Zasu Pitts

Zasu Pitts

Date of Birth:

Jan 02, 1894

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).

filmography:

Broken Lullaby Broken Lullaby

1932

Breakfast in Hollywood Breakfast in Hollywood

1946

Their Mad Moment Their Mad Moment

1931

Back Street Back Street

1932

A Lady's Name A Lady's Name

1918

Make Me a Star Make Me a Star

1932

'49–'17 '49–'17

1917

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

1917

Mickey the Kid Mickey the Kid

1939

Love Birds Love Birds

1934

Hot Tip Hot Tip

1935

Honey Honey

1930

Three on a Honeymoon Three on a Honeymoon

1934

Mannequin Mannequin

1926

Little Accident Little Accident

1930

1925 Studio Tour 1925 Studio Tour

1925

She Whoops To Conquer She Whoops To Conquer

1933

Secrets of the Night Secrets of the Night

1924

Francis Joins the WACS Francis Joins the WACS

1954

No, No, Nanette No, No, Nanette

1940

War Nurse War Nurse

1930

Miss Polly Miss Polly

1941

Souls for Sale Souls for Sale

1923

A Modern Musketeer A Modern Musketeer

1917

The Soilers The Soilers

1932

Let's Do Things Let's Do Things

1931

The Other Half The Other Half

1919

Three Wise Fools Three Wise Fools

1923

Lazybones Lazybones

1925

The Trial of Vivienne Ware The Trial of Vivienne Ware

1932

How Could You, Jean? How Could You, Jean?

1918

The Pajama Party The Pajama Party

1931

War Mamas War Mamas

1931

She Gets Her Man She Gets Her Man

1935

Naughty But Nice Naughty But Nice

1939

Their Big Moment Their Big Moment

1934

No, No, Nanette No, No, Nanette

1930

A Society Sensation A Society Sensation

1918

The Wedding March The Wedding March

1928

One Track Minds One Track Minds

1933

Sneak Easily Sneak Easily

1932

The Old Bull The Old Bull

1932

And She Learned About Dames And She Learned About Dames

1934

The Lady's from Kentucky The Lady's from Kentucky

1939

52nd Street 52nd Street

1937

The Dummy The Dummy

1929

Patsy Patsy

1921

Wife Savers Wife Savers

1928

The Honeymoon The Honeymoon

1929

The Talk of the Town The Talk of the Town

1918

Thunder Mountain Thunder Mountain

1925

13 Washington Square 13 Washington Square

1928

The Squealer The Squealer

1930

Dear Miss Gloria Dear Miss Gloria

1946

The Vanishing Frontier The Vanishing Frontier

1933

Love, Honor and Oh, Baby! Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!

1933

Heart of Twenty Heart of Twenty

1920

Private Scandal Private Scandal

1934

The Argyle Case The Argyle Case

1929

The Fast Set The Fast Set

1924

Hollywood Hollywood

1923

The Great Love The Great Love

1926

A Daughter of Luxury A Daughter of Luxury

1922

Dreams of Monte Carlo Dreams of Monte Carlo

1926

Lum and Abner Lum and Abner

1949

The Unexpected Father The Unexpected Father

1932

Buck Privates Buck Privates

1928

For the Defense For the Defense

1922

The Big Parade of Comedy The Big Parade of Comedy

1964

They Just Had to Get Married They Just Had to Get Married

1933

Old Shoes Old Shoes

1925

Paris Paris

1929

The Perfect Marriage The Perfect Marriage

1947

The Great Divide The Great Divide

1925

Free Love Free Love

1930

This Thing Called Love This Thing Called Love

1929

Wanted! Wanted!

1937

Sunny Side Up Sunny Side Up

1926

Disneyland '59 Disneyland '59

1959

The Goldfish The Goldfish

1924

Sins of the Fathers Sins of the Fathers

1928

Poor Men's Wives Poor Men's Wives

1923

Tea- With a Kick! Tea- With a Kick!

1923

Mary of the Movies Mary of the Movies

1923

Her Private Life Her Private Life

1929

Better Times Better Times

1919

Penrod and Sam Penrod and Sam

1931

Sing Me a Love Song Sing Me a Love Song

1936

The Crooked Circle The Crooked Circle

1932

Strangers of the Evening Strangers of the Evening

1932

A Little Princess A Little Princess

1917

Meet the Baron Meet the Baron

1933

The Bad Sister The Bad Sister

1931

Shopworn Shopworn

1932

Nurse Edith Cavell Nurse Edith Cavell

1939

Roar of the Dragon Roar of the Dragon

1932

Once in a Lifetime Once in a Lifetime

1932

So's Your Aunt Emma! So's Your Aunt Emma!

1942

Denver and Rio Grande Denver and Rio Grande

1952

Broadway Limited Broadway Limited

1941

The Lottery Bride The Lottery Bride

1930

Sin Takes a Holiday Sin Takes a Holiday

1930

Pretty Ladies Pretty Ladies

1925

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls

1941

The Bashful Bachelor The Bashful Bachelor

1942

Forty Naughty Girls Forty Naughty Girls

1937

Mad Holiday Mad Holiday

1936

Going Highbrow Going Highbrow

1935

Monte Carlo Monte Carlo

1930

The Plot Thickens The Plot Thickens

1936

Ruggles of Red Gap Ruggles of Red Gap

1935

Francis Francis

1950

The Big Gamble The Big Gamble

1931

Dames Dames

1934

Life with Father Life with Father

1947

The Secret Witness The Secret Witness

1931

Blondie of the Follies Blondie of the Follies

1932

The Thrill of It All The Thrill of It All

1963

It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

1963

Strictly Unreliable Strictly Unreliable

1932

The Locked Door The Locked Door

1929

Changing Husbands Changing Husbands

1924

The Guardsman The Guardsman

1931

This Could Be the Night This Could Be the Night

1957

What Happened to Jones What Happened to Jones

1926

Eternally Yours Eternally Yours

1939

Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

1934

It All Came True It All Came True

1940

On the Loose On the Loose

1931

Oh, Yeah! Oh, Yeah!

1929

The Squall The Squall

1929

Westward Passage Westward Passage

1932

Her First Mate Her First Mate

1933

Asleep in the Feet Asleep in the Feet

1933

The Bargain of the Century The Bargain of the Century

1933

Show Business Show Business

1932

Hello, Sister! Hello, Sister!

1933

Is My Face Red? Is My Face Red?

1932

Out All Night Out All Night

1933

Alum and Eve Alum and Eve

1932

Finn and Hattie Finn and Hattie

1931

Risky Business Risky Business

1926

Beyond Victory Beyond Victory

1931

Maids a la Mode Maids a la Mode

1933

Casey at the Bat Casey at the Bat

1927

Red Noses Red Noses

1932

The Affair of Susan The Affair of Susan

1935

Tish Tish

1942

A Woman of Experience A Woman of Experience

1931

Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden

1932

Steady Company Steady Company

1932

Catch-As Catch-Can Catch-As Catch-Can

1931

The Devil's Holiday The Devil's Holiday

1930

Sealskins Sealskins

1932

The Gay Bride The Gay Bride

1934

Professional Sweetheart Professional Sweetheart

1933

Seed Seed

1931

Teenage Millionaire Teenage Millionaire

1961

Mexican Spitfire at Sea Mexican Spitfire at Sea

1942

Spring Tonic Spring Tonic

1935

Passion Flower Passion Flower

1930

Sing and Like it Sing and Like it

1934

Let's Face It Let's Face It

1943

Uncle Joe Uncle Joe

1941

Destry Rides Again Destry Rides Again

1932

The Meanest Gal in Town The Meanest Gal in Town

1934

River's End River's End

1930

Two Alone Two Alone

1934

13 Hours by Air 13 Hours by Air

1936

The Mexican Spitfire's Baby The Mexican Spitfire's Baby

1941

Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men

1933

Mr. Skitch Mr. Skitch

1933

Weekend for Three Weekend for Three

1941

Greed Greed

1924

Show more

Comments