Schlitzie the Pinhead, What's True and What's Legend 

He wasn't a freak..He was a beautiful sweet soul....Thank goodness he had people who did really care and love he and his sister...

I'm glad that you treat Schlitzie with such respect

At the end of the day, Schiltzie had a better life than many. I'm glad he was able to be happy.

It is actually quite rare for someone with Microcephaly to live as long as Schlitzie did many do not live past 30.I think being in a side show was a positive experience not a life of exploitation as many would assume.Schlitzie was strange looking but had such a sweet nature that really came through in Freaks....he was remarkable! who entertained countless people in his day! So glad you honored him and his life by making this video!

That was really great! I watched 'Freaks' when I was a kid and was fascinated by the actors and wondered what kind of lives they must have led. I like that you didn't judge Schlitzie's birth family, too, and were so balanced about how the freak show thing was a sort of double-edged sword. I'm glad that he seemed to live a full life with good people around him. I think you did this person justice. Thank you for this video!

Schlitzie’s name may be lost to history, but he is known to God for eternity!

I seen Schlitzie at the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto in 1967 o r 1968.He had such a gentle vibe and seemed to be content.I was glad to hear that he was taken care of in his later years.And he always had a smile.The world would be a greater place if we followed his example...........RIP Schlitzie............and ty for posting this...................................PEACE

Life can be so cruel, but I'm thankful for the caring people in it.

Our humanity is tested on how we care for those challenged by development.

Beautiful tribute to Schlitzie. As a clown I recognize the person in front of me, not as a freak, but as an individual. God bless you Wayne for a great tribute to a wonderful person who gladdened the hearts of many a generation. RIP Schlitzie God bless you.

You did such a great job in being respectful and informative. Thanks.

Thanks for giving him honor and dignity as deserved.

I never had the honor of seeing Schlitzie in person, I have only seen him in the 1932 film. The first time I seen the film 55 years ago it left a lasting impression on me to this day. I am so glad you have made this information available to all. If I am near Roland Heights I will make sure the grave site is kept up, least I can do.

I was born a siamese twin, attached at the legs, and my brother was still born. I went thru some very painful surgeries about 30 of them before I was 5. I was left with an artificial limb and a limp from having very little right hip. I only say this because I can understand to a small degree what these different people must have felt being stared at and laughed at sometimes. I sometimes wonder if Schlitzie's mental impairment was a blessing, he lived life just being himself and loving everyone he met. I would love to find out his history before show business, but it seems many have tried and failed. I guess the fact that several people were involved in giving me a great life, and that is all that really matters.

I like how you treated Schlitzie with respect.

I was friends with a gentleman named Verne Langdon. He used to speak to me about Schlitzie. He was so proud that he got to participate in helping get him the grave marker. Thank you very much for this. It always warms my heart when someone like this is remembered with the reverence that his life deserved. I think Schlitzie was the one teaching us and not the other way around. God bless all of you involved.

Beautifully done. I especially liked that you did it in black and white. It is great that you told of his love for performing and how important it was to his well-being. Next time I'm in Los Angeles I will spruce up his headstone.

Very moving story. With the carnival, Schlitzie was given the opportunity to celebrate a life of happiness and excitement few of us would know. There he had a family who revered him and protected him and gave him some human affection. That is evident on the smiles and happy demeanor he showed in his pictures. He lived til 70 years of age. That's incredible. Thanks for sharing this wonderful heart warming story.

I don't know how this video wound up in my recommended list. But it's just what I needed. With all the ugliness I see and hear day in and day out it's easy for me to point my finger at the world and think that I'm not contributing to the ugliness. Truth is, I'm not the most positive person alive and more often than not, I'm a selfish crybaby. Thank you for this video. I've been so numb to emotion and cynical about everything for longer than I can remember. I can't pinpoint the exact reason why, but this video hit a nerve and some of the beautiful comments brought tears to my eyes for the first time in years. Again, Thank you sir.

Wonderful narration. The freak show was still a staple of the carnival circuit when I was a boy. The last one I remember seeing was at the Calgary Stampede, my first year of college. I knew about Schlitze growing up, but I learned a great deal from your video. Thank you.

What a nicely presented little documentary. Modern attitudes might make people recoil at the idea of sideshow circuses but those circuses provided a decent income and life to people who would otherwise be locked away and forgotten all about. Despite his severe disabilities, Schlitzie managed to live a full and fun life and he deserves to be remembered for it.

A wonderful report on Schlitzie. A man who deserved nothing but love and luckily got it from most people around him.

Bless you Schlitzie. I consider you to have been a finer person than about 99 percent of the rest of humanity. Well done video.

I don't know why that video suddenly popped up in my recommendations, but I'm glad it did. I feared the worst, but you brought out the best. Respect and thanks.

This is a beautiful and heartfelt tribute to Schlitzie. You’re clearly an empathetic person-thank you for your insight.

Loved the way you presented Schlitzie's story. Thank you and God bless. Rest in Peace Schlitie.

70 years old. Amen. He had a long full life im sure he understood his situation by 70 years old and.....I'm glad to have seen this video. Life is good.

Yes, it was nice to get to know Schlitzie. His life was such a positive story, seems that if you met him, you loved him.. Thankyou so much for telling his story Wayne that was really well done, my friend.

I see infectious smiles... eyes that are filled with kindness.. I see a Beautiful Soul.. We are all unique.. There is much that makes us up... making this world... a colorful place to be... Xo

You write beautifully, it’s lovely to see schlitzie’s life remembered in this way. A lovely tribute. 💕

Thank you for such a wonderful presentation about a very special man.

I wonder what happened to shlitzies sister and how her life ended. I assume they were eventualy seperated. But i wonder what became of her..oh and by the way sir this video was well done. With class.

I have been a major fan of Schlitze for many years, after seeing Tod Browning's film. One of my favourites. I found your video very interesting indeed. I have always considered "freaks" to be very special people. Worthy of compassion and respect. You have presented his story with the same. Thank you. Teresa from Ireland

This is *BY FAR* the best you tube video I have ever seen, and I have seen a lot of you tube videos, including my own mother's memorial video. These freak shows are often criticized as you said, but they gave these people a community in which they could form relationships. A few were abusive, but the abusive ones didn't last long, because there were so many, these people could demand good pay and good working conditions. The fact Schlitzie lived for 70 years says a great deal about how he was cared for. You don't live 70 years if you have a poor diet and poor care. Many people with Schlitzie issues don't live 70 minutes, let alone 70 years. Hell he had a longer than average life for someone born in his generation.

Sir you did a superb presentation. Thankfully he found folks that would love him.

What a lovely and sensitively handled video. Thank you so much for making it, and for giving Schlitzie the respect he deserves.

He was so cute!! 2019 people still treat the Handycapped as freaks. In Switzerland they treat them as second class citizens. So terrible. My girlfriend was born with curvature of the Spine. Her Grandmother has never accepted it. When we go out, people look at her with disgust.

Schlitzie will always hold a place in my heart. I was so happy to learn Sam Alexander got him and cared for him. I was adopted as well so I know what it feel like to be sad. Thank you Wayne Keyser for posting this beautiful video. You narrating makes it all so special. I will visit from time to time. Thanks again, Imagine ♥

That my friend was really well done. Bravo!

Thank you Mr keyser,that was extremely interesting and fascinating.

That was beautiful. Well done.

Respectful, kind and really very sweet. Thank you for sharing his life with us and thank you for your kindness. The world could use more like you Mr Keyser.

"Who you calling pinhead?"

You did a great job at giving a wonderful human being kindness and respect...it is what Schlitzie gave to all! he was great in Freaks...it was a bit sad but it was also heartwarming as well! Miss you Schlitzie!!!!!💖

One little correction: written on the photo of Sam Alexander, says that his facial injuries are “War injuries”, which is incorrect. Sam was working in the theatre and his face was burned in a “gas explosion”. A talented prostheticist made Sam’s beautiful facial prosthesis. He began working as a side show exhibit, became wealthy and opened his own side show. It is Sam Alexander who is credited for “rescuing” Schlitzie from the LA mental hosp. I don’t know if there’s much published or video on Sam Alexander, but his story is pretty amazing. He had over-seventy facial reconstructive surgeries. The result was less-than optimal, but he did not wear his prosthesis at all for the last decade (at least) of his life.

Wow. This is very touching. Thank you for doing this. 😊

A delightful video. Well done. Very glad you were so respectful, and took the trouble to really get everything right.

Thank you this was very well done and interesting to find this tribute to him. I remember Schlitzie in his wheelchair with his caretaker. They used to sit outside of the Weird Museum on Hollywood Boulevard where I worked on weekend nights. He would sell his postcards. This was back in 1970. He didn't talk much, but was part of the street scene in those days. May he rest in peace.

I've always loved Schlitzie and found this a wonderful tribute!

What a fascinating story. Thank you for taking the time to research and share this with us!

That was absolutely wonderful. I am always fascinated by his story and the stories of other sideshow act. I really appreciate your video. I am a mother of 3 handicapped children who passed away many years ago in their toddler ages. It was not a difficult decision to keep them, but I have a cousin who was not so lucky. If they could not have afforded the round the clock nursing for her daughter, she would have been institutionalized, a choice she agonized over. We judge to quickly, in almost every situation of life. People always say, "I'm sorry." But I don't regret anything about keeping, caring for, loving, and losing our kids. They are my world. I have 4 healthy children now. I wanted to thank you. What a beautiful tribute to tell someone's story, teach with that story, and keep their memory alive. Thank you. 🦋

In some ways Schlitzie was a better human being than all of us, RIP mate

Nice commentary on an interesting life. Thanks for posting.

I saw Schlitzie in person at a freak show held in the midway of the Canadian National Exhibition in Toronto Canada. I was very young at the time, but back in those days (1950’s) the attitudes about many things were different. Kids like me were not sheltered, and it was seen as being acceptable to put people with disabilities on display. I remember that Schlitzie enjoyed the attention. The person with him was dressed as a male nurse of the time. He had Schlitzie do several tasks, one of which was to tie a simple knot with a short piece of rope. Schlitzie was really happy to show off and enjoyed crowd. When the focus went to other acts, Schlitzie still wanted to get attention, and teased his guardian. You can debate whether such shows were bad or exploitive, or whether having a young boy such as myself be allowed to witness them. Personally, I am glad that I did. There was nothing disturbing or traumatic about them, and when I see historical reference to side shows and freak shows, I have a personal context in which to understand them now. I have a bit of history in my memory, and I am glad of that. It makes current cultural references, like Zippy the Pin Head cartoon, more relevant. Likewise when I see a documentary like this, I can truthfully say “I saw Schlitzie in person once, and can attest to his existence.” He was not a freak. He was a human being, just unique in the way that it was expressed.

Thank you for that beautiful explanation of such an apparently sweet soul. Kudos to you for not making him a freak still.

Thank You Sir. this is so beautifully done. Much respect to you for the respect given to Schlitzie

What a nice tribute. What is said in the last few minutes is very well thought out and delivered.

This was absolutely amazing and I enjoyed the commentary. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Mr. Keyser! Your video was so well-made and informative.

Thank you sir. This doc umentary was lovely. Beautiful job. Bless you and thank you.

Wonderfully written and produced with obvious respect, admiration and compassion... well done, sir.

Nicely written, nicely treated, nicely delivered. I thoroughly enjoyed your video on this man. Well done!

Thank you for taking the time and interest in presenting these facts and events on the life of someone I have always gotten a warm feeling from whenever I had the opportunity to see him. Whether as a side-show act or even being portrayed as him by others, I have always wondered about how life was for him, and others like him. It makes me happy to know that he, at least, was loved and, as far as I now know, treat kindly. Again, I thank you! This was presented with warmth, humanity and well deserved dignity!! BRAVO. Sir, I commend you!

Good job. Informative and just plain cool, particularly with "being on the set". Gives a great tone and context.

Bravo. Compassionate, respectful, seemingly well researched. I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Boy this so well done, interesting, and informative . Thanks so much

Very well done and presented. Thank you, Mr. Keyser. I'm glad Schlitzie received such respectful and thorough reporting to let us see an aspect of entertainment most of us only know through hearsay. I remember one or two traveling shows coming into my grandmother's rural area in the late 50's, but of course, my parents wouldn't let a child see such things. (The "Human Oddities" were always out of sight, priced at 25 or 50 cents admission - but my parents always steered away from this part of shows - I think they believed it was not 'nice' to stare at another's misfortunes. In a very strange way, I think there is one regret to the fact that these exhibitions are now prohibited in the US - the shows, even though they made use of disabled people in what seems now to be a humiliating way, DID provide legitimate employment for people like Schlitzie. He, according to your telling, was not overly aware of his disability - but did like interacting with people. Just as predicted by a doctor, when institutionalized and deprived of the diverse interactions with the public made possible side shows, Schlitizie did become more depressed, which led to failing health.

Wayne, thank you for such a nice portrait of Schlitzie. It was a warm, understanding and compassionate vignette of a very deserving soul. He is in the arms of God now, with all the joy one could ever want for an eternity. You are such a wonderful man for exuding the sensibilities behind the story of Schlitzie who himself was the source of joy and happiness for the many people of his day. We need more stories like this because there is such a widespread famine of the joy and happiness found in the simplest things. Schlitzie was a child of virtue, a virtue that is so uncommon today. Many of his peers who suffered misfortune were also children of virtue and of joy and of happiness. No one should abandon others the way Shlitzie endured and his friends as well. Thank you for such a remarkable video and thank you for demonstrating compassion in a way others should learn from. It all helps for a better world. God bless you !

"Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth"...…. Matt 5:5

Wayne, a Fabulous overview of this fascinating person. Bravo.

That is a beautiful tribute to a wonderful entertainer. Your end remarks about sideshows often offering the only chance for earning a living for many disabled folks in those days is so true and very important.

Thank you so much for showing so much respect for this sweet innocent human being. What a gentleman you are.

Thank you enormously for this compassionate, informed video. Extremely nice.

Great Story and Presentation Thanks!!

Thanks for all the research you did on Schlitzie. You shined a light on a story I didn't know, and it was certainly an interesting one.

A respectful nod to you Wayne for the dignity and respect you have given Schlitzie. Thank you.

Good job Wayne. That was very insightful. It's impossible for me not to smile when I see Schlitzie's cheeky grin. :)

Great video!! Would love for you to do many more of these type of video documentaries. It was very well informed and well done! I just found your channel and am subscribing, not for just the videos you already have on this channel, but for the hope that you produce many more documentary type videos on subjects like this one!! Keep up the great work and can’t wait to see what you do next! 🤖🤓

I am glad this showed up on my reccomended. very beautifully put, Sir. Thank you for your research on this unique individual.

Well written, thought out and presented Mr. Keyser. Particularly enjoyed the black & white motif.

I'm mainly impressed that he lived so long with that condition in that time...

Thanks for this. Much appreciated.

This was wonderful. The final section was beautifully written and your delivery was terrific.

Really appreciate the work you put into this beautiful piece. Thank you 🙂

Thank you for this presentation about Schlitzie. I always wondered about him.

Pepper was not portrayed badly in AHS. She was one of the most beloved characters. He obviously never watched AHS.

Excellent video! Thanks for your care, diligent research, and thoughtfulness in making this video. Kudos.

Found this by chance loved the info and the representation you brought! This was awesome to watch!

love the video, never knew about this real life legend.

Excellent and sweet video. Well done and very human👍👍👍👍👍

Very well done. I especially appreciated the sensitive and understanding commentary at the end,

Brilliant. Thank you for this. This meant a lot to me and I'm sure many others.

Very interesting and informative. I have seen Schlitzie's image before but had no idea who he was. Thanks for this bit of education.

Thank you SO much for your report .. I'm and old guy and I worked in the carnival as teen .... I only did 3 jumps a year ... but loved my carnival family .. Again Thanks for your even and realistic report of his life! :) ... I gotta say I love you!! :)

AWESOME!!!!! Best video I have actually paid attention to in ....way too long. Great Job.

Your video is by far the most in-depth video about Schlitze I’ve yet to find on the internet. Thank you for posting! I think you’re a talented author as well. You were quite entertaining to listen to you.

Thanks for sharing. Looking at the issues of consent and vulnerability expressed in the letter you received, I must take a more utilitarian approach to the situation. While Schlitzie and other "freaks" may have been treated like property and were essentially commodified, many were as happy and safe. As the narrator in this video mentioned, Schlitzie was always happy and lovable in the side-show business, his co-workers and caretakers gave him "love." And when Schlitzie ended up in the hospital alone he was depressed. No matter the intention of side-show owners, the end result was that Schlitzie was happy and economically secure. If Schlitzie wasn't "discovered" at a young age, who knows what his fate would have been. His parents could have institutionalized him and his life would have been horrible. Furthermore, every single person in the world commodifies themselves or sells themselves in some fashion in order to make money. Pop stars sell sex through sexualized images of their own bodies. Many "normal" people use their bodies, or "god given" physical assets in order to progress their career or status in life. I think handicapped individuals should have that freedom as well. If Schlitzie really did have the mind of a 2 or 3 year old child then he really wasn't able to give consent to joining the sideshow business --he was kind of thrust into this position. However, I think he was lucky that he met people along the way that cared for him. Vulnerable people and children all over the world do not end up so lucky as they end up in sex-traffic rings living a life of abuse and horror. But I do not think Schlitzie was abused and taken advantage of. Anyway, I'll just stop there. Thanks again.

May the Lord richly bless Schlitzie and others like him with a new life more abundant than the life he never had.

A deep and respectful research piece with an equally compassionate yet balanced overview and conclusion. Thank you for your effort and upload.

Just like the caenival were intrigued as they passed a canvas likeness of Shlitzie, I too was drawn in by the sepia photo I first saw as I perused the RU-vid videos. As the story continued, tears rolled down my cheek as I began to realize this man, considered by some to be the strangest of the strange, had a life that was markedly better than mine. A financially secure life of constant medical and hygienic care, surrounded by love from a family of individuals that learned early in life that in order to survive, they must look out for each other. Beautifully presented. Thank you, Thank you!!

Hard to think of people pointing and laughing at him and how he must have felt. I would have been a good friend to him.