based on novel   1920s   family relationships   marriage   motorcycle cop   new york city   lifting person in air   hat   deception   infidelity   1930s   midget   attempted murder   retirement   freak   sideshow   carnival   dwarf   dying young   domineering mother   storm   clown   circus   wager   waiter   1910s   window smashing   terminal illness   newspaper clippings   fraternity   champagne   prank   baseball   promise   poison   chicago illinois   hero   stuttering   columbia university   beauty   castration   locker room   actor playing himself   college   newlywed   siamese twins   athlete   surprise party   bigotry   inspiring story   armless man   based on story   bearded woman   disowned film   fire eater   grifts   handicapped actor   handicapped person   hermaphrodite   human deformity   knife thrower   legless person   limbless man   microcephalics   partially lost film   pony   skeleton man   speech impediment   sword swallower   teratology   trapeze artist   unconventional romance   world series   german american   yankee stadium bronx new york city   sports writer   new york yankees   henpecked husband   lou gehrigs disease   murderer's row   new rochelle new york   baseball movie   cult favorite   train   hospital   nightclub   radio broadcasting   bronx new york city   knife   speech   one word title   mother son relationship   revenge   restaurant   husband wife relationship   title spoken by character   reporter   sick child   surrealism   horse   party   midnight movie   told in flashback   pistol