Frances O'Connor (performer)
Encyclopedia
Frances Belle O'Connor was born without arms. She made her living by appearing in various circus
sideshow
s as the armless wonder
or the living Venus de Milo
. She would perform normal actions, such as eating, drinking, and smoking a cigarette with her feet.
She also appeared in the once controversial film, Freaks
(1932), directed by Tod Browning
, in which a number of real people with physical deformities played themselves or other characters. During the sequence at the wedding
feast, O'Connor wears a pretty costume that has no sleeves at all, leaving her shoulders entirely bare and revealing that she does not even have stumps where her arms would be.
O'Connor never married, although it was said that she was never short of admirers. She died in relative obscurity in Long Beach
, California
in 1982, at the age of 67.
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
sideshow
Sideshow
In America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair or other such attraction.- Types of attractions :There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:...
s as the armless wonder
Armless wonder
An Armless Wonder was a person without arms who was exhibited, usually at a circus sideshow. Typically a woman, she would perform various tricks using her feet and toes, such as smoking a cigarette or writing...
or the living Venus de Milo
Venus de Milo
Aphrodite of Milos , better known as the Venus de Milo, is an ancient Greek statue and one of the most famous works of ancient Greek sculpture. Created at some time between 130 and 100 BC, it is believed to depict Aphrodite the Greek goddess of love and beauty. It is a marble sculpture, slightly...
. She would perform normal actions, such as eating, drinking, and smoking a cigarette with her feet.
She also appeared in the once controversial film, Freaks
Freaks
Freaks is a 1932 American Pre-Code horror film about sideshow performers, directed and produced by Tod Browning and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, with a cast mostly composed of actual carnival performers. The film was based on Tod Robbins' 1923 short story "Spurs"...
(1932), directed by Tod Browning
Tod Browning
Tod Browning was an American motion picture actor, director and screenwriter.Browning's career spanned the silent and talkie eras...
, in which a number of real people with physical deformities played themselves or other characters. During the sequence at the wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
feast, O'Connor wears a pretty costume that has no sleeves at all, leaving her shoulders entirely bare and revealing that she does not even have stumps where her arms would be.
O'Connor never married, although it was said that she was never short of admirers. She died in relative obscurity in Long Beach
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in 1982, at the age of 67.