Schlitzie (alternatively spelled "Schlitze" or "Shlitze"; September 10, 1901 (or c. 1892) – September 24, 1971), possibly born Simon Metz, and legally Schlitze Surtees, was an American sideshow performer and occasional actor, best known for his role in the 1932 movie Freaks and his life-long career on the outdoor entertainment circuit as a major sideshow attraction with Barnum and Bailey, among others.
Schlitzie's true birth date, name, and locat...
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Schlitzie (alternatively spelled "Schlitze" or "Shlitze"; September 10, 1901 (or c. 1892) – September 24, 1971), possibly born Simon Metz, and legally Schlitze Surtees, was an American sideshow performer and occasional actor, best known for his role in the 1932 movie Freaks and his life-long career on the outdoor entertainment circuit as a major sideshow attraction with Barnum and Bailey, among others.
Schlitzie's true birth date, name, and location are unknown; it is commonly accepted, at least by what was inscribed on his death certificate and gravesite, that he was born on September 10, 1901, in The Bronx, New York, though 1892 has also been considered as a possibility. Additionally, some sources have claimed that he was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Claims that he was born in Yucatán, Mexico, are mistaken reflections of Schlitzie's occasional fanciful billing as "The Last of the Aztecs". Schlitzie's born identity may never be known, the information having been lost as he was...
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