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 Soilers
Actor Zasu
The Old Bull
Actor Pitts
Strictly Unreliable
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
War Mamas
Actor Zasu
The Pajama Party
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
