WEIRD & WILD: Midgets & freaks

Can't say it's brilliant, but its mere existence says something about the wonders of Hollywood movies, especially since it was made in 1938 -- 1938! Who knew they had such a sense of irony, absurdity and sheer gonzo-ness back then? Or was Columbia Pictures actually playing it straight with this little (pun both intended and not) marvel?

Many of the pint-size performers -- no insult, since the "novelty" of their size provided pretty much the film's entire appeal -- would soon be seen in 1939's classic-to-be The Wizard of Oz, as residents of Munchkinland. Those were hardly hefty roles -- in fact even more a novelty than the character/speaking parts of Tiny Town -- so the fun-poking western at least let them strut their stuff as actors to an extent rarely provided.

Check out the video clips, photos and other detritus thoughtfully provided by the web site for TCM's Underground late-night Friday showcase, a worthy successor to USA cable's old Night Flight eccentricity. Stay tuned to TCM late Friday/early Saturday for two idiosyncratic early-talkie treats featuring oft-incomprehensible dwarf actor Harry Earles: Lon Chaney's sole sound film, the con flick The Unholy Three (3:30 a.m. ET), and director Tod Browning's imposingly bizarre kill-thriller Freaks (4:45 a.m. ET), where Earles heads a one-time-only cast of real-life sideshow performers [in photo with Browning, below] taking revenge on malicious full-sizers.

DVD recorders were made for this.