Zasu Pitts

Known for ActingBorn 1894-01-02Died 1963-06-07Parsons, Kansas, USA

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).Read more

Movies & web series

The Affair of Susan

Her First Mate

Steady Company

The Argyle Case

Twin Beds

Buck Privates

Mannequin

Sunny Side Up

Early to Wed

The Fast Set

West of the Water Tower

Three Wise Fools

Tea- With a Kick!

Poor Men's Wives

The Girl Who Came Back

For the Defense

Is Matrimony a Failure?

Patsy

Heart of Twenty

Seeing It Through

Mickey the Kid

Wanted!

Sing Me a Love Song

The Trial of Vivienne Ware

Beyond Victory

Little Accident

This Thing Called Love

The Great Divide

Old Shoes

The Goldfish

Hollywood

Men, Women, and Money

Uneasy Money

The Lady's from Kentucky

She Gets Her Man

Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!

The Vanishing Frontier

Sneak Easily

War Mamas

Let's Do Things

The Squealer

The Dummy

Sins of the Fathers

Casey at the Bat

Perry Mason

The Great Love

Her Big Night

A Woman's Faith