Known For
Acting
Born
Jan 02, 1894
Died
Jun 07, 1963
Place of Birth
Parsons, Kansas, USA
Credits
206 titles
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
Filmography
The Big Parade of Comedy
Mirabelle in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Gertie - Switchboard Operator
Burke's Law
Mrs. Bowie
The Thrill of It All
Olivia
Teenage Millionaire
Aunt Theodora
Guestward, Ho!
The Dennis O'Keefe Show
Disneyland '59
Self
Perry Mason
Daphne Whilom
This Could Be the Night
Mrs. Shea
The Gale Storm Show
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Screen Director's Playhouse
Selma
Francis Joins the WACS
Valerie Humpert
Private Secretary
General Electric Theater
Aunt Laura
Denver and Rio Grande
Jane Dwyer
Francis
Valerie Humpert
What's My Line?
Self
Lum and Abner
The Philco Television Playhouse
Belinda Pryde
Life with Father
Cousin Cora Cartwright
The Perfect Marriage
Rosa
Breakfast in Hollywood
Elvira Spriggens
Dear Miss Gloria
Guest star
Let's Face It
Cornelia Pigeon
Tish
Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts)
So's Your Aunt Emma!
Aunt Emma Bates
The Bashful Bachelor
Geraldine
Mexican Spitfire at Sea
Miss Pepper
Weekend for Three
Anna, Craig's Maid
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
Emily Pepper
Miss Polly
Pandora Polly
Uncle Joe
Julia Jordan
Niagara Falls
Emmy Sawyer
Broadway Limited
Myra Pottle
No, No, Nanette
Pauline Hastings
It All Came True
Miss Flint
Eternally Yours
Mrs. Bingham
Nurse Edith Cavell
Mme. Moulin
Mickey the Kid
Lilly Handy
Naughty but Nice
Aunt Penelope Hardwick
The Lady's from Kentucky
Dulcey Lee
52nd Street
Letitia Rondell
Forty Naughty Girls
Hildegarde Withers
Wanted!
Winnie Oatfield
Sing Me a Love Song
Gwen Logan
The Plot Thickens
Hildegarde Withers
Mad Holiday
Mrs. Fay Kinney
13 Hours by Air
Miss Harkins