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