Josephine Joseph

Pitch photo of sideshow performer Josephine Joseph, c. 1935

In 1930, Joseph and her husband George Waas—described only in newspaper reports as "an American couple"— who were presenting a Coney Island-style attraction in Blackpool under the title of "Josephine-Joseph", were prosecuted in the United Kingdom for false pretences and conspiracy on account of their "Half Woman-Half Man" circus show. Joseph claimed to be 27 years of age at the time (although in reality she was 33–34). The court alleged that the show was a fraud, and that she was not a true hermaphrodite. Waas offered to submit X-rays of Josephine to the magistrates, but refused to submit her to a court doctor's physical examination. The Superintendent in charge of the case admitted that the two sides of Josephine's body looked different, although he had "no idea what the medical testimony may be". The court descriptions of her appearance also match her costume as seen in the film Freaks. She was described as a man on the right side, and a woman on the left, with her right arm longer than her left. Her eyebrows were different. She displayed a bare right leg with a sandal, and a black-stockinged left leg with a woman's shoe. Her hair was brushed from the right side to the left, giving the impression of short hair on the right side. In order to avoid a jury trial, Joseph and Waas pleaded guilty. Waas told the court "I am sorry. I will give up this show and leave the country". Waas, who served as her manager, was fined £25, whilst Josephine was acquitted.[1]

Josephine Joseph is most prominently remembered for a role in the Tod Browning 1932 classic cult film Freaks. Although she only had two lines, she still appeared in a number of scenes, most notably the scene at the wedding reception where she is the one who begins the chant: "We accept her, one of us! We accept her, one of us!". In another notable scene early in the film, "Josephine" gives an alluring look towards the strongman to which another performer responds comically "I think she likes you, but he don't!" She is later seen assembling the rest of the circus freaks for their plan of revenge by saying to them: "Soon, we go".[3]

She was married to her manager George Waas, who she possibly married in 1917. Much of the performer's personal life, including birth name, date of birth and death, has never been clearly established. According to IMDb, which contains some contradictory information, she was born in Austria on July 4 1891, but it also claims she was 12 when she moved to the United States in 1910, making her birth year as late as 1898. Given her presumed age of 33-34 years old during the initial court date regarding her true status as a half-man half-woman, this would in fact make her year of birth between 1897 and 1895, which makes the 1910 date seem more accurate. There is even a rumour claiming she was 19 when she did Freaks. She is believed to have died on July 11 1966 in Wilmington, Delaware, United States, but this remains unconfirmed.

• Josephine Joseph at IMDb