Birth Day: 1894-01-02
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).
Credits
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As Mirabelle in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage) -
As Olivia -
As Gertie - Switchboard Operator -
As Aunt Theodora -
As Self -
As Mrs. Shea -
As Selma -
As Valerie Humpert -
As Jane Dwyer -
As Valerie Humpert -
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As Cousin Cora Cartwright -
As Rosa -
As Guest star -
As Elvira Spriggens -
As Cornelia Pigeon -
As Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts) -
As Miss Pepper -
As Geraldine -
As Aunt Emma Bates -
As Myra Pottle -
As Emmy Sawyer -
As Pandora Polly -
As Julia Jordan -
As Anna, Craig's Maid -
As Emily Pepper -
As Miss Flint -
As Pauline Hastings -
As Mme. Moulin -
As Dulcey Lee -
As Cary Bingham -
As Aunt Penelope Hardwick -
As Lilly Handy -
As Letitia Rondell -
As Winnie Oatfield -
As Hildegarde Withers -
As Miss Harkins -
As Mrs. Fay Kinney -
As Hildegarde Withers -
As Gwen Logan -
As Esmeralda -
As Mrs. Judson -
As Maggie Conklin -
As Belle McGill -
As Susan Todd -
As Cora Upshaw -
As Miss Hazy -
As Esthey Roberts -
As Miss Coates -
As Tillie Whim -
As Herself -
As Araminta Tootle -
As Tillie Prescott -
As Alice Mudge -
As Annie Snodgrass -
As Matilda Hemingway -
As Mirabelle -
As Beula -
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As Aunt Sylvia -
As Bonny -
As Connie Clark
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As Mary Horner -
As Zasu -
As Zasu -
As Miss Pitts -
As Molly Hull -
As Millie -
As Maddie Skitch -
As Elmerada de Leon -
As Zasu -
As Sybby 'Sib' -
As Dot -
As Polly Perkins -
As Gertie -
As Miss Pitts -
As Miss Zasu Pitts - Woman of the Jury -
As Mrs. Truesdale -
As Pitts -
As Sybil Smith -
As Zasu -
As Mrs. Scudder -
As Zasu -
As Nora Rafferty -
As Florrie -
As Zasu -
As Aunt Dot -
As Zasu -
As Temperance Worker -
As Mrs. Dole -
As Anna, Holderlin's Maid -
As Gladys Fairweather -
As Morning Gazette Telephone Operator -
As Zasu Pitts -
As Gabby Woman -
As Miss Leyton -
As Zasu -
As Zasu Pitts -
As Liesl -
As Bella -
As Miss Dibbs -
As Nora Dugan -
As Zasu -
As Minnie -
As Zasu -
As Jennie -
As Mrs. Hattie Haddock -
As Katie -
As Mrs. Bassett -
As ZaSu -
As Fritzi Mobley -
As Mayme -
As Ada, the Maid -
As Mrs. Harney -
As Cushie -
As Pauline Hastings -
As Louise -
As Bella -
As Ethel -
As Bertha -
As Annie -
As Hilda -
As Monica -
As Tillie -
As Caecilia -
As Lena -
As The Elk -
As Rose Gleason -
As Timmins -
As Clara Bertrand -
As Harriet -
As Telephone Girl -
As Mrs. Wyatt -
As Germaine -
As Cecelia Schweisser -
As The Maid -
As Mother Spengler -
As Hulda -
As Camille -
As Mrs. Dugan -
As Hope Durant -
As Hilda (as Zazu Pitts) -
As Agnes Wheaton -
As Annie Pogani -
As Evelyn -
As Nancy -
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As Polly Jordan -
As Luella Logan -
As Maggie Keenan -
As Self -
As Ruth Fanning -
As Mandy Coulter -
As Amelia Pugsley -
As Trina -
As Celia Stebbins -
As Delia -
As Mona -
As Self - Celebrity Actress in Commissary -
As Zasu Pitts -
As Apple Annie -
As Zasu Pitts (uncredited) -
As Mickey -
As 'Brainy' Jones -
As Mary Cosgrove
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As Jennie Dunn -
As Patsy
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As Katie Abbott
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As Betty Lawrence
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As Nancy Scroggs -
As Jennie Jones, The Jazz Kid -
As Mary -
As Emily -
As Oscar's Sweetheart -
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As A Kansas Belle (uncredited) -
As Suza - the Editor's Assistant
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As Undetermined Role (uncredited) -
As Party Guest (uncredited) -
As Becky -
