Zasu Pitts

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

201

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

  • Screen Director's Playhouse

    Screen Director's Playhouse

  • The Gale Storm Show

    The Gale Storm Show

  • Sin Takes a Holiday

    Sin Takes a Holiday

  • A Desert Dilemma

    A Desert Dilemma

  • The Big Parade of Comedy

    The Big Parade of Comedy

  • It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

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

  • Broken Lullaby

    Broken Lullaby

  • The Fast Set

    The Fast Set

  • River's End

    River's End

  • Private Secretary

    Private Secretary

  • The Vanishing Frontier

    The Vanishing Frontier

  • Beyond Victory

    Beyond Victory

  • The Honeymoon

    The Honeymoon

  • The Goldfish

    The Goldfish

  • Disneyland '59

    Disneyland '59

  • Risky Business

    Risky Business

  • The Crooked Circle

    The Crooked Circle

  • Spring Tonic

    Spring Tonic

  • Hollywood

    Hollywood

  • Thunder Mountain

    Thunder Mountain

  • The Mexican Spitfire's Baby

    The Mexican Spitfire's Baby

  • Mexican Spitfire at Sea

    Mexican Spitfire at Sea

  • Mickey the Kid

    Mickey the Kid

  • Guestward, Ho!

    Guestward, Ho!

  • Weekend for Three

    Weekend for Three

  • Francis

    Francis

  • Francis Joins the WACS

    Francis Joins the WACS

  • Sing Me a Love Song

    Sing Me a Love Song

  • Sins of the Fathers

    Sins of the Fathers

  • Mad Holiday

    Mad Holiday

  • The Dummy

    The Dummy

  • The Trial of Vivienne Ware

    The Trial of Vivienne Ware

  • Steady Company

    Steady Company

  • Uneasy Money

    Uneasy Money

  • Seed

    Seed

  • Three on a Honeymoon

    Three on a Honeymoon

  • Sing and Like It

    Sing and Like It

  • Catch-As Catch-Can

    Catch-As Catch-Can

  • Changing Husbands

    Changing Husbands

  • Better Times

    Better Times

  • The Squall

    The Squall

  • Teenage Millionaire

    Teenage Millionaire

  • Three Wise Fools

    Three Wise Fools

  • Paris

    Paris

  • Two Alone

    Two Alone

  • The Secret Witness

    The Secret Witness

  • Alum and Eve

    Alum and Eve

  • 52nd Street

    52nd Street

  • Her First Mate

    Her First Mate

  • Going Highbrow

    Going Highbrow

  • Tish

    Tish

  • Greed

    Greed

  • Men, Women, and Money

    Men, Women, and Money

  • Life with Father

    Life with Father

  • Make Me a Star

    Make Me a Star

  • The Other Half

    The Other Half

  • As the Sun Went Down

    As the Sun Went Down

  • Uncle Joe

    Uncle Joe

  • Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

    Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch

  • The Argyle Case

    The Argyle Case

  • Back Street

    Back Street

  • Meet the Baron

    Meet the Baron

  • Red Noses

    Red Noses

  • A Daughter of Luxury

    A Daughter of Luxury

  • War Nurse

    War Nurse

  • The Squealer

    The Squealer

  • The Bargain of the Century

    The Bargain of the Century

  • The Dennis O'Keefe Show

    The Dennis O'Keefe Show

  • Their Big Moment

    Their Big Moment

  • War Mamas

    War Mamas

  • Lazybones

    Lazybones

  • The Guardsman

    The Guardsman

  • Lum and Abner

    Lum and Abner

  • The Bad Sister

    The Bad Sister

  • Their Mad Moment

    Their Mad Moment

  • Monte Carlo

    Monte Carlo

  • Heart of Twenty

    Heart of Twenty

  • A Woman of Experience

    A Woman of Experience

  • The Bashful Bachelor

    The Bashful Bachelor

  • 13 Hours by Air

    13 Hours by Air

  • Secrets of the Night

    Secrets of the Night

  • The Talk of the Town

    The Talk of the Town

  • Sealskins

    Sealskins

  • Ruggles of Red Gap

    Ruggles of Red Gap

  • A Society Sensation

    A Society Sensation

  • Let's Face It

    Let's Face It

  • Early to Wed

    Early to Wed

  • Sneak Easily

    Sneak Easily

  • What Happened to Jones?

    What Happened to Jones?

  • West of the Water Tower

    West of the Water Tower

  • How Could You, Jean?

    How Could You, Jean?

  • A Modern Musketeer

    A Modern Musketeer

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • On the Loose

    On the Loose

  • 1925 Studio Tour

    1925 Studio Tour

  • Mary of the Movies

    Mary of the Movies

  • Honey

    Honey

  • Pretty Ladies

    Pretty Ladies

  • Madison Square Garden

    Madison Square Garden

  • Once in a Lifetime

    Once in a Lifetime

  • A Little Princess

    A Little Princess

  • A Lady's Name

    A Lady's Name

  • Wanted!

    Wanted!

  • The Wedding March

    The Wedding March

  • 13 Washington Square

    13 Washington Square

  • Finn and Hattie

    Finn and Hattie

  • Eternally Yours

    Eternally Yours

  • Monte Carlo

    Monte Carlo

  • The Locked Door

    The Locked Door

  • Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

    Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

  • The Big Gamble

    The Big Gamble

  • Professional Sweetheart

    Professional Sweetheart

  • Her Big Night

    Her Big Night

  • The Perfect Marriage

    The Perfect Marriage

  • Penrod and Sam

    Penrod and Sam

  • His Fatal Beauty

    His Fatal Beauty

  • Seeing It Through

    Seeing It Through

  • Free Love

    Free Love

  • Mannequin

    Mannequin

  • This Thing Called Love

    This Thing Called Love

  • The Pajama Party

    The Pajama Party

  • Roar of the Dragon

    Roar of the Dragon

  • Denver and Rio Grande

    Denver and Rio Grande

  • The Plot Thickens

    The Plot Thickens

  • One Track Minds

    One Track Minds

  • Nurse Edith Cavell

    Nurse Edith Cavell

  • The Unexpected Father

    The Unexpected Father

  • This Could Be the Night

    This Could Be the Night

  • Asleep in the Feet

    Asleep in the Feet

  • Hello, Sister!

    Hello, Sister!

  • Destry Rides Again

    Destry Rides Again

  • Mr. Skitch

    Mr. Skitch

  • Niagara Falls

    Niagara Falls

  • Is My Face Red?

    Is My Face Red?

  • Strictly Unreliable

    Strictly Unreliable

  • The Old Bull

    The Old Bull

  • Sunny Side Up

    Sunny Side Up

  • Poor Relations

    Poor Relations

  • Love Birds

    Love Birds

  • It All Came True

    It All Came True

  • Wages for Wives

    Wages for Wives

  • Hot Tip

    Hot Tip

  • No, No, Nanette

    No, No, Nanette

  • Miss Polly

    Miss Polly

  • The Thrill of It All

    The Thrill of It All

  • The Devil's Holiday

    The Devil's Holiday

  • The Gay Bride

    The Gay Bride

  • Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!

    Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!

  • Patsy

    Patsy

  • Casey at the Bat

    Casey at the Bat

  • Out All Night

    Out All Night

  • Maids a la Mode

    Maids a la Mode

  • Westward Passage

    Westward Passage

  • '49–'17

    '49–'17

  • Tea- With a Kick!

    Tea- With a Kick!

  • The Meanest Gal in Town

    The Meanest Gal in Town

  • Shopworn

    Shopworn

  • No, No, Nanette

    No, No, Nanette

  • Show Business

    Show Business

  • Her Private Life

    Her Private Life

  • Passion Flower

    Passion Flower

  • Let's Do Things

    Let's Do Things

  • Naughty But Nice

    Naughty But Nice

  • Private Scandal

    Private Scandal

  • The Lottery Bride

    The Lottery Bride

  • Dames

    Dames

  • So's Your Aunt Emma!

    So's Your Aunt Emma!

  • She Gets Her Man

    She Gets Her Man

  • Dear Miss Gloria

    Dear Miss Gloria

  • Buck Privates

    Buck Privates

  • Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men

    Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men

  • Strangers of the Evening

    Strangers of the Evening

  • They Just Had to Get Married

    They Just Had to Get Married

  • Blondie of the Follies

    Blondie of the Follies

  • And She Learned About Dames

    And She Learned About Dames

  • Souls for Sale

    Souls for Sale

  • Broadway Limited

    Broadway Limited

  • Wife Savers

    Wife Savers

  • Breakfast in Hollywood

    Breakfast in Hollywood

  • Oh, Yeah!

    Oh, Yeah!

  • The Re-Creation of Brian Kent

    The Re-Creation of Brian Kent

  • Little Accident

    Little Accident

  • Twin Beds

    Twin Beds

  • Mother's Helper

    Mother's Helper

  • The Lady's from Kentucky

    The Lady's from Kentucky

  • The Affair of Susan

    The Affair of Susan

  • The Soilers

    The Soilers

  • The Great Love

    The Great Love

  • Forty Naughty Girls

    Forty Naughty Girls

  • The Great Divide

    The Great Divide

  • For the Defense

    For the Defense

  • Poor Men's Wives

    Poor Men's Wives

  • Old Shoes

    Old Shoes

  • She Whoops To Conquer

    She Whoops To Conquer

  • Tillie of the Nine Lives

    Tillie of the Nine Lives

  • Why They Left Home

    Why They Left Home