The Original Hilton Sisters
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The Original Hilton Sisters |
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Mark Twain is quoted as saying, "History doesn't repeat itself, it rhymes" - a perfect instance being the re-emergence of the freakish Hilton Sisters. Today the phrase instantly conjures up grotesque images of Paris and Nicky Hilton, wearing next to nothing, striking exactly the same consultant-recommended pose every time they spot a flash-bulb, and plastering their vapid features all over the magazine pages and bilboards of the world. Well, few remember that the world was fascinated with a different pair of Hilton sisters, Daisy and Violet, who were significantly less freakish, despite being conjoined "siamese" twins, and playing a significant role in Todd Browning's unique film Freaks. Their story, as cobbled together by the BBC , is a sad one (proving another famous quotation: "History repeats itself. The first time as tragedy, the second time as farce.") Daisy and Violet Hilton were born in Brighton to a young, unwed barmaid, Kate Skinner and were "adopted" by their mother's boss and midwife, Mary Hilton. The sisters were conjoined at the hips and buttocks. They shared blood circulation and were fused at the pelvis but shared no major organs. Soon after acquiring the twins, Mary Hilton was exhibiting them all over the United States and Europe. They were required to call her "Auntie Lou" and her current husband "Sir". When Mary died, her husband and daughter took over the sisters' act. It was not until 1931, when the sisters filed a lawsuit against their management, that they were awarded independence. They left the sideshow circuit, which they hated, and joined Vaudeville. In 1932 the twins appeared as themselves in the movie Freaks, which dared to pose the question of whether or not conjoined twins can have a love life. In the case of the Hilton sisters, the answer was yes - |
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they were notorious for their many affairs and allegedly had a strong desire to outdo one another in the area of dating. Each of the sisters was married separately, although they bore no children and each marriage lasted only a short time. After the public lost interest in Siamese twins, the sisters settled in Miami and ran a hamburger stand called the Hilton Sisters' Snack Bar.
When the business failed, they turned to Hollywood. And in 1950 the sisters appeared in the film Chained for Life. But their story did not end happily, penniless they were finally forced to take a job at a grocery store, with one working the register and the other bagging groceries. On January 6, 1969, the twins failed to report for work and were later found dead in their home, from the Hong Kong flu. |
