All About Schlitzie, The Pinhead

Microcephaly is a rare disease. It only affects one in several thousand babies.The Zika virus can cause microcephaly as a side effect. People with microcephaly show abnormally small heads at birth. Stunted growth later confirms the condition. This disease harms brain growth. It can cause epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and hearing or vision problems. Some babies with microcephaly develop normally, but this happens rarely.The Zika virus can cause microcephaly. Babies with microcephaly show abnormally small heads at birth. Stunted growth follows as they develop. The disease harms brain maturation. It causes epilepsy, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, and hearing or vision problems. Sometimes, babies born with microcephaly develop normally, but this is rare.

Schlitzie's early history remains unclear. Experts cannot agree on his official birthplace, birth date, or name. Most sources agree his true name wasSimon Metzhe was born in the Bronx1901Both last names credited to him, Metz and Surtees, trace back to his handlers.Metz and SurteesOther sources claim the performer was born in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1890. Rumors suggest a birth in Yucatan, Mexico, possibly linked to his billing as "The Last Of The Aztecs."

Several accounts describeSchlitzie's early life mentions he had aHe may have had a sister named Athelia.Athelia was also born with microcephaly. Tracking information on his relatives, including his sister, is very hard. Some sources report thatThe siblings came from a wealthy family.Parents reportedly felt ashamed of the microcephaly-affected children. They sold them to a sideshow where the siblings later separated.

Zip, another performing "pinhead," preceded Schlitzie. Many performers with microcephaly appeared then. Their unusual looks sent many to sideshows. Today, the public knows more about physical and mental differences. Lester Green performs today with microcephaly, using the name "Beetlejuice." He has madeSchlitzie appeared many times on The Howard Stern Show.

Schlitzie was male, yet he performed as a girl often. Caretakers dressed him in loose dresses, supposedly because of his incontinence.The dresses were roomier. This made it easier for handlers to care for him. Fellow actors knew he was male but used both male and female pronouns.The dresses allowed handlers to care for him easily. Despite knowing he was male, his fellow performers used both male and female pronouns.

Schlitzie's billing range was huge and strange. He was called a girl on stage due to his dresses. Some circus owners even called him "The Monkey GirlHe also performed as "The Last Of The Aztecs" or one of several "Aztec Children." People linked the "pinhead" look to Aztecs. Mayans practiced head-binding and skull-shaping.Mayans practiced head-binding and skull-shaping.Schlitzie was billed as an Aztec, a monkey, and "It," a way to mark social status, though Schlitzie's employers found the association acceptable.

The 1932 movieFreaksbecame acult classicDecades after its release, the film featuresfeatured several sideshow performers, including Schlitzie, conjoined twinsViolet and Daisy Hilton, and "Half Boy" Johnny Eck. Schlitzie played his most recognizable role inFreakswas his most recognizable role in Freaks; Schlitzie also appeared inIsland of Lost Soulsthat same year, where he was billed as a "furry manimal."

Schlitzie worked as a performer most of his life. He had a few movie roles, but most time involved sideshow acts. He performed with major circuses, including the Tom Mix Circus, the Clyde Beatty Circus, the Foley & Burke Carnival, the Ringling Bros. Circus, and the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Schlitzie loved performing and felt sad when moved from the carnival.

George Surtees, a chimpanzee trainer, legally adopted Schlitzie in 1935 after becoming his handler. When Surtees died in 1965, his daughtersent Schlitzie to ahospitalto live out his days, but Schlitzie did not like being away from the circus, and his health worsened. Luckily, sword swallower Bill Unks found Schlitzie at the LA County Hospital and brought the aging performer back to showmanship. Schlitzie performed again with Unks, putting on street shows for local people.

Schlitzie died at 70. He was buried in a simple, unmarked grave in Los Angeles, California. Fans later raised money to buy him a proper headstone. Today, the stone sits in theQueen Of Heaven Cemeteryin Rowland Heights, California.

Most reports list Schlitzie as aneasy favorite among his fans and circus coworkers. His young personality made him see the world like a child, and his cheerful nature brightened the day for most of his castmates.His ever-young personality made him see the world through a child's eyes, and his cheerful personality was a bright spot in the day for most of his castmates.

Schlitziewas a ray of sunshine; his smile and unconditional love shone on everyone around him.