Leslie Zemeckis is starting work on a documentary focusing on the lives of Daisy and Violet Hilton, British Siamese twins joined at the hip born in 1908. Entitled Bound by Flesh, the film will cover the girls’ birth to an unwed barmaid who in effect sold them to her employer who turned them into a sideshow and then vaudeville attraction.
At the height of their careers, the Hilton sisters were one of the biggest moneymakers on the vaudeville circuit and appeared on stage with the likes of such classic comedians as Jack Benny and George Burns and Gracie Allen. They were a part of Bob Hope’s 1926 act “The Dancemedians” where they performed a tap dance routine.
In addition to their various stage acts and public appearances, the sisters also appeared in Tod Browning’s 1932 classic Freaks. Their only other film appearance was in the semi-autobiographical 1951 exploitation film Chained For Life. They were also a loose inspiration for the 1997 musical Side Show, which received four Tony nominations.
Previously Zemeckis, the wife of director/ producer Robert Zemeckis, directed the Burlesque documentary Behind The Burly Q which is currently airing on Showtime and is also available on Netflix. Robert Zemeckis will serve as executive producer on Bound By Flesh. They are hoping to have it in theaters in 2013.
