Zasu Pitts

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

203

Gender

Female

Birthday

1894-01-02

Day of death

1963-06-07 (69 years old)

Place of Birth

Parsons, Kansas, USA

Zasu Pitts

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).

Known For

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • The Philco Television Playhouse

    The Philco Television Playhouse

  • Burke's Law

    Burke's Law

  • What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

  • The 20th Century Fox Hour

    The 20th Century Fox Hour

  • Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

    Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

  • How Could You, Jean?

    How Could You, Jean?

  • Going Highbrow

    Going Highbrow

  • The Squealer

    The Squealer

  • Sneak Easily

    Sneak Easily

  • The Goldfish

    The Goldfish

  • Francis

    Francis

  • The Trial of Vivienne Ware

    The Trial of Vivienne Ware

  • Paris

    Paris

  • Hollywood

    Hollywood

  • Greed

    Greed

  • Screen Director's Playhouse

    Screen Director's Playhouse

  • Risky Business

    Risky Business

  • The Honeymoon

    The Honeymoon

  • Spring Tonic

    Spring Tonic

  • Lazybones

    Lazybones

  • Changing Husbands

    Changing Husbands

  • Monte Carlo

    Monte Carlo

  • Hot Tip

    Hot Tip

  • The Dummy

    The Dummy

  • Pretty Ladies

    Pretty Ladies

  • Monte Carlo

    Monte Carlo

  • Honey

    Honey

  • Seed

    Seed

  • Broken Lullaby

    Broken Lullaby

  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

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

  • 52nd Street

    52nd Street

  • The Guardsman

    The Guardsman

  • Thunder Mountain

    Thunder Mountain

  • The Gale Storm Show

    The Gale Storm Show

  • Niagara Falls

    Niagara Falls

  • Back Street

    Back Street

  • Professional Sweetheart

    Professional Sweetheart

  • Uncle Joe

    Uncle Joe

  • Eternally Yours

    Eternally Yours

  • Wanted!

    Wanted!

  • Tish

    Tish

  • Teenage Millionaire

    Teenage Millionaire

  • Francis Joins the WACS

    Francis Joins the WACS

  • The Squall

    The Squall

  • Sealskins

    Sealskins

  • Hello, Sister!

    Hello, Sister!

  • Life with Father

    Life with Father

  • Sin Takes a Holiday

    Sin Takes a Holiday

  • Westward Passage

    Westward Passage

  • The Bargain of the Century

    The Bargain of the Century

  • Guestward, Ho!

    Guestward, Ho!

  • Oh, Yeah!

    Oh, Yeah!

  • Mr. Skitch

    Mr. Skitch

  • Dames

    Dames

  • The Plot Thickens

    The Plot Thickens

  • Make Me a Star

    Make Me a Star

  • This Could Be the Night

    This Could Be the Night

  • Miss Polly

    Miss Polly

  • A Daughter of Luxury

    A Daughter of Luxury

  • Buck Privates

    Buck Privates

  • The Locked Door

    The Locked Door

  • Passion Flower

    Passion Flower

  • The Bad Sister

    The Bad Sister

  • Better Times

    Better Times

  • Sins of the Fathers

    Sins of the Fathers

  • A Little Princess

    A Little Princess

  • Red Noses

    Red Noses

  • Three Wise Fools

    Three Wise Fools

  • Ruggles of Red Gap

    Ruggles of Red Gap

  • Steady Company

    Steady Company

  • Private Secretary

    Private Secretary

  • 13 Hours by Air

    13 Hours by Air

  • The Bashful Bachelor

    The Bashful Bachelor

  • Shopworn

    Shopworn

  • Meet the Baron

    Meet the Baron

  • The Dennis O'Keefe Show

    The Dennis O'Keefe Show

  • Secrets of the Night

    Secrets of the Night

  • Nurse Edith Cavell

    Nurse Edith Cavell

  • A Modern Musketeer

    A Modern Musketeer

  • Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

    Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

  • Mickey the Kid

    Mickey the Kid

  • The Devil's Holiday

    The Devil's Holiday

  • Mary of the Movies

    Mary of the Movies

  • What Happened to Jones?

    What Happened to Jones?

  • Sing and Like It

    Sing and Like It

  • Madison Square Garden

    Madison Square Garden

  • The Argyle Case

    The Argyle Case

  • Weekend for Three

    Weekend for Three

  • This Thing Called Love

    This Thing Called Love

  • Denver and Rio Grande

    Denver and Rio Grande

  • Patsy

    Patsy

  • The Wedding March

    The Wedding March

  • Mexican Spitfire at Sea

    Mexican Spitfire at Sea

  • Their Mad Moment

    Their Mad Moment

  • Finn and Hattie

    Finn and Hattie

  • The Big Parade of Comedy

    The Big Parade of Comedy

  • Show Business

    Show Business

  • Let's Face It

    Let's Face It

  • One Track Minds

    One Track Minds

  • The Mexican Spitfire's Baby

    The Mexican Spitfire's Baby

  • The Crooked Circle

    The Crooked Circle

  • The Vanishing Frontier

    The Vanishing Frontier

  • West of the Water Tower

    West of the Water Tower

  • Seeing It Through

    Seeing It Through

  • The Big Gamble

    The Big Gamble

  • As the Sun Went Down

    As the Sun Went Down

  • Heart of Twenty

    Heart of Twenty

  • The Fast Set

    The Fast Set

  • The Secret Witness

    The Secret Witness

  • 1925 Studio Tour

    1925 Studio Tour

  • It All Came True

    It All Came True

  • Three on a Honeymoon

    Three on a Honeymoon

  • Their Big Moment

    Their Big Moment

  • Roar of the Dragon

    Roar of the Dragon

  • The Talk of the Town

    The Talk of the Town

  • Destry Rides Again

    Destry Rides Again

  • Penrod and Sam

    Penrod and Sam

  • Free Love

    Free Love

  • Souls for Sale

    Souls for Sale

  • Maids a la Mode

    Maids a la Mode

  • The Meanest Gal in Town

    The Meanest Gal in Town

  • On the Loose

    On the Loose

  • Men, Women, and Money

    Men, Women, and Money

  • Asleep in the Feet

    Asleep in the Feet

  • Her First Mate

    Her First Mate

  • Blondie of the Follies

    Blondie of the Follies

  • Private Scandal

    Private Scandal

  • The Other Half

    The Other Half

  • Mannequin

    Mannequin

  • No, No, Nanette

    No, No, Nanette

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • A Lady's Name

    A Lady's Name

  • No, No, Nanette

    No, No, Nanette

  • Early to Wed

    Early to Wed

  • Her Private Life

    Her Private Life

  • River's End

    River's End

  • They Just Had to Get Married

    They Just Had to Get Married

  • Sing Me a Love Song

    Sing Me a Love Song

  • A Society Sensation

    A Society Sensation

  • Beyond Victory

    Beyond Victory

  • The Gay Bride

    The Gay Bride

  • Let's Do Things

    Let's Do Things

  • Disneyland '59

    Disneyland '59

  • Sunny Side Up

    Sunny Side Up

  • Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men

    Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men

  • The Perfect Marriage

    The Perfect Marriage

  • Casey at the Bat

    Casey at the Bat

  • A Woman of Experience

    A Woman of Experience

  • Twin Beds

    Twin Beds

  • Is My Face Red?

    Is My Face Red?

  • The Unexpected Father

    The Unexpected Father

  • The Thrill of It All

    The Thrill of It All

  • She Gets Her Man

    She Gets Her Man

  • The Lottery Bride

    The Lottery Bride

  • So's Your Aunt Emma!

    So's Your Aunt Emma!

  • Daughters of Today

    Daughters of Today

  • Naughty But Nice

    Naughty But Nice

  • Out All Night

    Out All Night

  • Love Birds

    Love Birds

  • War Nurse

    War Nurse

  • Breakfast in Hollywood

    Breakfast in Hollywood

  • Mother's Helper

    Mother's Helper

  • Mad Holiday

    Mad Holiday

  • Wife Savers

    Wife Savers

  • Is Matrimony a Failure?

    Is Matrimony a Failure?

  • Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!

    Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!

  • Forty Naughty Girls

    Forty Naughty Girls

  • Poor Men's Wives

    Poor Men's Wives

  • '49–'17

    '49–'17

  • Uneasy Money

    Uneasy Money

  • Strangers of the Evening

    Strangers of the Evening

  • 13 Washington Square

    13 Washington Square

  • The Lady's from Kentucky

    The Lady's from Kentucky

  • Lum and Abner

    Lum and Abner

  • The Affair of Susan

    The Affair of Susan

  • Catch-As Catch-Can

    Catch-As Catch-Can

  • Two Alone

    Two Alone

  • The Pajama Party

    The Pajama Party

  • Broadway Limited

    Broadway Limited

  • She Whoops To Conquer

    She Whoops To Conquer

  • Once in a Lifetime

    Once in a Lifetime

  • Strictly Unreliable

    Strictly Unreliable

  • The Great Divide

    The Great Divide

  • And She Learned About Dames

    And She Learned About Dames

  • For the Defense

    For the Defense

  • Little Accident

    Little Accident

  • The Re-Creation of Brian Kent

    The Re-Creation of Brian Kent

  • Wages for Wives

    Wages for Wives

  • War Mamas

    War Mamas

  • A Desert Dilemma

    A Desert Dilemma

  • Alum and Eve

    Alum and Eve

  • The Soilers

    The Soilers

  • Tea- With a Kick!

    Tea- With a Kick!

  • Her Big Night

    Her Big Night

  • Poor Relations

    Poor Relations

  • The Old Bull

    The Old Bull

  • Old Shoes

    Old Shoes

  • Why They Left Home

    Why They Left Home

  • The Great Love

    The Great Love

  • Dear Miss Gloria

    Dear Miss Gloria

  • Tillie of the Nine Lives

    Tillie of the Nine Lives

  • His Fatal Beauty

    His Fatal Beauty