ZP
Zasu Pitts
Actor
Born January 2, 1894Died June 7, 1963 (69 years)
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).
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).
Filmography
| 2017 | The Green Fog · as Trina Sieppe |
| 1964 | The Big Parade of Comedy · as Mirabelle In 'the Gay Bride' (archive Footage) |
| 1963 | It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World · as Gertie - Switchboard Operator |
| 1963 | Burke's Law (TV Series) · as Mrs. Bowie |
| 1963 | The Thrill of It All · as Olivia |
| 1961 | Teenage Millionaire · as Aunt Theodora |
| 1960 | The Jim Backus Show (TV Series) · as Minnie Morgan |
| 1960 | Guestward Ho! (TV Series) |
| 1959 | The Dennis O'Keefe Show (TV Series) |
| 1957 | This Could Be the Night · as Mrs. Shea |
| 1957 | Perry Mason (TV Series) · as Daphne Whilom |
| 1956 | The Gale Storm Show (TV Series) |
| 1955 | The 20th Century-Fox Hour (TV Series) |
| 1955 | Screen Directors Playhouse (TV Series) · as Selma |
| 1954 | The Best of Broadway (TV Series) · as Miss Preen |
| 1954 | Francis Joins the WACS · as Valerie Humpert |
| 1953 | Private Secretary (TV Series) |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) · as Aunt Laura |
| 1952 | Denver & Rio Grande · as Jane Dwyer |
| 1951 | The Red Skelton Show (TV Series) · as Ma Raspin |
| 1950 | Francis · as Valerie Humpert |
| 1948 | The Philco Television Playhouse (TV Series) · as Belinda Pryde |
| 1948 | The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1947 | Life with Father · as Cousin Cora Cartwright |
| 1947 | Kraft Television Theatre (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1946 | The Perfect Marriage · as Rosa |
| 1946 | Breakfast in Hollywood · as Elvira Spriggens |
| 1943 | Let's Face It · as Cornelia Pigeon |
| 1942 | Tish · as Aggie Pilkington (as Zasu Pitts) |
| 1942 | So's Your Aunt Emma! · as Aunt Emma Bates |
| 1942 | The Bashful Bachelor · as Geraldine |
| 1942 | Mexican Spitfire at Sea · as Miss Pepper |
| 1941 | Weekend for Three · as Anna, Craig's Maid |
| 1941 | The Mexican Spitfire's Baby · as Emily Pepper |
| 1941 | Miss Polly · as Pandora Polly |
| 1941 | Uncle Joe · as Julia Jordan |
| 1941 | Niagara Falls · as Emmy Sawyer |
| 1941 | Broadway Limited · as Myra Pottle |
| 1940 | No, No, Nanette · as Pauline Hastings |
| 1940 | It All Came True · as Miss Flint |
| 1939 | Eternally Yours · as Cary Bingham |
| 1939 | Nurse Edith Cavell · as Mme. Moulin |
| 1939 | Naughty But Nice · as Aunt Penelope Hardwick |
| 1939 | The Lady's from Kentucky · as Dulcey Lee |
| 1937 | Forty Naughty Girls · as Hildegarde Withers |
| 1936 | Sing Me a Love Song · as Gwen Logan |
| 1936 | The Plot Thickens · as Hildegarde Withers |
| 1936 | Mad Holiday · as Mrs. Fay Kinney |
| 1936 | 13 Hours by Air · as Miss Harkins |
| 1935 | Going Highbrow · as Cora Upshaw |
| 1935 | Hot Tip · as Belle Mcgill |
| 1935 | Spring Tonic · as Maggie Conklin |
| 1935 | Ruggles of Red Gap · as Mrs. Judson |
| 1934 | The Gay Bride · as Mirabelle |
| 1934 | Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch · as Miss Hazy |
| 1934 | Dames · as Matilda Hemingway |
| 1934 | Their Big Moment · as Tillie Whim |
| 1934 | Sing and Like It · as Annie Snodgrass |
| 1934 | Two Alone · as Esthey Roberts |
| 1934 | The Meanest Gal in Town · as Tillie Prescott |
| 1933 | Mr. Skitch · as Maddie Skitch |
| 1933 | Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men · as Sybby 'sib' |
| 1933 | Meet the Baron · as Zasu |
| 1933 | Her First Mate · as Mary Horner |
| 1933 | Professional Sweetheart · as Elmerada De Leon |
| 1933 | Hello, Sister! · as Millie |
| 1933 | Out All Night · as Bonny |
| 1932 | Back Street · as Mrs. Dole |
| 1932 | Once in a Lifetime · as Miss Leyton |
| 1932 | The Crooked Circle · as Nora Rafferty |
| 1932 | Blondie of the Follies · as Gertie |
| 1932 | Roar of the Dragon · as Gabby Woman |
| 1932 | Make Me a Star · as Mrs. Scudder |
| 1932 | Is My Face Red? · as Morning Gazette Telephone Operator |
| 1932 | Westward Passage · as Mrs. Truesdale |
| 1932 | Strangers of the Evening · as Sybil Smith |
| 1932 | The Trial of Vivienne Ware · as Gladys Fairweather |
| 1932 | Destry Rides Again · as Temperance Worker |
| 1932 | Shopworn · as Aunt Dot |
| 1932 | Broken Lullaby · as Anna, Holderlin's Maid |
| 1931 | On the Loose · as Zasu |
| 1931 | The Secret Witness · as Bella |
| 1931 | The Guardsman · as Liesl |
| 1931 | Penrod and Sam · as Mrs. Bassett |
| 1931 | The Pajama Party · as Zasu |
| 1931 | The Big Gamble · as Nora Dugan |
| 1931 | A Woman of Experience · as Katie |
| 1931 | Their Mad Moment · as Miss Dibbs |
| 1931 | Seed · as Jennie |
| 1931 | Beyond Victory · as Fritzi Mobley |
| 1931 | Bad Sister · as Minnie |
| 1931 | Finn and Hattie · as Mrs. Hattie Haddock |
| 1930 | Passion Flower · as Mrs. Harney |
| 1930 | The Lottery Bride · as Hilda |
| 1930 | War Nurse · as Cushie |
| 1930 | Sin Takes a Holiday · as Annie |
| 1930 | River's End · as Louise |
| 1930 | Monte Carlo · as Bertha |
| 1930 | All Quiet on the Western Front · as Frau Bäumer - Silent Version Trailer Only |
| 1930 | The Devil's Holiday · as Ethel |
| 1930 | Honey · as Mayme |
| 1929 | The Honeymoon · as Caecilia |
| 1929 | The Locked Door · as Telephone Girl |
| 1929 | Oh, Yeah? · as The Elk |
| 1929 | The Squall · as Lena |
| 1928 | The Wedding March · as Cecelia Schweisser |
| 1928 | 13 Washington Square · as The Maid |
| 1926 | Her Big Night · as Gladys Smith |
| 1925 | What Happened to Jones? · as Hilda (as Zazu Pitts) |
| 1925 | Lazybones · as Ruth Fanning |
| 1925 | Pretty Ladies · as Maggie Keenan |
| 1925 | The Great Divide · as Polly Jordan |
| 1925 | The Re-Creation of Brian Kent · as Judy |
| 1924 | Greed · as Trina |
| 1924 | Wine of Youth · as Lucy |
| 1922 | Youth to Youth · as Emily |
| 1919 | The Other Half · as Jennie Jones, The Jazz Kid |
| 1918 | The Greatest Thing in Life · as Undetermined Secondary Role |
| 1918 | A Society Sensation · as Mary |
| 1917 | A Modern Musketeer · as A Kansas Belle (uncredited) |
| 1917 | A Little Princess · as Becky |
| 1917 | '49-'17 · as Party Guest (uncredited) |
| 1917 | Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm · as Undetermined Role (uncredited) |