Zasu Pitts

Known For: Acting
Gender: Female
Date of Birth: January 2, 1894
Day of Death: June 7, 1963 (69 years old)
Place of Birth: Parsons, Kansas, USA
Zasu Pitts was an American actress who starred in many silent dramas and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the advent of sound films. She may be best known for her performance in Erich von Stroheim's epic silent film Greed. Based on her performance, von Stroheim labeled Pitts "the greatest dramatic actress". He also featured her in his films The Honeymoon (1928), The Wedding March (1928), War Nurse (1930) and Walking Down Broadway, released as Hello, Sister! (1933). However, for the most part, with the advent of sound Pitts was mostly relegated to comedy parts. A bitter disappointment was when she was replaced in the classic war drama All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) by Beryl Mercer after her initial appearance in previews drew unintentional laughs, despite her intense performance. She had viewers rolling in the aisles in Finn and Hattie (1931), The Guardsman (1931), Blondie of the Follies (1932), Sing and Like It (1934) and Ruggles of Red Gap (1935). In 1936 and 1937 she portrayed Hildegarde Withers in two movies, succeeding Edna May Oliver as the spinster sleuth, but they were not well received. In the 1950s she started focusing on television. This culminated in her best known series role, playing second banana to Gale Storm on CBS's The Gale Storm Show (1956) (also known as Oh, Susannah) in the role of Elvira Nugent ("Nugie"), the shipboard beautician. In 1961, Pitts was cast opposite Earle Hodgins in the episode "Lonesome's Gal" on the ABC sitcom, Guestward, Ho!, set on a dude ranch in New Mexico. In 1962, Pitts appeared in an episode of CBS's Perry Mason, "The Case of the Absent Artist". Her final role was as Gertie, the switchboard operator in the Stanley Kramer comedy epic It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).
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1934

Actor Matilda Hemingway
Dames

Actor Miss Hazy
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

Actor Annie Snodgrass
Sing and Like It

Actor Mirabelle
The Gay Bride

Actor Tillie Prescott
The Meanest Gal in Town

Actor Esthey Roberts
Two Alone

Actor Tillie Whim
Their Big Moment

Actor Miss Coates
Private Scandal

Actor Araminta Tootle
Love Birds

Actor Alice Mudge
Three on a Honeymoon

Actor Herself
And She Learned About Dames
1933

Actor Zasu
Meet the Baron

Actor Elmerada de Leon
Professional Sweetheart

Actor Sybby 'Sib'
Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men

Actor Maddie Skitch
Mr. Skitch

Actor Millie
Hello, Sister!

Actor Mary Horner
Her First Mate

Actor Zasu
The Bargain of the Century

Actor Zasu
Asleep in the Feet

Actor Miss Pitts
Maids a la Mode
Actor Connie Clark
Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!

Actor Aunt Sylvia
The Vanishing Frontier

Actor Bonny
Out All Night

Actor
One Track Minds

Actor Beula
She Whoops To Conquer

Actor Molly Hull
They Just Had to Get Married
1932

Actor Gertie
Blondie of the Follies

Actor Miss Leyton
Once in a Lifetime

Actor Aunt Dot
Shopworn

Actor Nora Rafferty
The Crooked Circle

Actor Sybil Smith
Strangers of the Evening

Actor Mrs. Scudder
Make Me a Star

Actor Mrs. Truesdale
Westward Passage

Actor Temperance Worker
Destry Rides Again

Actor Gladys Fairweather
The Trial of Vivienne Ware

Actor Morning Gazette Telephone Operator
Is My Face Red?

Actor Gabby Woman
Roar of the Dragon

Actor Zasu
Show Business

Actor Zasu Pitts
Sealskins

Actor Florrie
Madison Square Garden

Actor Dot
Steady Company

Actor Miss Pitts
Red Noses

Actor Zasu
The Old Bull

Actor Pitts
Strictly Unreliable

Actor Zasu
The Soilers

Actor Miss Zasu Pitts - Woman of the Jury
Sneak Easily

Actor Zasu
Alum and Eve

Actor Anna, Holderlin's Maid
Broken Lullaby

Actor Mrs. Dole
Back Street

Actor Polly Perkins
The Unexpected Father
1931

Actor Nora Dugan
The Big Gamble

Actor Zasu
On the Loose

Actor Liesl
The Guardsman

Actor Minnie
The Bad Sister

Actor Jennie
Seed

Actor Mrs. Hattie Haddock
Finn and Hattie

Actor Fritzi Mobley
Beyond Victory

Actor ZaSu
Catch-As Catch-Can

Actor Mrs. Bassett
Penrod and Sam

Actor Katie
A Woman of Experience

Actor Zasu
The Pajama Party

Actor Zasu
War Mamas

Actor Zasu Pitts
Let's Do Things

Actor Bella
The Secret Witness

Actor Miss Dibbs
Their Mad Moment
1930

Actor Bella
The Squealer

Actor Bertha
Monte Carlo

Actor Hilda
The Lottery Bride

Actor Annie
Sin Takes a Holiday

Actor Mrs. Harney
Passion Flower

Actor Louise
River's End

Actor Ethel
The Devil's Holiday

Actor Pauline Hastings
No, No, Nanette

Actor Cushie
War Nurse

Actor Mayme
Honey

Actor Monica
Little Accident

Actor Ada, the Maid
Free Love