Zasu Pitts
Born January 02, 1894 (Age: 132)
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Parsons, Kansas, USA
Biography
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).
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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Filmography
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
1963
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as Gertie - Switchboard Operator
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Age: 69
Teenage Millionaire
1961
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as Aunt Theodora
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Age: 67
Disneyland '59
1959
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as Self
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Age: 65
Tish
1942
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as Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts)
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Age: 48
So's Your Aunt Emma!
1942
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as Aunt Emma Bates
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Age: 48
The Bashful Bachelor
1942
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as Geraldine
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Age: 48
Mexican Spitfire at Sea
1942
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as Miss Pepper
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Age: 48
Weekend for Three
1941
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as Anna, Craig's Maid
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Age: 47
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
1941
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as Emily Pepper
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Age: 47
Miss Polly
1941
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as Pandora Polly
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Age: 47
Uncle Joe
1941
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as Julia Jordan
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Age: 47
Niagara Falls
1941
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as Emmy Sawyer
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Age: 47
Broadway Limited
1941
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as Myra Pottle
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Age: 47
Sneak Easily
1932
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as Miss Zasu Pitts - Woman of the Jury
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Age: 38
Madison Square Garden
1932
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as Florrie
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Age: 38
The Soilers
1932
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as Zasu
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Age: 38
Once in a Lifetime
1932
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as Miss Leyton
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Age: 38
The Crooked Circle
1932
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as Nora Rafferty
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Age: 38
Alum and Eve
1932
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as Zasu
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Age: 38
Blondie of the Follies
1932
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as Gertie
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Age: 38
Show Business
1932
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as Zasu
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Age: 38
Back Street
1932
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as Mrs. Dole
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Age: 38
Roar of the Dragon
1932
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as Gabby Woman
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Age: 38
Make Me a Star
1932
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as Mrs. Scudder
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Age: 38
Is My Face Red?
1932
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as Morning Gazette Telephone Operator
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Age: 38
The Old Bull
1932
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as Zasu
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Age: 38
Westward Passage
1932
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as Mrs. Truesdale
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Age: 38
Strangers of the Evening
1932
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as Sybil Smith
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Age: 38
The Trial of Vivienne Ware
1932
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as Gladys Fairweather
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Age: 38
Strictly Unreliable
1932
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as Pitts
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Age: 38
Destry Rides Again
1932
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as Temperance Worker
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Age: 38
Shopworn
1932
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as Aunt Dot
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Age: 38
Red Noses
1932
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as Miss Pitts
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Age: 38
Steady Company
1932
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as Dot
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Age: 38
Sealskins
1932
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as Zasu Pitts
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Age: 38
Broken Lullaby
1932
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as Anna, Holderlin's Maid
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Age: 38
The Unexpected Father
1932
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as Polly Perkins
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Age: 38
The Secret Witness
1931
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as Bella
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Age: 37
Youth to Youth
1922
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as Emily
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Age: 28
Is Matrimony a Failure?
1922
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as Mrs. Wilbur
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Age: 28
The Talk of the Town
1918
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as
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Age: 24