Thanks! I had never been able to find even any semi-reliable rumors that this film was ever actually made.
This is the film with one twin convicted of a crime and the plight of the other that will have to server he cojoined twin's sentence too?
It's actually a little more complicated than that. *SPOILER!* The judge trying the case can't make up his mind what to do if the twin is found guilty of murder so he has himself a mental spell and begs the audience for help! The film ends with him frantically looking around at the film's audience and pleading
"Please! tell me what I should do? Can any of you help me? Please! Someone?!?" Fade to black...
Chained for Life is definitely worth a look. The film does seem a bit long even at just over an hour, since there's endless padding with some really strange Vaudeville performances. My favorite is the nervous plate balancer who talks like Elmer Fudd. The crazed accordian player is simply amazing.
The twins sing a couple of songs (you'll hum 'em for days afterwards) and actually have rather nice voices... assuming they weren't dubbed. They don't play their saxophones, though. It's a pity; they were supposed to be really good saxophonists. Most shocking line is when the twins, who were well past fifty at the time, remark that they should think about marriage since they're almost thirty!
Someday I'll post about my experience seeing the really bad Broadway musical based on their lives called
Sideshow.
I'll never forget the opening lyrics to the show. Not to my dying day:
(mysteriously)
Come look at the freaks!
Come gape at the geeks!
Their malformations
Give you consternations
For weeks and for weeks.
Only pennies for peeks...
(Big loud musical blast from the orchestra)
COME LOOK AT THE FREAKS!
Seriously, watching bad live theater is like watching a bad movie times ten.
