE OF HOW

THE AUDIENCE

AND THE MARKET WAS CHANGING.

[ Jensen ]

IN 1936, WHICH WAS THE YEAR

OF THE TEXAS

CENTENNIAL EXPOSITION

AT THE COTTON BOWL

IN DALLAS.

IT CELEBRATED THE 100 YEARS

OF TEXAS' STATEHOOD.

TERRY TURNER WAS MANAGING THEM.

HE HAD THIS CRAZY IDEA TO HAVE

ONE TWIN OR THE OTHER

MARRY AT THE FAIR.

IT'S JUST A LITTLE

PUBLICITY STUNT.

THIS IS AN ENGAGEMENT.

WE'RE GONNA GET MARRIED!

JUST A LITTLE

PUBLICITY STUNT?

NOTHING SERIOUS, EH?

I'VE HEARD ENOUGH.

[ Jensen ]

THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE

A GREAT PROMOTION

THAT IT WOULD ATTRACT

GREAT, GREAT CROWDS.

DAISY, OF COURSE,

WAS VISIBLY PREGNANT,

SO ULTIMATELY IT WAS

LEFT TO VIOLET TO ASSUME

THIS ROLE.

MAYBE HE'S RIGHT AFTER ALL.

THIS IS SHOW BUSINESS.

I KNEW YOU'D COME UP

WITH SOME CRAZY IDEA.

BUT THIS ONE

MIGHT HAVE POSSIBILITY.

BY THE WAY, WHO'S THE GROOM?

JIM MOORE, WHO'S THIS

SONG-AND-DANCE MAN,

WHO APPEARED IN THEIR SHOWS,

TERRY TURNER TOLD THEM THAT

HE WAS GOING TO BE THE HUSBAND.

JIM MOORE WAS

ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIED.

BUT HE WAS GAY AS A GRIG.

HE SAID, "IF I CAN GET THE

LICENSE, WILL YOU DO IT?"

AND THEY SAID OKAY.

A PART OF THEM REALLY WANTED

TO HAVE THAT WEDDING,

AND VIOLET, IN PARTICULAR,

I THINK THAT WAS SOMETHING

THAT SHE HAD ALWAYS DESIRED.

I HOPE YOU'RE NOT FALLING

FOR THAT SHARP SHOOTER.

[ Fulkerson ]

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ARRANGED

FOR THE EVENT,

I DON'T THINK IT MATTERED

SO MUCH

THAT IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN,

YOU KNOW, A MARRIAGE

FOR LOVE.

THERE WERE BILLBOARDS

ALL OVER DALLAS,

YOU KNOW,

PROMOTING THIS WEDDING.

TERRY TURNER WAS ANTICIPATING

THIS HUGE, HUGE CROWD, FOR WHICH

PEOPLE HAD TO PAY AN ADMISSION.

[ man ]

HOW MANY PEOPLE THERE?

WELL, I WOULD JUDGE

ABOUT 5,000 PEOPLE.

[ Jensen ]

JIM MOORE, WHO TOWERED

OVER SIX FOOT,

ALMOST PENCIL-THIN GUY,

AND VIOLET, WHO WAS MAYBE

4 AND A HALF FEET TALL.

[ man ]

WHEN WERE YOU MARRIED,

MR. MOORE?

WELL, WE WERE MARRIED

AT THE COTTON BOWL

AT THE DALLAS CENTENNIAL,

DALLAS, TEXAS, ON JULY THE 18th.

ONE REPORT HAD DAISY GIGGLING

THROUGHOUT THE CEREMONY.

HOLD IT!

STILL!

[ Jensen ]

FOLLOWING WHICH PEOPLE

FROM THE AUDIENCE

WERE ABLE TO STREAM

DOWN ON THE FIELD

AND CONGRATULATE THE NEWLYWEDS.

WHEN THEY GOT THROUGH

WITH THE CEREMONY

AND GOT OUT OF THE RANGE

OF CAMERAS AND EVERYTHING,

EVERYBODY KIND OF

RETIRED BACKSTAGE,

AND THEY ALL HAD A GLASS

OF CHAMPAGNE AND A LAUGH.

[ Jensen ]

THEY TRIED TO LEAVE

AS INCONSPICUOUSLY AS POSSIBLE

AND GO TO THE HOTEL.

CAMPING OUTSIDE

THE HONEYMOON SUITE

WERE ALL THESE DAMNED REPORTERS

WHO CAMPED THERE EVERY NIGHT,

AND THEY WOULD BE PUTTING

THEIR EARS AGAINST THE DOOR,

TRY TO HEAR A SQUEAKING BED.

AND NOBODY CAME

OUT OF THE CLOSET

IN THOSE DAYS, BELIEVE ME.

SO THERE WAS NO REAL

HONEYMOON NIGHT.

[ Jensen ]

THE NEWSPAPER MEN WANTED

TO GET A PICTURE

OF THE THREE OF THEM,

AND HE MESSES UP HIS HAIR

TO LOOK LIKE...

ALL KINDS OF THINGS HAPPENED

IN AN INTERESTING WAY

THE NIGHT BEFORE.

BUT NOTHING HAPPENED.

I CAN ASSURE YOU.

HE WAS A YOUNG MAN.

HE THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A,

YOU KNOW,

CRAZY PART OF HIS JOB.

[ Jensen ]

JIM MOORE LOVED VIOLET,

BUT NOT THAT WAY.

NO, THAT WAS NOT JIM MOORE'S

PREDILECTION AT ALL, SEXUALLY.

DAISY, HER SISTER, WAS PREGNANT

AT THE TIME,

AND I ALWAYS THOUGHT,

"WELL, WHY DIDN'T DAISY

TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO GET MARRIED AND

TO TRY TO LEGITIMIZE

THIS CHILD?"

[ Jensen]

THIS DID BRING ABOUT

A CERTAIN RISE

IN THE MARKETABILITY

OF THE TWINS.

YOU KNOW, THEY BECAME

A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING

NOW THAT

ONE OF THEM WAS MARRIED.

WELL, I FIRST CONSULTED

AN ATTORNEY ABOUT 10 DAYS AGO,

AND HE TOLD US

THAT THE NICEST WAY

TO GET OUT OF THIS WAS TO

SIGN A JOINT PETITION.

ACTUALLY, TO GET AN ANNULMENT,

YOU HAVE TO NEVER HAVE LIVED

TOGETHER AS MAN AND WIFE.

JIM MOORE...

ENDED UP -- AND I DIDN'T

KNOW THIS TILL --

THERE IS A THEATER

IN SAN ANTONIO CALLED THE AZTEC.

BELOW IT WAS A RESTAURANT.

AS WE STARTED TALKING

IN HIS RESTAURANT

CALLED EL MATADOR --

THIS WAS 30, 40 YEARS LATER --

HE CASUALLY MENTIONED THAT

HE HAD BEEN IN VAUDEVILLE

AND KNEW THE HILTON SISTERS.

HE SAID, "IN FACT, I MARRIED

ONE OF THEM, KINDA."

[ Jensen ]

I THINK THEIR FANS FELT DUPED.

THEY DID TURN ON THEM, YEAH.

[ man ]

WE UNDERSTAND IT WAS ALL

A PUBLICITY STUNT.

YES, THAT'S RIGHT.

THE OFFICE THAT WE WORKED FOR

MADE ALL ARRANGEMENTS FOR US

BEFORE WE EVEN ARRIVED

IN DALLAS,

AND IT WAS ADVERTISED

SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE WE WERE

EVEN CONSULTED

OR ASKED IF WE WOULD

GO THROUGH WITH IT.

OUR MARRIAGE WAS JUST

A PUBLICITY STUNT.

PUBLICITY STUNT.

[ man ]

IT WAS ALL A PUBLICITY STUNT.

JIMMY AND I ARE THE VERY,

VERY BEST OF FRIENDS.

HE SURE IS A SWELL GUY.

I THINK THE WORLD OF THE GIRLS.

THEY STILL [CHUCKLES]

THINK THE SAME OF ME.

IN SPITE OF THE ANNULMENT,

JIMMY AND I AND MY SISTER

ARE STILL GOING TO CONTINUE

AS PARTNERS,

AND TRAVEL THROUGH ALL

THE NIGHTCLUBS AND THEATERS.

WELL, WAIT A MINUTE.

TURN THIS THING OFF.

[ Jensen ]

IT WAS THE START

OF THEIR HARD TIMES.

DAISY GAVE BIRTH TO A CHILD,

AND IT WAS A BOY, IN MINNESOTA,

PROBABLY IN ONE OF

THE TWIN CITIES,

MINNEAPOLIS OR ST. PAUL.

BUT GAVE IT UP FOR ADOPTION...

IMMEDIATELY.

THERE WAS NO WAY THAT THEY

WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CONTINUE

THEIR CAREERS,

AND I DON'T THINK

THERE WAS ANY OTHER WAY

THAT THEY REALLY

COULD HAVE SUPPORTED THEMSELVES.

AT THIS POINT, THEY WERE SO FAR

DOWN THE ROAD

OF BEING PERFORMERS

THAT I THINK THAT WAS

REALLY THE ONLY THING THAT THEY

EVER FORESAW IN THEIR LIVES.

HAVING A CHILD JUST WASN'T

PART OF THE PICTURE.

[ Rosengren ]

THE WHOLE SHOW BUSINESS THING

WAS CHANGING DRASTICALLY.

IT WAS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT

BUSINESS.

[ Jensen ]

IT BECAME UNSEEMLY TO PAY MONEY

TO SEE FREAKS.

MOTION PICTURES THEN SORT OF

PUSHING OUT VAUDEVILLE

OFF THE STAGE,

AND IT BECAME

MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT

FOR LIVE ENTERTAINERS

TO FIND WORK.

THE TWINS WERE 28.

NOW, THAT IS NOT ANCIENT

BY ANY MEANS.

THEY WERE NO LONGER THESE

DEWEY-FACED INGENUES ANYMORE.

EVERYTHING WAS BEGINNING

TO SLIP AWAY

IN THE ENTERTAINMENT WORLD.

NOT JUST FOR THEM, BUT FOR

ALL LIVE ENTERTAINERS.

BURLESQUE, IN ITS DAY,

PRIDED ITSELF ON BEING

A LITTLE SLEAZY,

BUT A LITTLE BIT BIG-TIME,

BUT NOT TOO BIG-TIME

THAT EVERYBODY

COULDN'T SORT OF SHOW UP

AND GET A LITTLE RAUCOUS

AND A LITTLE WILD.

[ Jensen ]

SO, THEY WENT INTO BURLESQUE,

AND IT WAS PRETTY DEMEANING.

STRIPPING, YEAH.

I WORKED WITH THEM AT A

THEATER IN STEUBENVILLE, OHIO.

THEIR DRESSING ROOM WAS

RIGHT NEXT TO MINE.

THEY DID A NICE LITTLE ACT.

THEY PLAYED UKULELES

AND THEY DID HARMONY.

AND THEY HAD PERFECT LITTLE

BARBIE-DOLL BODIES.

BUT I USED TO GET A KICK

OUT OF THEM

BECAUSE ONE WOULD ALWAYS

SCREAM AT THE OTHER ONE

TO SHUT UP.

[ LAUGHS ]

THE HILTON SISTERS WERE

A VAUDEVILLE ACT.

VAUDEVILLE DIDN'T EXIST

IN THE '40s,

AND THESE PEOPLE

STILL NEEDED A JOB,

AND I GUESS MAYBE

THEY WERE A DRAW.

♪ NEVER SAY YOU'LL BE THE KIND

TO EVER KEEP ONE SWEETHEART

ON YOUR MIND ♪

[ woman ]

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DANCED.

I MEAN, THEY COULDN'T DO, LIKE,

SEPARATING THEM ON EITHER SIDE

OF THE STAGE.

THEY HAD TO STAY TOGETHER.

♪ LOVE

[ APPLAUSE ]

[ woman ]

ALL I KNOW IS THAT MY FATHER

SAID THEY STAYED DRUNK

THE WHOLE TIME THEY WERE HERE.

[ Jensen ]

THEY WERE NOT GREAT DANCERS.

I MEAN, HOW DO YOU DANCE

WHEN YOU GOT SOMEBODY

ATTACHED TO YOU?

AND THEY WERE NOT

GREAT MUSICIANS,

BUT I THINK THEY WERE

GREAT ENTERTAINERS.

IT'S HARD TO KNOW HOW THE

HILTON SISTERS SAW BURLESQUE,

WHEN THEY STARTED DOING

MORE OF THAT

THEN WHAT WASN'T AROUND ANYMORE.

IT WAS HEART-WRENCHING FOR THEM

BECAUSE THESE LONELY MEN

SITTING OUT

IN THE DARKENED SEATS

OF THE STRIPTEASE HOUSES

REALLY WEREN'T

TOO INTERESTED IN,

YOU KNOW, SEEING THESE

SIAMESE TWINS.

THEY WANTED TO SEE EVELYN WEST

AND HER MILLION-DOLLAR CHEST,

AND THAT'S THE KIND OF FREAK

THEY WANTED TO SEE.

I THINK THEY WERE KIND OF LIKE

HOOTED OFF THE STAGE SOMETIMES,

BOOED AND, YOU KNOW,

"LET'S GET ON

WITH THE REAL BABES HERE."

[ Rosengren ]

I DON'T THINK THEY

HAD THE SKILLS

TO DO ANYTHING ELSE.

AND, BESIDES, THEY HAD HAD...

A REPUTATION THAT WAS

DEEPLY ENTRENCHED

OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THE

PICTURES OF DAISY AND VIOLET,

SIAMESE TWINS.

SO THEIR SKILLS AND THEIR

TALENTS WERE NOT SUCH

THAT THEY WOULD HAVE STOOD OUT.

SOMETIMES THEY WERE GRATEFUL

THAT IT MADE THEM A LIVING,

AND SOMETIMES THEY WERE TIRED

OF BEING EXPLOITED.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD

"EXPLOITED" MEANT,

BUT THEY KNEW THE FEELING.

THEY WERE USED BY GUYS

WHO TOOK THEIR MONEY

AND WHO DID MISTREAT THEM

AND WORKED THEM TOO HARD.

[ Jensen ]

I THINK THEY STARTED TO DRINK

TO EXCESS AT THAT POINT.

THEY BOTH DRANK.

I'M SURE ONE OF THOSE

BOYFRIENDS OR HUSBANDS

ALONG THE LINE

ENCOURAGED THEM TO DRINK.

IF ONE SISTER DRANK TO EXCESS

AND BECAME WOOZY OR INTOXICATED,

ULTIMATELY, THE OTHER SISTER

WOULD GET IN THAT SAME STATE.

THEY USED TO FIGHT ABOUT THAT.

THEY REALLY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND

WHY IT WAS

THAT THEY COULD NO LONGER

DRAW THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE

INTO THE THEATERS.

THEY'RE WATCHING

THE DEATH OF VAUDEVILLE.

BURLESQUE IS SLOWLY BUT SURELY

GUTTERING OUT AS A PLACE

WHERE THEY CAN REALLY PERFORM.

THE CARNIVAL MIDWAY,

DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT

STILL COULD HAVE BEEN

BIGGER MONEY FOR THEM,

IS GRUELING.

IT'S EXHAUSTING.

YOU'RE ON THE ROAD.

YOU'RE SLEEPING IN YOUR CAR.

MAYBE YOU GOT A LITTLE TRAILER,

BUT YOU'RE LIVING IN A TRAILER

NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR.

IT'S A HORRIBLE LIFE.

BUT WHEN YOU GOT TO DO IT,

YOU GOT TO DO IT.

WELL, THE HILTON SISTERS HAD

MADE A LOT OF MONEY

IN THEIR DAY.

THEY'D LOST A LOT,

THEY'D WASTED A LOT,

THEY'D FRITTERED

A LOT OF IT AWAY.

THEY GOT SOME

BAD BUSINESS VENTURES.

BUT THEY STILL MADE

A LOT MORE MONEY

THAN MOST OF

THAT SIDESHOW TALENT.

[ Jensen ]

THEY WERE DOING, YOU KNOW,

WHATEVER THEY COULD TO SURVIVE.

SIDESHOWS WERE DISAPPEARING

AT THAT POINT,

BUT THEY MADE SOME APPEARANCES

EVEN INTO THE '40s.

[ Fulkerson ]

WHEN THEY GO BACK TO THAT

A LITTLE LATER IN LIFE,

I THINK THEY REALIZED

THE DEGREE TO WHICH

THEY'D BEEN SHELTERED

FROM SOME OF

THE REALITY OF THAT.

AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS

A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE

IN THEIR LIFE.

[ Taylor ]

IT'S HARD TO SEPARATE

FACT FROM FICTION

WITH THE MARRIAGES

OF THE HILTON SISTERS,

AND I SAY THAT PLURAL

BECAUSE I COULDN'T TELL YOU

HOW MANY WERE ACTUALLY

REPORTED ON,

WERE REALLY RECORDED

IN COURT DOCUMENTS --

WHO KNOWS?

AND THEN THERE'S

THE OLD APOCRYPHAL

AND NOT-SO-APOCRYPHAL

CARNIVAL MARRIAGES,

WHICH I DON'T KNOW

THAT THEY EVER GOT INTO,

WHICH BASICALLY IS,

"I LOVE YOU, HONEY,

BUT THE SEASON'S OVER."

[ Morris ]

WHEN THEY WERE IN ATLANTA

PLAYING A NIGHTCLUB,

THEY SAID TO THE MAGICIAN,

"WOULD YOU LIKE TO BECOME

THE MOST FAMOUS MAGICIAN

IN THE WORLD?"

AND HE SAID, "WELL,

HOW WOULD I DO THAT?"

AND THEY SAID,

"MARRY ONE OF US."

[ LAUGHS ]

[ Taylor ]

CAN I IMAGINE A COURTHOUSE

OR A JUDGE SAYING,

"WE CAN'T HAVE THAT!"

YEAH.

DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU GO.

I CAN ALSO IMAGINE PROMOTERS

AND THE HILTON SISTERS

THEMSELVES GOING...

"WHERE IS IT MOST LIKELY

THAT WE'RE GONNA GET TOLD NO?"

AND SHOWING UP THERE.

AND THEN PARLAYING THAT

INTO WHAT YOU REALLY NEED,

WHICH IS MONEY,

BECAUSE ULTIMATELY,

WHEN YOU'RE IN

THE SIDESHOW BUSINESS,

IT'S NOT JUST WHAT I CAN

PERFORM AS ON STAGE.

SWORD SWALLOWER,

FIRE BREATHER --

FINE, YOU'RE A WORKING ACT.

BUT WHEN YOU'RE

A FREAK ATTRACTION,

WHAT YOU SEE

IS WHAT YOU ARE.

THEY'RE GOING TO ALWAYS

BE AWARE

AS THEY'VE BEEN AWARE

SINCE THEY WERE INFANTS,

WHAT PEOPLE SEE IS WHAT I AM,

AND WHAT I AM HAS TO BE

ABOUT MAKING MONEY,

BECAUSE THIS IS IT."

[ Daisy]

I, DAISY, FELL IN LOVE WITH

THE SINGING, DANCING

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

OF OUR ACT.

HIS NAME WAS HAROLD ESTEP,

KNOWN PROFESSIONALLY

AS BUDDY SAWYER.

HE WAS EIGHT YEARS

YOUNGER THAN I.

[ Jensen ]

LITTLE GUY WITH HAIR

THE COLOR OF CORN ON THE COB.

BUDDY SAWYER WAS PRETTY MUCH

WIRED THE SAME WAY

THAT JIM MOORE WAS WIRED.

THEY WERE ATTRACTED

TO GAY MEN.

THERE IS SOME ADVANTAGE TO THAT.

THE MARRIAGE WAS JUST TOTALLY

AND SIMPLE A PUBLICITY STUNT.

AND THEY ONLY REMAINED MARRIED

FOR...

MAYBE A MONTH, TWO MONTHS.

THERE WOULD BE THESE

STREAMS OF PEOPLE

AFTER THE THEATER CLOSED,

WOULD GO TO THE MOTEL

AND BE OUT IN THE STREETS,

CRYING UP TO THEIR ROOM, ASKING,

"HEY, BUDDY,

ARE YOU IN BED YET?"

AND THAT SORT OF THING.

HE WAS MARRIED TO FREAKS,

BUT THEN HE WAS A FREAK HIMSELF.

HE THOUGHT HE JUST

COULDN'T HANDLE IT.

[ twin ]

THEN ONE MORNING WE LOOKED

ACROSS THE TWIN BED

WHERE BUDDY HAD BEEN,

BUT HE HAD DISAPPEARED.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS

IT TOOK THEM

TO FIND THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN GAY AND STRAIGHT,

BUT I GUESS EVENTUALLY --

THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT SEX.

[ Jensen ]

ALL THESE PEOPLE WERE

APPROACHING THEM ALL OF THE TIME

WITH THESE, WHAT THEY INSISTED,

WERE CAN'T-FAIL MONEY SCHEMES.

"CHAINED FOR LIFE,"

THEIR AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL FILM --

SOMEWHAT AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL --

INARGUABLY ONE OF THE SCARIEST

AND WORST FILMS EVER MADE.

[ Morris ]

THAT WAS NOT THEIR BEST FILM.

WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE HEADLINERS

THE HAMILTON SISTERS.

I THOUGHT YOU'D GIVEN UP YOUR,

UH, CAREER.

I GUESS THERE'S NOTHING LEFT.

AND THE PICTURE WAS THAT

ONE OF THE GIRLS

HAD ACCIDENTALLY

OR INTENTIONALLY KILLED SOMEONE,

AND, SO, COULD THAT PERSON,

THEN, COULD SHE BE EXECUTED?

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY TRIED TO EXERT SOME CONTROL

OVER HOW THEY WERE

BEING PORTRAYED

IN THE MOVIE,

AND BY ALL ACCOUNTS,

THEIR INTERFERENCE WITH PEOPLE

WHO WERE THE PROFESSIONALS

CERTAINLY SHOWED.

[ Jensen ]

PEOPLE THAT APPROACHED THEM

ABOUT DOING THIS FILM

REALLY DIDN'T HAVE

ANY MONEY TO DO IT.

IT WAS UP TO THE TWINS

TO NOT ONLY ACT IN IT,

BUT PAY ALL THE BILLS.

IT CAME OUT AND MOSTLY

IT WAS SCREENED

IN TINY, LITTLE THEATERS.

SOMETIMES THEY WEREN'T

EVEN THEATERS.

IT WAS LIKE SOME

LITTLE VENUE SOMEWHERE

WHERE, YOU KNOW,

SOMEBODY PUT UP A BED SHEET,

OR AT DRIVE-IN THEATERS.

AND THEY'RE THERE

AND THEY'RE GONNA ANSWER

QUESTIONS FROM WHO?

THE PEOPLE GETTING OUT

OF THEIR CARS?

THEY MADE THE MOVIE,

THEY HAD HIGH HOPES

THAT THIS WAS GONNA

MAKE THEM MOVIE STARS,

AND IT NEVER DID.

AND IT BECAME

ONE OF THOSE THINGS,

SORT OF LIKE "FREAKS,"

THAT THEY WEREN'T VERY PROUD OF

BUT WERE STUCK PROMOTING.

THEY WERE SO OUT OF IT

BY THAT TIME POINT IN TIME

IN THEIR LIVES,

IN TERMS OF WHAT

THE BUSINESS HAD BECOME,

THEY WERE TRYING TO GO

FROM TOWN TO TOWN

TO SCREEN THAT FILM.

THEY WERE TRYING TO TAKE TRAINS

FROM TOWN TO TOWN.

TRAINS HADN'T BEEN THE PRINCIPLE

MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION

IN U.S. SINCE PROBABLY THE '30s.

NOBODY REALLY CARED

ABOUT THEIR FILM.

PEOPLE COULDN'T HAVE CARED LESS

THAT THEY WERE ACTUALLY

SHOWING UP WITH IT.

[ Fulkerson ]

THEY WOULD DO A LITTLE SHOW

BEFORE THE SCREENING.

SOMETIMES THE DRIVE-INS

WERE BETTER KNOWN FOR SHOWING...

OTHER TYPES OF MOVIES.

THEY WOULD COME IN

AND ALL OF A SUDDEN,

YOU'D HAVE THIS MOVIE

AND IT WOULD BE

A CHANGED AFFAIR

BUT YOU WOULD HAVE

YOUR REGULAR PATRONS.

[ Jensen ]

THEY WOULD APPEAR

ON LITTLE STAGES

OR INSIDE THE...

CONCESSION STANDS.

PUT ON THEIR LITTLE DANCES.

IT WAS PATHETIC, REALLY.

♪ YOU STOLE THE SILVER MOONLIGHT

AND LEFT ALL HEAVEN DRY ♪

[ Jensen ]

IT WAS AWFUL.

THE GREATEST AUDIENCES PROBABLY

MADE UP OF THE MOSQUITOS

IN THE AIR.

[ Fulkerson ]

IT WAS A BIG STEP DOWN

FROM WHERE THEY HAD BEEN.

YOU REALLY SEE THEM STARTING

TO AGE MORE RAPIDLY.

SOME OF THE SPIRIT

WASN'T THERE ANYMORE.

[ Jensen ]

THEY WEREN'T TAKING CARE

OF THEMSELVES WELL.

THEY WEREN'T EATING WELL.

THEY DRANK, THEY SMOKED.

THEY WERE WEARING COSTUMES

THAT WERE OUT OF DATE

IN FASHION,

BUT WERE ALSO KIND OF MOLDERING,

AND NOT VERY FRESH LOOKING.

BUT THEY WERE TRYING

TO STAY ALIVE.

THEY WERE TRYING TO SURVIVE.

SO THEY MADE THESE APPEARANCES

AT A FEW NIGHTCLUBS IN MIAMI.

WHEN THEY LEFT, THE OWNERS

OF THESE CLUBS WERE,

"OH, THANK GOD."

YOU KNOW? "THEY'RE GONE."

WHEN YOU END UP IN THE AGE

WHEN EVERYBODY

WANTS TO CONSIDER YOU

SORT OF A DOWAGER

AND AN OLD-TIMER,

AND "SHOULDN'T YOU BE

PLAYING A ROLE RIGHT NOW

THAT REFLECTS

YOUR INCREASING AGE?"

THAT MUST HAVE BEEN

FAIRLY BRUTAL FOR THEM.

IN THEIR HEYDAY, THERE WAS

PROBABLY NOTHING ANY BIGGER DRAW

THAN THE HILTON SISTERS.

HOW'S IT ALL GOING, GIRLS?

JUST TOO GOOD FOR WORDS.

[ Taylor ]

HOLDING ONTO THAT MONEY

IS VERY TOUGH IN A BUSINESS

WHERE YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO

KEEP UP THE FRONT,

YOU ALWAYS HAVE TO BE

MOUNTING THE NEXT BIG THING,

AND THE HILTON SISTERS

IN THEIR CAREER

FETCHED UP ON

THE BAD END OF THAT.

THE HUGE MONEY, THE HUGE SUCCESS

YOU ARE TODAY,

YOU'RE NOT QUITE THAT TOMORROW.

THE HILTON SISTERS WERE NOT

PREPARED FOR THE TOMORROW

THAT THEY ENDED UP CONFRONTING.

AND NOBODY LIKES TO GO ON STAGE

AND DIE.

AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH

WHAT THEY WERE DOING

IN THEIR LAST DAYS.

THEY GOT OUT OF THE BUSINESS.

THEY PULLED OUT AND GOT INTO

A NUMBER OF FAILED

BUSINESS VENTURES.

THEY WOULD DO THIS

SORT OF THING FOR AWHILE.

THEY WOULD BUBBLE BACK UP AGAIN

INTO SHOW BUSINESS.

THEY RAN A SNACK BAR IN MIAMI.

THE GIRLS, BLESS THEIR HEARTS,

REALLY DID NOT

UNDERSTAND BUSINESS.

I DON'T THINK THAT I'VE EVER

HAD AS BAD A CASE OF NERVES

ON STAGE, OPENING INTRODUCTION,

OR DOING PICTURES

AS I DID SERVING A HAMBURGER.

I ACTUALLY HAD STAGE FRIGHT

SERVING HAMBURGERS.

I WAS SO SCARED, I DIDN'T KNOW

WHAT TO DO.

OF COURSE, THE COOKING

AND THE CLEANING

WAS NO PROBLEM BECAUSE

WE LEARNED THAT YEARS AGO

WHEN WE WERE CHILDREN.

INITIALLY, THE SNACK BAR

ATTRACTED SOME ATTENTION.

MERCHANTS IN THE SAME AREA

THOUGHT IT WAS JUST

BAD FOR BUSINESS.

THEY THOUGHT MOST PEOPLE

WERE GONNA BE

GROSSED OUT BY SEEING

CONJOINED TWINS SERVING FOOD.

WHEN DAISY AND I

WERE 7 YEARS OLD,

WE SHOOK HANDS ON A PROMISE

THAT AFTER PUTTING

A SET NUMBER OF YEARS

IN THIS WORLD,

WE WOULD GET OUT OF IT.

IN 1962 I OWNED

A THEATRICAL AGENCY.

WE WOULD BOOK SHOWS IN THEATERS

AND FOR TELEVISION

AND TRAVELING SHOWS,

AND MY SECRETARY SAID,

" I HAVE A CALL FOR YOU,"

AND IT WAS VIOLET HILTON.

SHE SAID,

"WELL, YOU KNOW WHO I AM?"

AND I SAID, "ABSOLUTELY.

YOU WERE THE HIGHEST-PAID ACT

IN VAUDEVILLE.

YOU WERE THE SENSATION OF THE

SHOW BUSINESS WORLD

FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.

SHE SAID, "WELL, MY SISTER AND I

HAVE DECIDED TO GO

BACK ON THE ROAD

AND WONDERED IF YOU WOULD

BE KIND ENOUGH TO BOOK OUR ACT."

I SAID, "WELL, CERTAINLY,

BUT IT WOULD TAKE ME

SOME TIME TO SET THIS UP.

I'LL CALL YOU BACK

IN A COUPLE WEEKS.

TWO DAYS LATER...

THIS GENTLEMAN WALKS

INTO MY OFFICE AND SAID

THAT HE WAS A TAXI DRIVER.

I WALKED DOWN THE STEPS WITH HIM

AND THERE IN THE BACK SEAT

OF THE CAB

WERE THE TWO HILTON SISTERS.

AND HE WOULD LIKE ME TO PAY

FOR THEIR CAB FARE

FROM THE TRAIN STATION.

AND THEY SAID,

"WELL, WE'RE READY TO WORK."

AND I SAID, "WELL, I TOLD YOU

IT WAS GONNA BE

A MONTH OR SO."

I SAID, "IT WOULD BE BETTER

FOR YOU TO GO BACK HOME."

SHE SAID, "WE DO NOT HAVE A HOME

TO GO TO."

AND ONE OF THE GIRLS SAID,

"WELL, IS THERE

A THEATRICAL HOTEL IN TOWN?

YOU THINK THEY WOULD CHECK US IN

ON THE CUFF?"

MEANING THEY DIDN'T HAVE

ANY MONEY

TO CHECK INTO THE HOTEL.

THESE GIRLS WERE A TREMENDOUS

SUCCESS IN SHOW BUSINESS.

NOW, AS I STARTED TO CALL

THE DIFFERENT

THEATER CIRCUITS

AND SAY, "COULD YOU

BOOK SOME DATES

FOR THE GIRLS?"

I BEGAN TO FEEL SOME RESISTANCE.

I SAID TO THEM, "LISTEN, MAYBE

YOU WOULD BOOK JUST A TRIAL DATE

SO THAT WE CAN PUT THEM IN

AS AN ENGAGEMENT

AND LET'S SEE

HOW THEY DO --

AN ENGAGEMENT HERE

AND AN ENGAGEMENT THERE.

WE'LL TRY IT IN

DIFFERENT-SIZED THEATERS

AND DIFFERENT-SIZED TOWNS.

I'LL EVEN BOOK THEM IN SOME

OF THE DRIVE-IN THEATERS

AND WE'LL SEE HOW IT GOES."

I SAID, "NOW,

INCIDENTALLY, GIRLS,

AFTER WE BOOKED THE DATES,

HOW DO YOU PLAN ON

TRAVELING FROM TOWN TO TOWN?"

THEY SAID, "WELL,

WE'LL TAKE A TRAIN."

"BUT IT WOULD BE

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE

TO BOOK A ROUTE FOR

YOU TO TRAVEL BY TRAIN."

THEN IT CAME TIME

FOR THE ENGAGEMENTS,

I HAD SEVERAL TELEVISION SHOWS.

AND UNCLE ZEKE HUNG AROUND

THE TELEVISION STATION,

AND "WANT TO HELP ME

CARRY BAGS IN?"

OR DO THIS AND DO THAT.

[ CHUCKLES ]

AND POOR OLD UNCLE ZEKE.

HE [CHUCKLES] HE WAS

AN ALCOHOLIC.

[ LAUGHS ]

AND THIS WAS A CHILDREN'S SHOW

I'M DOING.

AND, SO, FINALLY THE DIRECTOR

CAME OVER TO ME AND HE SAID,

"LISTEN," HE SAID, "WE'VE HAD

SOME COMMENTS ABOUT HIS BREATH."

I SAID, "UNCLE ZEKE,

YOU CAN'T DRINK AND COME HERE

AND BE ON

THESE TELEVISION SHOWS."

HE WAS A PERSON WHO WAS

DRIVING THEIR CAR

AND TAKING THEM

FROM TOWN TO TOWN.

THEY WERE WILLING TO DO --

IF YOU HAD A PROJECT, SAY,

"HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.

WE SHOULD DO THIS PUBLICITY,"

OR WHATEVER,

"OH, YEAH. OH, ABSOLUTELY."

THE GIRLS DID NOT LIKE

THE DRIVE-IN THEATERS,

BUT I FELT THAT THE PICTURE

"CHAINED FOR LIFE" AND "FREAKS,"

WHICH WE PLAYED A DOUBLE FEATURE

WITH THEM IN THE THEATERS,

WOULD GO BETTER WITH

A DRIVE-IN THEATER CROWD.

THE ONLY THING WAS THAT

NOBODY CARED.

NOBODY SHOWED UP.

I SAYS, "I THINK THEIR PERSONAL

APPEARANCE DAYS

ARE ALMOST OVER, ZEKE."

I SAID, "GIRLS, WE NEED TO DO

SOMETHING HERE.

TELL ME, DO EITHER OF YOU HAVE

ANY SKILLS?

LIKE OFFICE SKILLS?"

SHE SAID, "WELL, YEAH.

WE PLAY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

AND WE DANCE."

I SAID, "NO, NO, THAT'S NOT

WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

I KNOW THAT.

HAVE EITHER ONE OF YOU

EVER HAD A JOB

WHERE YOU WORKED AT A STORE

OR YOU WORKED IN AN OFFICE?"

"OH, NO. OH, ABSOLUTELY NOT."

I HAD BOOKED THEM

IN A GROCERY STORE

HERE IN TOWN, MAKING

A PERSONAL APPEARANCE.

IT WAS A PLACE

CALLED PARK-N-SHOP,

OPERATED BY A FELLA

BY THE NAME OF CHARLIE REID.

VERY FINE PERSON, WHO HAD THREE

STORES IN TOTAL IN CHARLOTTE.

THEY WERE AT THE FRONT

OF THE STORE,

AND THEY WERE ADVERTISING

TWIN-PACK POTATO CHIPS.

NOW, THAT'S A GOOD SPORT.

THE TWIN-PACK POTATO CHIPS CAME

[Laughing] HOOKED TOGETHER.

THEY BECAME MORE CYNICAL,

BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM TO TEACH THEM

ANYTHING ABOUT HANDLING MONEY

OR TO ACKNOWLEDGE

THAT THOSE AROUND THEM

HAD USED THEM.

THEY GOT ROBBED, THEY GOT TAKEN

BY ALMOST EVERY MALE

IN THEIR LIFE.

AND I CAN REMEMBER WHERE THEY

ASKED MY FATHER FOR MONEY,

AND THEY WERE ALWAYS

SOMEWHERE NEAR

WHERE THEY ENDED UP.

THEY WERE IN THE CAROLINAS,

AND THEY WOULD WIRE HIM

FOR MONEY,

AND HE WOULD ALWAYS SEND IT.

THEY WERE PROMOTING

THE MOVIE "FREAKS,"

AND THEY CAME TO MONROE

WHICH IS A LITTLE TOWN

EAST OF HERE.

THEY WERE ABANDONED

AFTER ONE OF THEIR GIGS.

THEY HAD HAD A MANAGER

THAT WAS LESS THAN HONEST,

AND THEY WERE GOING TO DO

A PERFORMANCE

AT A DRIVE-IN,

AND HE TOOK OFF

WITH ALL THEIR EARNINGS

AND LEFT THEM WITH NOTHING.

THE SIAMESE TWINS

WERE BASICALLY DUMPED OUT,

AND MY FATHER, CLAY KEZIAH,

OWNED THE MOTEL

AND THE RESTAURANT NEXT DOOR.

AND HE ALLOWED THE TWINS TO COME

AND STAY HERE FOR FREE OF CHARGE

AND ALLOWED THEM TO EAT

AT THE BONFIRE RESTAURANT.

AND THEY STAYED

IN THIS END UNIT.

THEY WERE HERE SEVERAL MONTHS.

TWO LITTLE, TINY, TINY TWINS,

AND VERY DELIGHTFUL.

WERE JUST THRILLED TO KNOW

THEY HAD A ROOF

OVER THEIR HEAD

AND SOMEWHERE TO EAT.

A CHURCH IN -- GASTONIA, BELMONT

HEARD ABOUT THEM

AND THEY MOVED THEM

TO TANZY'S TRAILER PARK.

[ Robert Tanzy ]

MY DAD HAD ABOUT

20, 25 TRAILERS.

A LOT OF THEM WERE RENTED

WEEK TO WEEK.

SOME WERE RENTED MONTH TO MONTH,

AND WE HAD PEOPLE THAT STAYED

THERE FOR YEARS AND YEARS.

I WOULD SAY

THEY WEREN'T UNFRIENDLY,

UNFRIENDLY, BUT THEY WERE

A LITTLE MORE STANDOFFISH.

[ SIGHS ]

AND IT WAS HARD FOR THEM.

LIKE IT'S HARD FOR

A LOT OF ENTERTAINERS.

YOU KNOW, A DAY COMES WHEN IT

JUST IS OVER.

[ Tomlinson ]

THEY HAD BEEN IN THE SPOTLIGHT

MOST OF THEIR LIVES,

AND, TO BE HONEST, THE SPOTLIGHT

HAD NOT TREATED THEM

ALL THAT WELL.

I THINK THE FIRST REACTION

THAT EVERYBODY HAD

WAS TO FEEL SORRY

FOR THEM A LITTLE BIT

BY THE TIME THEY GOT HERE,

BECAUSE THEY WERE REALLY

DOWN ON THEIR LUCK.

THEY WERE BASICALLY BROKE.

THEY WERE LOOKING FOR WORK.

THEY HAD BEEN SORT OF

LEFT BEHIND.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE FAMILY.

AND, SO, PEOPLE

IN THAT SITUATION,

I THINK IT WAS NATURAL

FOR PEOPLE HERE

TP FEEL SORRY FOR THEM

AND TO REACH OUT

A LITTLE BIT.

MY DAD AND MOM,

INDEPENDENT GROCERS,

CAME TO CHARLOTTE

AND BUILT A PRETTY

GOOD-SIZE STORE

ON WILKINSON BOULEVARD

OUT BY THE AIRPORT.

AND MY DAD LOVED PRODUCE.

THEY WERE KNOWN

FOR THEIR SERVICE,

AND HE WAS KNOWN FOR HIS

KIND OF BIG PROMOTIONS.

[ Beatty ]

IF YOU BOUGHT GROCERIES,

YOU COULD GET

A PIECE OF ALASKA

WHEN ALASKA BECAME A STATE.

WE HAD BUFFALO BARBECUE.

WATERMELONS 10 CENTS EACH.

IF YOU CAME IN YOUR PAJAMAS,

THEY WERE FIVE CENTS.

ONE DAY, THEY CAME IN THE STORE.

NOW, THEY WERE SHOWGIRLS STILL.

THEY HAD THE LONG FINGERNAILS --

RED, LONG FINGERNAILS,

ORANGE HAIR,

AND THE MAKEUP, AND CAUSED

QUITE A STIR.

AND THEY WENT OVER TO THE OFFICE

AND THEY SAID, "WE WANT TO SEE

MR. REID.

WE WANT A JOB."

WELL, MY AUNT WAS ON

THE RECEIVING THING,

AND SHE'S LIKE,

"OH, MY GOSH.

THESE PEOPLE CAN'T WORK HERE.

[ Laughing ]

WHAT ARE THEY THINKIN?"

I MEAN, THEY WERE DESTITUTE.

I MEAN, THEY HAD NOTHING.

AND THEIR LIFE WAS TAKEN AWAY.

THEY'D SAT DOWN ON ONE CHAIR.

YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF CUDDLED.

AND THEY SAID, "MR. REID,

WE NEED A JOB."

THEY SAID, "YOU ONLY HAS

TO PAY ONE -- ONE PEOPLE."

AND DADDY'S LOOKING AT THEM.

HE SAID, "WELL, I GOT TO THINK

ABOUT IT.

LET ME GET BACK TO YOU."

AND HE PRAYED AND PRAYED.

HE WAS A QUIET MAN,

QUITE CHRISTIAN.

IT CAME TO HIM -- THE PRODUCE.

THEY COULD WORK IN THE PRODUCE.

'CAUSE THEY COULDN'T

BAG GROCERIES.

AND DAD WAS SMART.

HE WAS GONNA USE FOUR HANDS.

BACK IN THOSE DAYS,

EVERY CASH REGISTER

DID NOT HAVE

ITS OWN SCALE

TO WEIGH PRODUCE ON.

SO, YOU WOULD GO DOWN

A PRODUCE AISLE

AND THERE WOULD BE A SET

OF SCALES AND A PERSON THERE,

AND THEY WOULD WEIGH THEM

AND PRICE THEM,

AND THEN THEY WOULD

RING IT UP AT THE END.

WHAT HE DID IS HE SET UP

A DOUBLE AISLE,

THEN THE TWINS COULD SIT

EACH ON A STOOL

AND WORK A SET OF SCALES.

[ Beatty ]

COMING TOWARD THEM,

YOU COULDN'T TELL

THAT THEY WERE CONNECTED,

AND PEOPLE WOULD

GO ON OUT THIS WAY

AND UNLESS THEY TURNED BACK,

THEY WOULD SEE

THE CONNECTION HERE.

MY LITTLE NEPHEW WOULD GO

AND HE'D TRY TO STAND

BEHIND THEM

AND SEE WHERE THEY

WERE CONNECTED.

[ LAUGHS ]

MY MOTHER'S JOB WAS TO

CLEAN THEM UP.

[ LAUGHS ]

YOU CAN'T SHOW UP

IN YOUR STAGE MAKEUP

AND YOUR OLD

STAGE COSTUMES.

[ Beatty ]

THEY CUT THEIR HAIR AND DYED IT

A LITTLE MORE NORMAL COLOR.

THEY HAD TWO SEPARATE SHIRTS

AND TWO SEPARATE SKIRTS,

BUT IT WAS SPLIT.

SEE? TO GO AROUND BOTH OF THEM.

[ Tomlinson ]

CERTAINLY PEOPLE DID

COME TO THE STORE

TO SEE THE HILTON SISTERS.

IT WAS AN ASSET TO THE STORE,

I'M SURE.

[ Noblitt ]

AND A LOT OF PEOPLE, I GUESS,

COME TO SEE THEM, YOU KNOW,

JUST TO SEE SIAMESE TWINS.

THEY WERE NICE.

THEY WOULD SPEAK TO YOU

AND TALK TO YOU

WHILE THEY WAS

WORKING ON YOU.

[ Jensen ]

KIND OF INTERESTING, BECAUSE

THEIR MOTHER, WAY, WAY, WAY BACK

ALSO WORKED IN A GROCERY STORE.

THERE WAS A BREAK ROOM

AT THE STORE,

AND THEY LOVED

TO GO BACK THERE

AND START TELLING STORIES

AMONG THE EMPLOYEES.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY

WERE REALLY TRUE

OR THEY WERE JUST

TRYING TO SEE,

BUT THEY WOULD

SMOKE THOSE CIGARETTES

AND JUST TALK AND LAUGH,

AND THEY'D ALWAYS SAY,

"YEAH, I HAD A HUSBAND

FOR A WHILE."

THE WAY WE REMEMBER IT

IS EACH ONE HAD ONE

AT A DIFFERENT TIME.

[ LAUGHS ]

THEY JUST LIKED TO ENTERTAIN.

THEY WERE STILL ENTERTAINING,

THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER

ABOUT THE BREAK ROOM.

THAT WAS THERE KIND OF STAGE,

BECAUSE THEY HAD TO BE GOOD

ON THE FLOOR, YOU KNOW?

THEY KNEW MY MOTHER

WOULD GET THEM.

[ LAUGHS ]

I THINK THEY ENJOYED

STARTLING PEOPLE, TO A DEGREE.

I MEAN, WELL,

THEY STARTLED PEOPLE

JUST WITH THEIR APPEARANCE,

TO A DEGREE, YOU KNOW?

BUT I CAN STILL SEE THEM WALK,

AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.

THEY WALKED TOGETHER

AND THEY NEVER STUMBLED.

BUT THEY HAD TO HAVE A RHYTHM,

YOU KNOW, TO WALK.

THEY RODE THE TAXI A LOT,

AND THEY ALWAYS HAD DOLLAR BILLS

IN THEIR PURSES

TO PAY CAB FARE

TO GET FROM THEIR HOUSE

TO THE STORE.

[ Tomlinson ]

AND AFTER THEY DIED,

WHEN THEY LOOKING

THROUGH THEIR THINGS,

THEY CAME ACROSS A DRESSER,

AND INSIDE THE DRESSER

WAS, LIKE, A BIG STACK

OF PURSES.

AND EACH PURSE,

THERE WERE MAYBE $3 OR $4.

WHEN THEY WANTED

TO GO OUT THE DOOR,

THEY COULD JUST GRAB A PURSE,

AND THEY KNEW THERE WOULD

BE CAB FARE IN THERE.

[ Beatty ]

THE BREAD MAN,

HE BECAME FRIENDS WITH THEM,

AND HE LIVED CLOSE TO THEM,

SO HE'D TAKE THEM HOME

IN THE BREAD TRUCK

A LOT OF TIMES.

[ Tomlinson ]

HE CAME THROUGH

THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD,

AND KIND OF

KEPT WATCH OVER THEM

AND GAVE THEIR DOGS TOYS.

WHEN THEY WERE LIVING

HERE IN CHARLOTE,

THERE WAS A DOCTOR

WHO CAME TO TOWN,

WHO SUPPOSEDLY HIS SPECIALTY

WAS SEPARATING CONJOINED TWINS.

AND HE CAME TO DIAGNOSE THEM,

AND HIS CONCLUSION WAS

THEY COULD BE

SUCCESSFULLY SEPARATED.

THEY DIDN'T SHARE

ANY ORGANS OR ANYTHING.

SO, HE SAID, YOU KNOW,

"IF YOU WANT THIS,

WE CAN DO THIS AND

IT'LL BE SUCCESSFUL,"

AND THEY CHOSE NOT TO.

THEY WERE TOO DEPENDENT

ON EACH OTHER.

NOT JUST BECAUSE

THEY WERE CO-JOINED,

BUT BECAUSE THERE WAS

SO MANY THINGS THEY DID AS ONE.

[ Tomlinson ]

THEY WERE A LITTLE --

APPARENTLY A LITTLE DIFFICULT

TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH.

WHEN A LOT OF WHAT YOU ARE

AS A TALENT

ISN'T YOUR ACT,

HOWEVER MUCH THE HILTONS

WOULD HAVE ARGUED,

"IT IS OUR ACT,"

IT'S WHAT YOU ARE --

IT'S WHAT YOU APPEAR TO BE.

IT'S HARD TO LET PEOPLE IN,

AND IT'S HARD TO LET PEOPLE

PAST THE FRONT,

BECAUSE THAT'S

WHAT YOU ARE.

I MEAN, YOU'RE PUTTING UP

THE FRONT.

YOU KNOW, "I'M PUTTING UP

A GOOD FRONT."

[ Beatty ]

THERE WAS A HOUSE

THAT THE CHURCH BOUGHT.

DAD, IN HIS WISDOM, AGAIN,

FIGURED A WAY THAT THEY COULD

RENT THE HOUSE.

[ Tomlinson ]

IT WAS THE SITE OF AN OLD

WORLD WAR I CAMP

WHERE A LOT OF SOLDIERS STAYED

DURING THAT TIME.

[ Beatty ]

THEY DID JOIN THE CHURCH.

THEY KIND OF HAD TO IN ORDER TO

USE THE CHURCH PROPERTY.

[ Tomlinson ]

WHEN THEY WENT

TO SUNDAY SCHOOL,

IT WOULD BE

WITH THE MEN'S CLASS.

THE MEN'S CLASS WAS

THE GROUND LEVEL.

THE WOMEN'S CLASS

WAS THE BASEMENT.

THERE WAS ONE THEORY

THAT IT WAS JUST

A PHYSICAL THING,

THAT WAS HARD FOR THEM

TO GET DOWN THE STAIRS

TO THE BASEMENT.

THE OTHER THEORY WAS THAT

THEY WERE MORE TALKATIVE

AND MORE COMFORTABLE

AMONG THE MEN.

THEY WERE HERE SIX-PLUS YEARS.

THEY SORT OF BECAME JUST MORE OF

A REGULAR PART OF THE COMMUNITY,

EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE LONERS,

IN A SENSE.

I THINK THEY HAD A GOOD LIFE

TOWARD THE END.

I FEEL IN MY HEART, YOU KNOW,

THAT THEY DID.

UNTIL THEIR FINAL DAYS,

THEY PROBABLY NEVER HAD

FRIENDS AS STRONG,

AND AS IMPORTANT,

AND AS LEGITIMATE

AS THE FRIENDS THEY HAD

IN THEIR FINAL DAYS.

I'D SAY THEY WERE AS WELL-LOVED

IN THAT SMALL TOWN

AS THEY HAD PROBABLY EVER FELT

IN THEIR WHOLE LIVES.

[ Tomlinson ]

THEY HAD NOT BEEN SEEN

FOR SEVERAL DAYS.

[ Land ]

IT WAS CLOSE TO CHRISTMAS,

AND THEY ALWAYS GAVE GIFTS

TO ALL THEIR FRIENDS,

EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE NOT

IN REALLY GREAT CIRCUMSTANCES.

ONE OF THE TWINS CAUGHT

THE HONG KONG FLU.

HONG KONG CAME

THROUGH CHARLOTTE

VERY, VERY HARD.

THAT WAS MEAN STUFF.

I MEAN, I -- YOU HAD IT...

AND THEN YOU JUST FELT SO BAD.

[ Fulkerton ]

DAISY HAD BECOME ILL.

[ Morris ]

AND IT GOT WORSE AND WORSE.

[ Jensen]

THEY WENT TO A DOCTOR.

HE GAVE HER SOME PRESCRIPTION.

SHE CONTINUED TO DETERIORATE.

SHE ACTUALLY CALLED RUE REID,

THE OWNER OF THE PARK-N-SHOP,

SAID THINGS WERE NOT GOING WELL.

SHE BEGAN TO SUSPECT THAT

SHE WAS IMMINENTLY DYING.

SHE PLEADED WITH RUE

NOT TO CALL ANY AUTHORITIES

OR MEDICAL PEOPLE,

'CAUSE SHE DIDN'T WANT

ANY INTERVENTION,

NOR DID VIOLET.

IT WAS ALWAYS THEIR FEAR,

YOU KNOW, FROM THE TIME

THEY WERE...

RECKONING CHILDREN,

THAT SOME DOCTOR WOULD TRY

TO SEPARATE THEM.

WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN TOGETHER.

AND WE'LL BE THAT WAY FOREVER.

[ Jensen]

SO, DAISY DIED.

[ Fulkerson ]

VIOLET, AFTER HER SISTER DIED

HAD MADE THE CHOICE

TO REFUSE MEDICAL INTERVENTION,

TO, YOU KNOW, JUST SAY,

"IT'S OKAY.

YOU KNOW, WE MADE A PACT

THAT WE WOULD GO TOGETHER,"

AND TO KNOW THAT YOUR

SISTER'S GONE

AND TO WAIT FOR

THE INEVITABLE TO HAPPEN.

I DON'T THINK SHE

WOULD HAVE WANTED

TO LIVE WITHOUT HER SISTER

AT THAT POINT.

I DON'T THINK THEY COULD HAVE.

DAISY WAS WITH HER EVERY SECOND.

AND, YOU KNOW, HOW COULD YOU

IMAGINE A LIFE WITHOUT HER?

BUT THE FACT THAT SHE HAD TO,

YOU KNOW, WITNESS

HER SISTER'S DEATH

IS HEART-WRENCHING.

[ Tomlinson ]

THE HOUSE WAS ONE OF THOSE

THAT HAD A HEAT GRATE

IN THE FLOOR,

AND I BELIEVE IT WAS

IN THE HALLWAY,

AND THEY WERE FOUND DEAD

ON THE HEAT GRATE.

BECAUSE OF THIS FLU

THEY GOTTEN REALLY COLD

AND THEY WERE TRYING

TO STAY WARM.

[ Jensen ]

DAISY'S DECOMPOSITION

WAS GREATER THAN VIOLET'S,

SO THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS

MUST HAVE BEEN NIGHTMARISH

FOR VIOLET,

WITH HER SISTER THERE.

I THINK, YOU KNOW,

SHE DRANK A LOT,

SMOKED A LOT,

AND THEN ULTIMATELY JUST...

SLIPPED AWAY.

THEY FOUND THAT THEY HAD

ALREADY WRAPPED ALL OF THEIR

CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

AND MARKED THEM

TO GO TO THEIR FRIENDS.

[ Jensen ]

AND THEY FELT THAT, YOU KNOW,

THEY CAME INTO

THIS WORLD TOGETHER.

"LET'S GO OUT TOGETHER,"

YOU KNOW?

THEY HAD THAT KIND OF A PACT

THEY HAD MADE, AND SO IT WAS.

[ Tomlinson ]

IT WAS NOT A HUGE FUNERAL.

MOSTLY PEOPLE FROM AROUND TOWN

WHO KNEW THEM

AND CAME TO SEE THEM.

THEY WERE BURIED IN ONE GRAVE,

OBVIOUSLY ONE COFFIN

AND ONE GRAVE.

IT, I BELIEVE, HAD TO BE

SPECIALLY BUILT.

THEY'RE BURIED OUT IN

FOREST LAWN CEMETERY

HERE IN CHARLOTTE,

WHICH IS PROBABLY ONE

OF THE PRETTIER

TWO OR THREE CEMETERIES IN TOWN.

[ Randy Knight ]

MY UNCLE, J.C. CARREL,

GOT TO KNOW THEM OVER THE YEARS,

BECAME FRIENDS.

HE WAS A GUY WITH A --

HARD-DRINKING TRUCK DRIVER

WITH A TENDER HEART.

HE DID A LOT FOR PEOPLE.

AND WHEN THEY DIED ABRUPTLY,

HE HAD AN EXTRA PLOT

IN THE CEMETERY,

AND THEY NEEDED A PLACE

TO BE BURIED,

SO HE WAS GONNA GIVE THEM

THE PLOT NEXT TO HIS SON.

[ Tomlinson ]

THEY KNEW NO OTHER LIFE.

THE TRAGEDY IN THE LIFE

WAS THAT THEIR LIFE CHANGED.

THE LIFE AROUND THEM CHANGED.

THE WORLD CHANGED.

THAT BAND OF TISSUE IS WHAT

MADE THEM SPECIAL.

IF YOU SEPARATE THE TWO GIRLS,

THERE NO LONGER WOULD HAVE BEEN

THE HILTON SISTERS.

SOMETIMES WHEN LIFE IS BAD

AND YOU'RE BROKE

OR YOUR MANAGER'S

LEFT YOU OR WHATEVER,

YOU KNOW, WHAT ELSE DO

THEY HAVE TO HOLD ONTO

THAT MADE THEM SPECIAL?

THAT WAS IT.

[ Fulkerson ]

I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY EVER

HAD THAT FAIRY-TALE

HAPPY ENDING.

I THINK THERE WAS ALWAYS,

YOU KNOW, COMPLICATIONS

THAT GOT IN THE WAY

AND I THINK THAT

FRUSTRATED THEM.

BUT I DON'T THINK

THEY EVER GAVE UP.

I THINK THEY WERE ALWAYS --

YOU KNOW, I THINK THEY BELIEVED

IN THE DREAM.

I THINK THEY BELIEVED THAT THEY

COULD HAVE

THAT HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

THEY JUST DIDN'T FIND IT.

[ twin ]

OUR PHYSICAL BOND WAS NOT

GOING TO BE OUR CROSS.

THERE WERE MANY RULES

WE WERE FORCED TO FOLLOW.

WE HAD LEARNED THAT

MOST OF OUR PROBLEMS

COULD BE SETTLES INWARDLY.

SLEEPING, EATING,

LIVING TOGETHER --

THERE WERE NO ADJUSTMENTS

IN OUR RELATIONSHIP

WE COULDN'T MAKE.

WE'VE ALWAYS SAID

WE WERE LIKE OTHER PEOPLE.

YET DIFFERENT.

FROM THE MOMENT WE STARTED

TO CRAWL,

WHEN THE LEG OF THE TABLE

GOT BETWEEN US

AND WE COULDN'T PASS,

WE DECIDED THAT OUR

PHYSICAL BOND

WOULD NEVER BE OUR CROSS.

BUT WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL.

WE'VE REACHED THE TOP

IN SHOW BUSINESS,

AND THERE ISN'T A THING

WE CAN'T HAVE,

EXCEPT HAPPINESS.

WE'VE FOOLED OURSELVES

THAT BY ENTERTAINING OTHERS,

WE WERE MAKING OURSELVES HAPPY.