About

Known credits:
182
Birthday:
1894-01-02
Place of birth:
Parsons, Kansas, USA
Website:
N/A

Zasu Pitts

Overview

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).

Known for

Acting
1964 The Big Parade of Comedy Actor Mirabelle in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage) 59
Average
1963 It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World Actor Gertie - Switchboard Operator 64
Fair
1963 The Thrill of It All Actor Olivia 60
Fair
1961 Teenage Millionaire Actor Aunt Theodora 58
Average
1959 Disneyland '59 Actor Self 59
Average
1957 This Could Be the Night Actor Mrs. Shea 59
Average
1956 The Gale Storm Show Actor 69
Fair
1955 The Silent Partner Actor Selma N/A
N/A
1955 The Silent Partner Actor N/A
N/A
1954 Francis Joins the WACS Actor Valerie Humpert 59
Average
1952 Denver and Rio Grande Actor Jane Dwyer 58
Average
1950 Francis Actor Valerie Humpert 58
Average
1949 Lum and Abner Actor N/A
N/A
1947 Life with Father Actor Cousin Cora Cartwright 59
Average
1947 The Perfect Marriage Actor Rosa 58
Average
1946 Breakfast in Hollywood Actor Elvira Spriggens 58
Average
1946 Dear Miss Gloria Actor Guest star N/A
N/A
1943 Let's Face It Actor Cornelia Pigeon 58
Average
1942 Tish Actor Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts) 59
Average
1942 So's Your Aunt Emma! Actor Aunt Emma Bates 59
Average
1942 The Bashful Bachelor Actor Geraldine 58
Average
1942 Mexican Spitfire at Sea Actor Miss Pepper 58
Average
1941 Weekend for Three Actor Anna, Craig's Maid 59
Average
1941 The Mexican Spitfire's Baby Actor Emily Pepper 58
Average
1941 Miss Polly Actor Pandora Polly 58
Average
1941 Uncle Joe Actor Julia Jordan 59
Average
1941 Niagara Falls Actor Emmy Sawyer 58
Average
1941 Broadway Limited Actor Myra Pottle 58
Average
1940 No, No, Nanette Actor Pauline Hastings 59
Average
1940 It All Came True Actor Miss Flint 59
Average
1939 Eternally Yours Actor Cary Bingham 58
Average
1939 Nurse Edith Cavell Actor Mme. Moulin 59
Average
1939 Mickey the Kid Actor Lilly Handy N/A
N/A
1939 Naughty But Nice Actor Aunt Penelope Hardwick 59
Average
1939 The Lady's from Kentucky Actor Dulcey Lee N/A
N/A
1937 52nd Street Actor Letitia Rondell N/A
N/A
1937 Forty Naughty Girls Actor Hildegarde Withers 58
Average
1937 Wanted! Actor Winnie Oatfield N/A
N/A
1936 Sing Me a Love Song Actor Gwen Logan N/A
N/A
1936 The Plot Thickens Actor Hildegarde Withers 59
Average
1936 Mad Holiday Actor Mrs. Fay Kinney 59
Average
1936 13 Hours by Air Actor Miss Harkins 58
Average
1935 The Affair of Susan Actor Susan Todd N/A
N/A
1935 Hot Tip Actor Belle McGill 58
Average
1935 She Gets Her Man Actor Esmeralda N/A
N/A
1935 Going Highbrow Actor Cora Upshaw 59
Average
1935 Spring Tonic Actor Maggie Conklin 59
Average
1935 Ruggles of Red Gap Actor Mrs. Judson 60
Fair
1934 The Gay Bride Actor Mirabelle 59
Average
1934 Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch Actor Miss Hazy 59
Average
1934 Dames Actor Matilda Hemingway 59
Average
1934 Their Big Moment Actor Tillie Whim 58
Average
1934 Private Scandal Actor Miss Coates N/A
N/A
1934 Love Birds Actor Araminta Tootle 59
Average
1934 Sing and Like it Actor Annie Snodgrass 58
Average
1934 And She Learned About Dames Actor Herself 59
Average
1934 Three on a Honeymoon Actor Alice Mudge N/A
N/A
1934 Two Alone Actor Esthey Roberts 59
Average
1934 The Meanest Gal in Town Actor Tillie Prescott 59
Average
1933 Mr. Skitch Actor Maddie Skitch 59
Average
1933 Meet the Baron Actor Zasu 58
Average
1933 Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men Actor Sybby 'Sib' 59
Average
1933 Love, Honor and Oh, Baby! Actor Connie Clark N/A
N/A
1933 Her First Mate Actor Mary Horner N/A
N/A
1933 Professional Sweetheart Actor Elmerada de Leon 58
Average
1933 One Track Minds Actor N/A
N/A
1933 Hello, Sister! Actor Millie 59
Average
1933 Out All Night Actor Bonny 59
Average
1933 The Bargain of the Century Actor Zasu 58
Average
1933 The Vanishing Frontier Actor Aunt Sylvia N/A
N/A
1933 Maids a la Mode Actor Miss Pitts N/A
N/A
1933 Asleep in the Feet Actor Zasu N/A
N/A
1933 They Just Had to Get Married Actor Molly Hull N/A
N/A
1933 She Whoops To Conquer Actor Beula N/A
N/A
1932 Sneak Easily Actor Miss Zasu Pitts - Woman of the Jury N/A
N/A
1932 Madison Square Garden Actor Florrie 58
Average
1932 The Soilers Actor Zasu 59
Average
1932 Once in a Lifetime Actor Miss Leyton 58
Average
1932 The Crooked Circle Actor Nora Rafferty 58
Average
1932 Alum and Eve Actor Zasu 59
Average
1932 Blondie of the Follies Actor Gertie 58
Average
1932 Show Business Actor Zasu 59
Average
1932 Back Street Actor Mrs. Dole 59
Average
1932 Roar of the Dragon Actor Gabby Woman 59
Average
1932 Make Me a Star Actor Mrs. Scudder 59
Average
1932 Is My Face Red? Actor Morning Gazette Telephone Operator 58
Average
1932 The Old Bull Actor Zasu 59
Average
1932 Westward Passage Actor Mrs. Truesdale 59
Average
1932 Strangers of the Evening Actor Sybil Smith 58
Average
1932 The Trial of Vivienne Ware Actor Gladys Fairweather N/A
N/A
1932 Strictly Unreliable Actor Pitts 59
Average
1932 Destry Rides Again Actor Temperance Worker 58
Average
1932 Shopworn Actor Aunt Dot 59
Average
1932 Red Noses Actor Miss Pitts N/A
N/A
1932 Steady Company Actor Dot N/A
N/A
1932 Sealskins Actor Zasu Pitts 59
Average
1932 Broken Lullaby Actor Anna, Holderlin's Maid 59
Average
1932 The Unexpected Father Actor Polly Perkins N/A
N/A
1931 On the Loose Actor Zasu 59
Average
1931 The Secret Witness Actor Bella 58
Average
1931 War Mamas Actor Zasu N/A
N/A
1931 The Guardsman Actor Liesl 58
Average
1931 The Pajama Party Actor Zasu 59
Average
1931 Penrod and Sam Actor Mrs. Bassett 59
Average
1931 The Big Gamble Actor Nora Dugan 59
Average
1931 Catch-As Catch-Can Actor ZaSu N/A
N/A
1931 Their Mad Moment Actor Miss Dibbs 58
Average
1931 A Woman of Experience Actor Katie 59
Average
1931 Let's Do Things Actor Zasu Pitts N/A
N/A
1931 Seed Actor Jennie 58
Average
1931 Beyond Victory Actor Fritzi Mobley N/A
N/A
1931 The Bad Sister Actor Minnie 58
Average
1931 Finn and Hattie Actor Mrs. Hattie Haddock 59
Average
1930 Passion Flower Actor Mrs. Harney 58
Average
1930 Free Love Actor Ada, the Maid 59
Average
1930 War Nurse Actor Cushie 58
Average
1930 Sin Takes a Holiday Actor Annie 58
Average
1930 River's End Actor Louise 59
Average
1930 The Lottery Bride Actor Hilda 58
Average
1930 Monte Carlo Actor Bertha 59
Average
1930 The Squealer Actor Bella 59
Average
1930 Little Accident Actor Monica N/A
N/A
1930 The Devil's Holiday Actor Ethel 58
Average
1930 Honey Actor Mayme 58
Average
1930 No, No, Nanette Actor Pauline Hastings 59
Average
1929 The Honeymoon Actor Caecilia N/A
N/A
1929 This Thing Called Love Actor Clara Bertrand N/A
N/A
1929 The Locked Door Actor Telephone Girl 58
Average
1929 Paris Actor Harriet N/A
N/A
1929 Oh, Yeah! Actor The Elk 58
Average
1929 Her Private Life Actor Timmins 58
Average
1929 The Argyle Case Actor Mrs. Wyatt N/A
N/A
1929 Twin Beds Actor Tillie N/A
N/A
1929 The Squall Actor Lena 58
Average
1929 The Dummy Actor Rose Gleason N/A
N/A
1928 Sins of the Fathers Actor Mother Spengler 58
Average
1928 The Wedding March Actor Cecelia Schweisser 59
Average
1928 Buck Privates Actor Hulda N/A
N/A
1928 13 Washington Square Actor The Maid 59
Average
1928 Wife Savers Actor Germaine N/A
N/A
1927 Casey at the Bat Actor Camille 59
Average
1926 Risky Business Actor Agnes Wheaton 59
Average
1926 Sunny Side Up Actor Evelyn N/A
N/A
1926 The Great Love Actor Nancy N/A
N/A
1926 Monte Carlo Actor Hope Durant N/A
N/A
1926 What Happened to Jones Actor Hilda (as Zazu Pitts) 58
Average
1926 Mannequin Actor Annie Pogani N/A
N/A
1925 Lazybones Actor Ruth Fanning 59
Average
1925 Thunder Mountain Actor Mandy Coulter N/A
N/A
1925 Pretty Ladies Actor Maggie Keenan 58
Average
1925 1925 Studio Tour Actor Self 59
Average
1925 Old Shoes Actor N/A
N/A
1925 The Great Divide Actor Polly Jordan N/A
N/A
1924 Greed Actor Trina 62
Fair
1924 Secrets of the Night Actor Celia Stebbins 59
Average
1924 The Fast Set Actor Mona N/A
N/A
1924 Changing Husbands Actor Delia N/A
N/A
1924 The Goldfish Actor Amelia Pugsley N/A
N/A
1924 West of the Water Tower Actor Dessie Arnhalt N/A
N/A
1923 Tea- With a Kick! Actor 'Brainy' Jones N/A
N/A
1923 Hollywood Actor Zasu Pitts 59
Average
1923 Three Wise Fools Actor Mickey N/A
N/A
1923 Mary of the Movies Actor Zasu Pitts (uncredited) N/A
N/A
1923 Souls for Sale Actor Self - Celebrity Actress in Commissary 59
Average
1923 Poor Men's Wives Actor Apple Annie N/A
N/A
1922 For the Defense Actor Jennie Dunn N/A
N/A
1922 A Daughter of Luxury Actor Mary Cosgrove N/A
N/A
1921 Patsy Actor Patsy N/A
N/A
1920 Heart of Twenty Actor Katie Abbott N/A
N/A
1920 Seeing It Through Actor Betty Lawrence N/A
N/A
1919 The Other Half Actor Jennie Jones, The Jazz Kid 59
Average
1919 Better Times Actor Nancy Scroggs N/A
N/A
1918 A Lady's Name Actor Emily N/A
N/A
1918 The Talk of the Town Actor 58
Average
1918 A Society Sensation Actor Mary 59
Average
1918 How Could You, Jean? Actor Oscar's Sweetheart N/A
N/A
1917 A Modern Musketeer Actor A Kansas Belle (uncredited) 58
Average
1917 A Little Princess Actor Becky 58
Average
1917 '49–'17 Actor Party Guest (uncredited) 58
Average
1917 Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm Actor Undetermined Role (uncredited) 59
Average
1917 Tillie of the Nine Lives Actor N/A
N/A
1917 Uneasy Money Actor Suza - the Editor's Assistant N/A
N/A