Schlitzie

Also known as Simon Metz, Schlitze Surtees

Schlitzie (alternatively spelled Schlitze or Shlitze; September 10, 1901 – September 24, 1971), possibly born Simon Metz and legally Schlitze Surtees, was an American sideshow performer. He also appeared in a few films, and is best known for his role in the 1932 movie Freaks. His lifelong career on the outdoor entertainment circuit as a major sideshow attraction with Barnum & Bailey, among others, made him a popular cultural icon.

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Key facts

Person.name: Schlitzie
Person.other_names: Schlitze Surtees
Person.image: Schlitzie.jpg
Person.birth_name: Simon Metz?
Person.birth_place: The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Person.death_place: Los Angeles, California, U.S.

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Wikidata facts

Image: Schlitzie 1938.jpg

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date of birth: 1901-09-10
date of death: 1971-09-24
Commons category: Schlitzie
start of work period: 1932-00-00

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Article

10 sections

Contents

Biography
Career
''Freaks'' and later work
Hospitalization
Final years
Death
Cultural legacy
Filmography
References
External links

==Biography== Schlitzie's true birth date, name, location and parents are unknown; the information on his death certificate and gravesite indicate that he was born on September 10, 1901, in The Bronx, New York, though 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 "Maggie, last of the Aztec Children". Information about Schlitzie's identity at birth may never be known, the information having been lost as he was handed off to various carnivals in a long line of mostly informal guardianships throughout his career.