Zasu Pitts
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).
Filmography
The Big Parade of Comedy
as Mirabelle in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage)
The Big Parade of Comedy
as Mirabelle in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage)
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as Gertie - Switchboard Operator
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
as Gertie - Switchboard Operator
The Thrill of It All
as Olivia
The Thrill of It All
as Olivia
Disneyland '59
as Self
Disneyland '59
as Self
This Could Be the Night
as Mrs. Shea
This Could Be the Night
as Mrs. Shea
Francis Joins the WACS
as Valerie Humpert
Francis Joins the WACS
as Valerie Humpert
Denver and Rio Grande
as Jane Dwyer
Denver and Rio Grande
as Jane Dwyer
Francis
as Valerie Humpert
Francis
as Valerie Humpert
Life with Father
as Cousin Cora Cartwright
Life with Father
as Cousin Cora Cartwright
The Perfect Marriage
as Rosa
The Perfect Marriage
as Rosa
Breakfast in Hollywood
as Elvira Spriggens
Breakfast in Hollywood
as Elvira Spriggens
Dear Miss Gloria
as Guest star
Dear Miss Gloria
as Guest star
Let's Face It
as Cornelia Pigeon
Let's Face It
as Cornelia Pigeon
Tish
as Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts)
Tish
as Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts)
So's Your Aunt Emma!
as Aunt Emma Bates
So's Your Aunt Emma!
as Aunt Emma Bates
Mexican Spitfire at Sea
as Miss Pepper
Mexican Spitfire at Sea
as Miss Pepper
Weekend for Three
as Anna, Craig's Maid
Weekend for Three
as Anna, Craig's Maid
Miss Polly
as Pandora Polly
Miss Polly
as Pandora Polly
Niagara Falls
as Emmy Sawyer
Niagara Falls
as Emmy Sawyer
No, No, Nanette
as Pauline Hastings
No, No, Nanette
as Pauline Hastings
Eternally Yours
as Mrs. Bingham
Eternally Yours
as Mrs. Bingham
Nurse Edith Cavell
as Mme. Moulin
Nurse Edith Cavell
as Mme. Moulin
Mickey the Kid
as Lilly Handy
Mickey the Kid
as Lilly Handy
Naughty but Nice
as Aunt Penelope Hardwick
Naughty but Nice
as Aunt Penelope Hardwick
The Lady's from Kentucky
as Dulcey Lee
The Lady's from Kentucky
as Dulcey Lee
52nd Street
as Letitia Rondell
52nd Street
as Letitia Rondell
Forty Naughty Girls
as Hildegarde Withers
Forty Naughty Girls
as Hildegarde Withers
Wanted!
as Winnie Oatfield
Wanted!
as Winnie Oatfield
Sing Me a Love Song
as Gwen Logan
Sing Me a Love Song
as Gwen Logan
The Plot Thickens
as Hildegarde Withers
The Plot Thickens
as Hildegarde Withers
Mad Holiday
as Mrs. Fay Kinney
Mad Holiday
as Mrs. Fay Kinney
13 Hours by Air
as Miss Harkins
13 Hours by Air
as Miss Harkins
The Affair of Susan
as Susan Todd
The Affair of Susan
as Susan Todd
Hot Tip
as Belle McGill
Hot Tip
as Belle McGill
She Gets Her Man
as Esmeralda
She Gets Her Man
as Esmeralda
Going Highbrow
as Cora Upshaw
Going Highbrow
as Cora Upshaw
Spring Tonic
as Maggie Conklin
Spring Tonic
as Maggie Conklin
Ruggles of Red Gap
as Mrs. Judson
Ruggles of Red Gap
as Mrs. Judson
The Gay Bride
as Mirabelle
The Gay Bride
as Mirabelle
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
as Miss Hazy
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
as Miss Hazy
Dames
as Matilda Hemingway
Dames
as Matilda Hemingway
Their Big Moment
as Tillie Whim
Their Big Moment
as Tillie Whim
Private Scandal
as Miss Coates
Private Scandal
as Miss Coates
Love Birds
as Araminta Tootle
Love Birds
as Araminta Tootle
Three on a Honeymoon
as Alice Mudge
Three on a Honeymoon
as Alice Mudge
Two Alone
as Esthey Roberts
Two Alone
as Esthey Roberts
The Meanest Gal in Town
as Tillie Prescott
The Meanest Gal in Town
as Tillie Prescott
Mr. Skitch
as Maddie Skitch
Mr. Skitch
as Maddie Skitch
Meet the Baron
as Zasu
Meet the Baron
as Zasu
Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men
as Sybby 'Sib'
Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men
as Sybby 'Sib'
Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!
as Connie Clark
Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!
as Connie Clark
Her First Mate
as Mary Horner
Her First Mate
as Mary Horner
Professional Sweetheart
as Elmerada
Professional Sweetheart
as Elmerada
One Track Minds
as Zasu Pitts
One Track Minds
as Zasu Pitts
Hello, Sister!
as Millie
Hello, Sister!
as Millie
The Bargain of the Century
as Zasu
The Bargain of the Century
as Zasu
The Vanishing Frontier
as Aunt Sylvia
The Vanishing Frontier
as Aunt Sylvia
Asleep in the Feet
as Zasu
Asleep in the Feet
as Zasu
Madison Square Garden
as Florrie
Madison Square Garden
as Florrie
The Soilers
as Zasu
The Soilers
as Zasu
Once in a Lifetime
as Miss Leyton
Once in a Lifetime
as Miss Leyton
The Crooked Circle
as Nora Rafferty
The Crooked Circle
as Nora Rafferty
Alum and Eve
as Zasu
Alum and Eve
as Zasu
Show Business
as Zasu
Show Business
as Zasu
Back Street
as Mrs. Dole
Back Street
as Mrs. Dole
Roar of the Dragon
as Gabby Woman
Roar of the Dragon
as Gabby Woman
Make Me a Star
as Mrs. Scudder
Make Me a Star
as Mrs. Scudder
Is My Face Red?
as Morning Gazette Telephone Operator
Is My Face Red?
as Morning Gazette Telephone Operator
Westward Passage
as Mrs. Truesdale
Westward Passage
as Mrs. Truesdale
Destry Rides Again
as Temperance Worker
Destry Rides Again
as Temperance Worker
Shopworn
as Aunt Dot
Shopworn
as Aunt Dot
Red Noses
as Miss Pitts
Red Noses
as Miss Pitts
Broken Lullaby
as Anna, Holderlin's Maid
Broken Lullaby
as Anna, Holderlin's Maid
On the Loose
as Zasu
On the Loose
as Zasu
War Mamas
as Zasu
War Mamas
as Zasu
The Big Gamble
as Nora Dugan
The Big Gamble
as Nora Dugan
A Woman of Experience
as Katie
A Woman of Experience
as Katie
Let's Do Things
as Zasu Pitts
Let's Do Things
as Zasu Pitts
Finn and Hattie
as Mrs. Hattie Haddock
Finn and Hattie
as Mrs. Hattie Haddock
Free Love
as Ada, the Maid
Free Love
as Ada, the Maid
War Nurse
as Cushie
War Nurse
as Cushie
Sin Takes a Holiday
as Annie
Sin Takes a Holiday
as Annie
The Lottery Bride
as Hilda
The Lottery Bride
as Hilda
Monte Carlo
as Bertha
Monte Carlo
as Bertha
Honey
as Mayme
Honey
as Mayme
No, No, Nanette
as Pauline Hastings
No, No, Nanette
as Pauline Hastings
Paris
as Harriet
Paris
as Harriet
The Argyle Case
as Mrs. Wyatt
The Argyle Case
as Mrs. Wyatt
Twin Beds
as Tillie
Twin Beds
as Tillie
The Dummy
as Rose Gleason
The Dummy
as Rose Gleason
Buck Privates
as Hulda
Buck Privates
as Hulda
Wife Savers
as Germaine
Wife Savers
as Germaine
Monte Carlo
as Hope Durant
Monte Carlo
as Hope Durant
What Happened to Jones?
as Hilda (as Zazu Pitts)
What Happened to Jones?
as Hilda (as Zazu Pitts)
Wages for Wives
as Luella Logan
Wages for Wives
as Luella Logan
Lazybones
as Ruth Fanning
Lazybones
as Ruth Fanning
Thunder Mountain
as Mandy Coulter
Thunder Mountain
as Mandy Coulter
Pretty Ladies
as Maggie Keenan
Pretty Ladies
as Maggie Keenan
A Woman's Faith
as Blanche Odile
A Woman's Faith
as Blanche Odile
Old Shoes
Old Shoes
Greed
as Trina
Greed
as Trina
The Fast Set
as Mona
The Fast Set
as Mona
Hollywood
as Zasu Pitts
Hollywood
as Zasu Pitts
Mary of the Movies
as Zasu Pitts (uncredited)
Mary of the Movies
as Zasu Pitts (uncredited)
Souls for Sale
as Self - Celebrity Actress in Commissary
Souls for Sale
as Self - Celebrity Actress in Commissary
Is Matrimony a Failure?
as Mrs. Wilbur
Is Matrimony a Failure?
as Mrs. Wilbur
A Daughter of Luxury
as Mary Cosgrove
A Daughter of Luxury
as Mary Cosgrove
Heart of Twenty
as Katie Abbott
Heart of Twenty
as Katie Abbott
Better Times
as Nancy Scroggs
Better Times
as Nancy Scroggs
As the Sun Went Down
as Sal Sue
As the Sun Went Down
as Sal Sue
The Talk of the Town
The Talk of the Town
A Little Princess
as Becky
A Little Princess
as Becky
Tillie of the Nine Lives
Tillie of the Nine Lives
Why They Left Home
as Mary Mandrake
Why They Left Home
as Mary Mandrake