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Portrait of Zasu Pitts

Acting

Zasu Pitts

  • Born Jan. 3, 1894
  • Parsons, Labette County, Kansas, USA
  • Died June 7, 1963, aged 69

Zasu Pitts (January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) 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 …

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Zasu Pitts (January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) 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).

Movie

Gertie - Switchboard Operator

Movie

Trina

Series

Daphne Whilom

Movie

Olivia

Movie

Mrs. Judson

Movie

Cousin Cora Cartwright

Movie

Anna, Holderlin's Maid

Movie

Matilda Hemingway

Movie

Cecelia Schweisser

Movie

Valerie Humpert

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Annie

Movie

Minnie

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Mrs. Bingham

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Miss Flint

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Bertha

Movie

Zasu

Movie

Undetermined Role (uncredited)

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Telephone Girl

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Jane Dwyer

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Ruth Fanning

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Millie

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Party Guest (uncredited)

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Becky

Movie

Mrs. Dole

Show all (201)
Movie

Valerie Humpert

Movie

Aunt Dot

Movie

Mrs. Shea

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Aunt Emma Bates

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Sybil Smith

Movie

Liesl

Movie

A Kansas Belle (uncredited)

Series

Mrs. Bowie

Movie

Mme. Moulin

Movie

Ethel

Movie

Gertie

Movie

Mrs. Harney

Movie

Nora Rafferty

Movie

Hildegarde Withers

Movie

Myra Pottle

Series
Movie

Mirabelle

Movie

Pandora Polly

Movie

Emily Pepper

Movie

Cushie

Movie

Miss Harkins

Movie

Hildegarde Withers

Movie

Morning Gazette Telephone Operator

Movie

Aunt Penelope Hardwick

Movie

Nora Dugan

Movie

Hilda

Series

Belinda Pryde

Movie

Lena

Movie

Mrs. Fay Kinney

Movie

Tillie Whim

Series

Aunt Laura

Movie

Zasu

Movie

Miss Pepper

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Emmy Sawyer

Movie

Gabby Woman

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Zasu

Movie

Mrs. Truesdale

Movie

The Maid

Movie

Katie

Movie

Sybby 'Sib'

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Cornelia Pigeon

Movie

Mrs. Scudder

Movie

Pauline Hastings

Movie

Elmerada

Series

Selma

Movie

Pitts

Movie

Zasu

Movie

Bella

Movie

Hilda (as Zazu Pitts)

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Mary

Movie

Zasu

Movie

Zasu

Movie

Elvira Spriggens

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Mrs. Hattie Haddock

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The Elk

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Maggie Keenan

Movie

Louise

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Zasu

Movie

Annie Snodgrass

Movie

Maggie Conklin

Movie

Tillie Prescott

Movie

Jennie Jones, The Jazz Kid

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Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts)

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Anna, Craig's Maid

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ZaSu

Movie

Temperance Worker

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Timmins

Movie

Zasu Pitts

Movie

Mayme

Movie

Belle McGill

Movie

Florrie

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Miss Pitts

Movie

Maddie Skitch

Movie

Pauline Hastings

Movie

Miss Leyton

Movie

Agnes Wheaton

Movie

Zasu Pitts

Movie

Celia Stebbins

Movie

Aunt Theodora

Series
Movie

Zasu

Movie

Esthey Roberts

Movie

Julia Jordan

Movie

Camille

Movie

Ada, the Maid

Movie

Cora Upshaw

Series
Movie

Zasu Pitts

Movie

Araminta Tootle

Movie

Bonny

Movie

Mrs. Bassett

Series
Movie

Miss Pitts

Movie

Jennie

Movie

Mother Spengler

Movie

Geraldine

Series
Movie

Zasu

Movie

Rosa

Movie

Bella

Movie
Movie

Miss Dibbs

Movie

Letitia Rondell

Movie

Blanche Odile

Movie

Fritzi Mobley

Movie

Hulda

Movie

Delia

Movie

Lorena

Movie

Mrs. Dugan

Movie

Jennie Dunn

Movie

Katie Abbott

Movie

Gladys Smith

Movie

Mary Horner

Movie

Mrs. Wilbur

Movie

Monica

Movie

Connie Clark

Movie

Annie Pogani

Movie

Zasu Pitts (uncredited)

Movie

Katie Jones

Movie

Lilly Handy

Movie

Hope Durant

Movie

Miss Hazy

Movie

Zasu Pitts

Movie

Harriet

Movie

Patsy

Movie

Apple Annie

Movie

Daisy Perkins

Movie

Miss Coates

Movie

Betty Lawrence

Movie

Esmeralda

Movie

Gwen Logan

Movie

Miss Zasu Pitts - Woman of the Jury

Movie

Dot

Movie

Evelyn

Movie

'Brainy' Jones

Movie

Susan Todd

Movie

Mrs. Wyatt

Movie

Rose Gleason

Movie

Mona

Movie

Anastasia Muldoon

Movie

Amelia Pugsley

Movie

Polly Jordan

Movie

Nancy

Movie

Caecilia

Movie

Dulcey Lee

Movie

Judy

Movie

Gladys Fairweather

Movie

Polly Perkins

Movie

Aunt Sylvia

Movie

Molly Hull

Movie

Clara Bertrand

Movie

Alice Mudge

Movie

Mickey

Movie

Mandy Coulter

Movie

Tillie

Movie

Suza - the Editor's Assistant

Movie

Luella Logan

Movie

Winnie Oatfield

Movie

Zasu

Movie

Dessie Arnhalt

Movie

Mary Mandrake

Movie

Germaine

Movie

Emily

Movie

Mary Cosgrove

Movie

Emily

Movie

Sal Sue

Movie

Nancy Scroggs

Movie

Guest star

Movie

Oscar's Sweetheart

Movie
Movie
Movie

Beula

Movie
Series

Self

Movie

Self - Celebrity Actress in Commissary

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Self

Movie

Mirabelle in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage)

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Herself

Movie

Self