AR
Angelo Rossitto
Actor
Died September 21, 1991 (83 years)
Angelo Salvatore Rossitto (February 18, 1908 – September 21, 1991) was an American actor and voice artist. He had dwarfism and was 2'11" (89 cm) tall, and was often billed as Little Angie or Moe. Angelo first appeared in silent films opposite Lon Chaney and John Barrymore. On-screen, he portrayed everything from dwarfs, midgets, gnomes, and pygmies as well as monsters, villains, and aliens, with appearances in more than 70 films.
Rossitto was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Salvatore Rossitto and Carmela Caniglia, both born in Carlentini, Province of Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, and had a sister, Josephine Rossitto.
He was discovered by John Barrymore and made his screen debut opposite Barrymore in The Beloved Rogue (1927). That same year he appeared in Warner Brother's Old San Francisco. He appeared in the controversial 1932 film Freaks directed by Tod Browning, and another controversial film, 1938's Child Bride. During the 1940s, he appeared in several poverty row movies starring Bela Lugosi. He appeared frequently in television series and mini-series, particularly best known for the police drama Baretta, and his later film roles included appearances in Alex in Wonderland (1970), Brain of Blood (1971), Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971), Little Cigars (1973), and Fairy Tales (1978). His last major role was as "Master" opposite Mel Gibson in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).
Rossitto appears alongside singer/songwriter Tom Waits and Lee Kolima on the cover art of Waits' 1983 album Swordfishtrombones, which pays homage to his performance in Freaks. He also appears on the cover of Bob Dylan's album The Basement Tapes.
Rossitto was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Salvatore Rossitto and Carmela Caniglia, both born in Carlentini, Province of Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, and had a sister, Josephine Rossitto.
He was discovered by John Barrymore and made his screen debut opposite Barrymore in The Beloved Rogue (1927). That same year he appeared in Warner Brother's Old San Francisco. He appeared in the controversial 1932 film Freaks directed by Tod Browning, and another controversial film, 1938's Child Bride. During the 1940s, he appeared in several poverty row movies starring Bela Lugosi. He appeared frequently in television series and mini-series, particularly best known for the police drama Baretta, and his later film roles included appearances in Alex in Wonderland (1970), Brain of Blood (1971), Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971), Little Cigars (1973), and Fairy Tales (1978). His last major role was as "Master" opposite Mel Gibson in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).
Rossitto appears alongside singer/songwriter Tom Waits and Lee Kolima on the cover art of Waits' 1983 album Swordfishtrombones, which pays homage to his performance in Freaks. He also appears on the cover of Bob Dylan's album The Basement Tapes.
Movies & Shows on Plex
Filmography
| 2019 | |
| 2018 | The Other Side of the Wind · as Angelo |
| 2016 | The Hollywood Shorties · as Cast |
| 2004 | Tod Browning's 'Freaks': The Sideshow Cinema · as Angeleno |
| 2004 | The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made · as Cast |
| 1999 | Freaks Uncensored! · as Cast |
| 1987 | Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series) · as Spectator (uncredited) |
| 1987 | From a Whisper to a Scream · as Tinker |
| 1986 | Horrible Horror · as Luigi In 'spooks Run Wild' |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories (1985) (TV Series) · as Vaudevillian |
| 1985 | Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome · as Master |
| 1983 | Something Wicked This Way Comes · as Little Person #1 |
| 1981 | Simon & Simon (TV Series) · as Little Man In Hotel Lobby |
| 1981 | Smokey Bites the Dust · as Desk Clerk |
| 1980 | Can't Stop the Music · as Fruit Seller |
| 1980 | Galaxina · as Monster From Egg |
| 1979 | The Dark · as Angie (uncredited) |
| 1979 | Studs Lonigan (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1978 | The Lord of the Rings · as Character Actor |
| 1978 | Jason of Star Command (TV Series) · as Bork |
| 1978 | Bay City Rollers Show (TV Series) · as Seymour The Spider |
| 1978 | Fairy Tales · as Otto |
| 1978 | The Incredible Hulk (TV Series) · as Tom Thumb (uncredited) |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries (TV Series) |
| 1975 | I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? · as Little Pianist |
| 1975 | The Master Gunfighter · as Side Show Midget |
| 1975 | Starsky & Hutch (TV Series) · as Big Ben |
| 1975 | Baretta (TV Series) |
| 1974 | The Rockford Files (TV Series) · as Dwarf Patient (uncredited) |
| 1973 | |
| 1973 | The Stone Killer · as Little Man In Hotel Lobby (uncredited) |
| 1973 | The Clones · as Man At Phone Booth |
| 1973 | Little Cigars · as Angelo |
| 1972 | The Snoop Sisters (TV Series) · as Little Igor |
| 1972 | The Other · as Sideshow Performer (uncredited) |
| 1972 | Kung Fu (TV Series) · as Angelo (uncredited) |
| 1971 | Mongo's Back in Town · as Trembles |
| 1971 | Dracula vs. Frankenstein · as Grazbo The Evil Dwarf |
| 1971 | Lidsville (TV Series) · as Mr. Big |
| 1971 | Brain of Blood · as Dorro |
| 1970 | Alex in Wonderland · as Fellini #1 |
| 1970 | Pufnstuf · as Seymore Spider / Clang |
| 1969 | H.R. Pufnstuf (TV Series) · as Seymore Spider |
| 1968 | Julia (TV Series) · as Small Businessman |
| 1967 | The Perils of Pauline · as Pygmy Leader's Assistant |
| 1967 | Doctor Dolittle · as Dwarf (uncredited) |
| 1967 | The Trip · as Dwarf In Forest Fantasy (uncredited) |
| 1966 | T.H.E. Cat (TV Series) · as Circus Dwarf (uncredited) |
| 1965 | Branded (TV Series) · as Shooting Gallery Man (uncredited) |
| 1964 | The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV Series) · as Blind Pencil Seller |
| 1963 | The Fugitive (TV Series) · as Shoe Shiner |
| 1962 | The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm · as Dwarf |
| 1962 | Terrified · as Midget |
| 1962 | Requiem for a Heavyweight · as Midget Wrestler Outside Wrestling Ring (uncredited) |
| 1962 | Confessions of an Opium Eater · as Newspaper Boy |
| 1962 | The Magic Sword · as 2nd Dwarf |
| 1961 | Pocketful of Miracles · as Angie (uncredited) |
| 1959 | |
| 1959 | The Wild and the Innocent · as Midget (uncredited) |
| 1958 | Shirley Temple's Storybook (TV Series) · as Dwarf |
| 1958 | |
| 1957 | The Story of Mankind · as Dwarf In Nero's Court |
| 1957 | Invasion of the Saucer Men · as Saucer Man |
| 1956 | Carousel · as Midget |
| 1955 | |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke (TV Series) · as Billy (uncredited) |
| 1955 | Jungle Moon Men · as Smallest Moon-Man |
| 1953 | Mesa of Lost Women · as Dwarf Lab Assistant |
| 1952 | The Greatest Show on Earth · as Dwarf |
| 1951 | Front Page Detective (TV Series) · as Jimmie Trumpet |
| 1950 | Bandit Queen · as Nino |
| 1950 | Pygmy Island · as Pygmy In Cave |
| 1950 | The Baron of Arizona · as Angie -- Gypsy |
| 1949 | Samson and Delilah · as Midget At Arena |
| 1947 | The Sin of Harold Diddlebock · as Midget |
| 1946 | Scared to Death · as Indigo |
| 1946 | Two Smart People · as Street Musician |
| 1945 | The Picture of Dorian Gray · as Blue Gate Fields Waiter |
| 1944 | Lady in the Dark · as Bunny Midget |
| 1943 | The Spider Woman · as Obongo - Pygmy (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves · as Arab Dwarf |
| 1942 | Reunion in France · as Citizen In Bomb Shelter (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Corpse Vanishes · as Toby (as Angelo) |
| 1941 | Hellzapoppin' · as Dwarf Devil (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Spooks Run Wild · as Luigi |
| 1940 | Doomed to Die · as Newsboy #3 In Montage |
| 1939 | The Wizard of Oz · as Munchkin Villager (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Mr. Wong in Chinatown · as Mute Dwarf |
| 1938 | Child Bride · as Angelo |
| 1937 | Stand-In · as Little Person Entering Studio Gate |
| 1935 | A Midsummer Night's Dream · as Gnome |
| 1935 | Dante's Inferno · as Passenger In Boiler Room |
| 1934 | March of the Wooden Soldiers · as Elmer - Second Little Pig / 1st Sandman In Cave (uncredited) |
| 1932 | The Sign of the Cross · as Impaled Pygmy |
| 1932 | Tarzan the Ape Man · as Evil Dwarf |
| 1932 | Freaks · as Angeleno |
| 1930 | The Big House · as Inmate (uncredited) |
| 1929 | The Mysterious Island · as Underwater Creature |
| 1929 | Seven Footprints to Satan · as The Dwarf |
| 1928 | The Viking · as Viking Dwarf |
| 1928 | While the City Sleeps · as Member Of Skeeter's Gang |
| 1927 | Old San Francisco · as Chang Loo - The Dwarf |
| 1927 | The Beloved Rogue · as Beppo - The Dwarf |