Zasu Pitts

Zasu Pitts

1894-01-02

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).

Also appears in

It All Came True

It All Came True

5.6

No, No, Nanette

No, No, Nanette

6.0

Passion Flower

Passion Flower

5.6

The Dummy

The Dummy

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1925 Studio Tour

1925 Studio Tour

6.2

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

5.8

Souls for Sale

Souls for Sale

6.2

The Crooked Circle

The Crooked Circle

4.8

The Perfect Marriage

The Perfect Marriage

4.0

The Devil’s Holiday

The Devil’s Holiday

6.3

The Goldfish

The Goldfish

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The Mexican Spitfire’s Baby

The Mexican Spitfire’s Baby

4.3

Back Street

Back Street

6.1

So’s Your Aunt Emma!

So’s Your Aunt Emma!

6.5

Naughty But Nice

Naughty But Nice

6.2

A Woman of Experience

A Woman of Experience

5.2

Hot Tip

Hot Tip

5.0

13 Hours by Air

13 Hours by Air

4.6

Teenage Millionaire

Teenage Millionaire

4.5

How Could You, Jean?

How Could You, Jean?

Not yet rated