Personal Info
Birth date
1894-01-02 (131 Years)
Day of death
1963-06-07
Gender
Female
Known for
Acting
Place of birth
Parsons, Kansas, USA
Also known as
Zazu Pitts
Eliza Susan Pitts
ZaSu Pitts
Za Su Pitts
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).Filmography
Perry Mason
7.719
Overview:
The cases of master criminal defense attorney Perry Mason and his staff who handled the most difficult of cases in the aid of the innocent.The Philco Television Playhouse
6.286
Overview:
The Philco Television Playhouse is an American anthology series that was broadcast live on NBC from 1948 to 1955. Produced by Fred Coe, the series was sponsored by Philco. It was one of the most respected dramatic shows of the Golden Age of Television, winning a 1954 Peabody Award and receiving eight Emmy nominations between 1951 and 1956.Burke's Law
6
Overview:
Burke's Law is an American detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II.The 20th Century Fox Hour
5.429
Overview:
The 20th Century Fox Hour is an American drama anthology series televised in the United States on CBS from 1955 to 1957. Some of the shows in this series were restored, remastered and shown on the Fox Movie Channel in 2002 under the title Hour of Stars. The season one episode Overnight Haul, starring Richard Conte and Lizabeth Scott, was released in Australia as a feature film.Screen Director's Playhouse
6.5
Overview:
Presented by Eastman Kodak, this show was a series of original scripts directed by acclaimed directors and featuring well-known performers. The stories ranged from musicals to comedies and dramas.The Gale Storm Show
5.5
Overview:
The Gale Storm Show is an American sitcom starring Gale Storm. The series premiered on September 29, 1956, and ran until 1960 for 143 half-hour black-and-white episodes, initially on CBS and in its last year on ABC. The Gale Storm Show was co-produced by Independent Television Corporation and Hal Roach Studios. The series was aired under the title Oh, Susanna in syndication.Guestward, Ho!
4
Overview:
Guestward, Ho! is an American situation comedy which aired on the ABC network in the 1960-1961 television season, based on the 1956 book of the same title by Patrick Dennis, author of Auntie Mame.What's My Line?
6.9
Overview:
Four panelists must determine guests' occupations - and, in the case of famous guests, while blindfolded, their identity - by asking only "yes" or "no" questions.Hollywood
8.5
Overview:
Angela comes to Hollywood with only two things: Her dream to become a movie star, and Grandpa. She leaves an Aunt, a brother, Grandma, and her longtime boyfriend back in Centerville. Despite seeing major movie stars around every corner, and knocking on every casting office door in town, at the end of her first day she is still unemployed. To her horror, when she arrives back at their hotel, she finds that Grandpa has been cast in a movie by William DeMille and quickly becomes a star during the ensuing weeks. Her family, worried that Angela and Grandpa are getting into trouble, come to Hollywood to drag them back home. In short order Aunt, Grandma, brother, boyfriend and even the parrot become superstars, but Angela is still unemployed...The Dennis O'Keefe Show
5
Overview:
The Dennis O'Keefe Show is a 1959-1960 sitcom produced by United Artists Television which aired on CBS for sponsor General Motors' Oldsmobile division. It was not a ratings success during its original run, and was largely forgotten until a "Best Of" DVD release by Alpha Video during 2004. Certain episodes of the show can also be seen at the Internet Archive. It appears the series has entered the public domain.Private Secretary
5
Overview:
Private Secretary is an American sitcom that aired from February 1, 1953 to September 10, 1957 on CBS, alternating with The Jack Benny Program on Sundays at 7:30pm EST. The series stars Ann Sothern as Susan Camille "Susie" MacNamara, devoted secretary to handsome talent agent Peter Sands, played by Don Porter.It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
7
Overview:
A group of strangers come across a man dying after a car crash who proceeds to tell them about the $350,000 he buried in California. What follows is the madcap adventures of those strangers as each attempts to claim the prize for himself.The Devil's Holiday
6.333
Overview:
Beautiful manicurist Hallie Hobart sets her sights on handsome David Stone, the son of wealthy wheat farmer Ezra Stone. Professing to hate men, Hallie is only interested in luring David in for a lucrative business deal. David easily falls in love, but older brother Mark brands Hallie a gold-digger. To get even with the straight-laced Stone family, Hallie accepts David's marriage proposal.General Electric Theater
6.25
Overview:
General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.Is My Face Red?
5
Overview:
William Poster writes a gossip column for the Morning Gazette. He will write about anyone and everyone as long as he gets the credit. He gets most of his information from his showgirl gal-pal, Peggy. Eventually Bill's reckless tattling gets him in deep trouble with friends and enemies, putting his career and life in jeopardy.No, No, Nanette
6
Overview:
Perky young Nanette attempts to save the marriage of her uncle and aunt by untangling Uncle Jimmy from several innocent but ensnaring flirtations. Attempting one such unentanglement, Nanette enlists the help of theatrical producer Bill Trainor, who promptly falls in love with her. The same thing happens when artist Tom Gillespie is called on for help. But soon Uncle Jimmy's flirtations become too numerous, and Nanette's romances with Tom and Bill run into trouble. Will Uncle Jimmy's marriage survive, and will Nanette find happiness with Tom, Bill, or somebody else?Sin Takes a Holiday
5.5
Overview:
Dowdy Sylvia accepts her boss' marriage proposal, even though he only asked her to avoid marriage to another woman. As a wealthy wife, Sylvia changes from ugly duckling to uninhibited swan and even contemplates having an affair with a man she meets during a trip to Paris.The Wedding March
7
Overview:
A young impoverished aristocrat falls in love with an inn-keeper's daughter, but has to marry money.The Bad Sister
5.4
Overview:
Marianne falls in love with con man Valentine who uses their relation to get her father's endorsement on a money-raising scheme. He runs off with the money and Marianne, later dumping her. Her sister Laura loves Dr. Lindley although she knows he loves Marianne. Marianne returns and marries a wealthy young man, and Lindley turns his love toward Laura.Francis
5.5
Overview:
The truthful soldier Stirling didn't know how to lie about his source of information, the talking army Mule, Francis, so he was treated as a lunatic and led to one after another hilarious situations, where the mule was the only one that appeared in his right mind. In the process of all this, the mule assisted in uncovering a spy, Mareen, who pretended to be lost among the jungles, but was actually...The Lottery Bride
4.7
Overview:
Sundered lovers meet again amid tragic irony at a mining camp in northern Norway.Weekend for Three
5.7
Overview:
Jim is hardly thrilled when his new bride, Ellen, invites an old friend, Randy, over for dinner. Yet Jim turns genuinely dismayed once Randy arrives and turns out to be an insufferable, boorish braggart with bad manners and little self-awareness. That dismay turns to outright annoyance when Jim realizes Randy thinks he has come to stay for the weekend. How much damage to a marriage can one unwanted guest do in the space of one weekend?Disneyland '59
6.5
Overview:
Walt Disney and Art Linkletter co-host a live celebration of Disneyland's 1959 expansion that consisted of the debuts of Matterhorn Bobsleds, the Disneyland-Alweg Monorail, and the Submarine Voyage, a project so massive that it was called "The Second Opening of Disneyland". Highlights include a mammoth, star-studded parade and the official launching of the Disneyland submarines by U.S. Navy officers. Among the guests are then-Vice-President Richard Nixon and family, Clint Eastwood, and Meredith Willson, who leads the Disneyland band in his own "76 Trombones." Sponsored by Kodak, the commercial spokespersons include Ozzie and Harriet Nelson.Greed
7.4
Overview:
A lottery win of $5,000 forever changes the lives of a miner turned dentist and his wife.Ruggles of Red Gap
7.052
Overview:
In this comedy of an Englishman stranded in a sea of barbaric Americans, Marmaduke Ruggles, a gentleman's gentleman and butler to an Earl is lost in a poker game to an uncouth American cattle baron. Ruggles' life is turned upside down as he's taken to the USA, is gradually assimilated into American life, accidentally becomes a local celebrity, and falls in love along the way.Broken Lullaby
7.5
Overview:
A young French soldier in World War I is overcome with guilt when he kills a German soldier who, like himself, is a musically gifted conscript, each having attended the same musical conservatory in France. The fact that the incident occurred in war does not assuage his guilt. He travels to Germany to meet the man's family.Eternally Yours
5.7
Overview:
Anita, engaged to solid Don Barnes, is swept off her feet by magician Arturo. Before you can say presto, she's his wife and stage assistant on a lengthy world tour. But Anita is annoyed by Arturo's constant flirtations, and his death-defying stunts give her nightmares. And forget her plan to retire to a farmhouse. Eventually, she has had enough and disappears.Penrod and Sam
6
Overview:
Best pals Penrod and Sam are leaders of a super-secret neighborhood society, the In-Or-In Boys Club. Troubles arise when a pompous prig tries to join the club and when the boys lose their clubhouse in a land sale. But there’s also plenty of time to play pranks, put on a carnival, experience the pangs of first love, and romp with Duke, the world’s best dog.Breakfast in Hollywood
5
Overview:
The goings on of a few members of a radio show's audience is the premise for this feature film derived from the popular ABC radio show of the 1940s. This film features Tom Breneman, the radio show's host, as well as Bonita Granville, Beulah Bondi, Zasu Pitts, Billie Burke and Hedda Hopper. Musical performances are provided by Nat King Cole and the King Cole Trio, along with Spike Jones and his City Slickers.Acting
1964The Big Parade of Comedy as Mirabelle in 'The Gay Bride' (archive footage)
1963It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World as Gertie - Switchboard Operator
1963Burke's Law (1 Episode) as Mrs. Bowie
1963The Thrill of It All as Olivia
1961Teenage Millionaire as Aunt Theodora
1960Guestward, Ho! (1 Episode) as Unknown
1959The Dennis O'Keefe Show (1 Episode) as Unknown
1959Disneyland '59 as Self
1957Perry Mason (1 Episode) as Daphne Whilom
1957This Could Be the Night as Mrs. Shea
1956The Gale Storm Show (126 Episodes) as Unknown
1955The Silent Partner as Selma
1955The 20th Century Fox Hour (1 Episode) as Unknown
1955Screen Director's Playhouse (1 Episode) as Selma
1954Francis Joins the WACS as Valerie Humpert
1953General Electric Theater (1 Episode) as Aunt Laura
1953Private Secretary (1 Episode) as Unknown
1952Denver and Rio Grande as Jane Dwyer
1950Francis as Valerie Humpert
1950What's My Line? (1 Episode) as Self
1949Lum and Abner as Unknown
1948The Philco Television Playhouse (1 Episode) as Belinda Pryde
1947Life with Father as Cousin Cora Cartwright
1947The Perfect Marriage as Rosa
1946Breakfast in Hollywood as Elvira Spriggens
1946Dear Miss Gloria as Guest star
1943Let's Face It as Cornelia Pigeon
1942Tish as Aggie Pilkington (as ZaSu Pitts)
1942So's Your Aunt Emma! as Aunt Emma Bates
1942The Bashful Bachelor as Geraldine
1942Mexican Spitfire at Sea as Miss Pepper
1941Weekend for Three as Anna, Craig's Maid
1941The Mexican Spitfire's Baby as Emily Pepper
1941Miss Polly as Pandora Polly
1941Uncle Joe as Julia Jordan
1941Niagara Falls as Emmy Sawyer
1941Broadway Limited as Myra Pottle
1940No, No, Nanette as Pauline Hastings
1940It All Came True as Miss Flint
1939Eternally Yours as Cary Bingham
1939Nurse Edith Cavell as Mme. Moulin
1939Mickey the Kid as Lilly Handy
1939Naughty But Nice as Aunt Penelope Hardwick
1939The Lady's from Kentucky as Dulcey Lee
193752nd Street as Letitia Rondell
1937Forty Naughty Girls as Hildegarde Withers
1937Wanted! as Winnie Oatfield
1936Sing Me a Love Song as Gwen Logan
1936The Plot Thickens as Hildegarde Withers
1936Mad Holiday as Mrs. Fay Kinney
193613 Hours by Air as Miss Harkins
1935The Affair of Susan as Susan Todd
1935Hot Tip as Belle McGill
1935She Gets Her Man as Esmeralda
1935Going Highbrow as Cora Upshaw
1935Spring Tonic as Maggie Conklin
1935Ruggles of Red Gap as Mrs. Judson
1934The Gay Bride as Mirabelle
1934Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch as Miss Hazy
1934Dames as Matilda Hemingway
1934Their Big Moment as Tillie Whim
1934Private Scandal as Miss Coates
1934Love Birds as Araminta Tootle
1934Sing and Like It as Annie Snodgrass
1934And She Learned About Dames as Herself
1934Three on a Honeymoon as Alice Mudge
1934Two Alone as Esthey Roberts
1934The Meanest Gal in Town as Tillie Prescott
1933Mr. Skitch as Maddie Skitch
1933Meet the Baron as Zasu
1933Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men as Sybby 'Sib'
1933Love, Honor and Oh, Baby! as Connie Clark
1933Her First Mate as Mary Horner
1933Professional Sweetheart as Elmerada
1933One Track Minds as Zasu Pitts
1933Hello, Sister! as Millie
1933The Bargain of the Century as Zasu
1933Out All Night as Bonny
1933The Vanishing Frontier as Aunt Sylvia
1933Maids a la Mode as Miss Pitts
1933Asleep in the Feet as Zasu
1933They Just Had to Get Married as Molly Hull
1933She Whoops To Conquer as Beula
1932Sneak Easily as Miss Zasu Pitts - Woman of the Jury
1932Madison Square Garden as Florrie
1932The Soilers as Zasu
1932Once in a Lifetime as Miss Leyton
1932The Crooked Circle as Nora Rafferty
1932Alum and Eve as Zasu
1932Blondie of the Follies as Gertie
1932Show Business as Zasu
1932Back Street as Mrs. Dole
1932Roar of the Dragon as Gabby Woman
1932Make Me a Star as Mrs. Scudder
1932Is My Face Red? as Morning Gazette Telephone Operator
1932The Old Bull as Zasu
1932Westward Passage as Mrs. Truesdale
1932Strangers of the Evening as Sybil Smith
1932The Trial of Vivienne Ware as Gladys Fairweather
1932Strictly Unreliable as Pitts
1932Destry Rides Again as Temperance Worker
1932Shopworn as Aunt Dot
1932Red Noses as Miss Pitts
1932Steady Company as Dot
1932Sealskins as Zasu Pitts
1932Broken Lullaby as Anna, Holderlin's Maid
1932The Unexpected Father as Polly Perkins
1931On the Loose as Zasu
1931The Secret Witness as Bella
1931War Mamas as Zasu
1931The Guardsman as Liesl
1931The Pajama Party as Zasu
1931Penrod and Sam as Mrs. Bassett
1931The Big Gamble as Nora Dugan
1931Catch-As Catch-Can as ZaSu
1931Their Mad Moment as Miss Dibbs
1931A Woman of Experience as Katie
1931Let's Do Things as Zasu Pitts
1931Seed as Jennie
1931Beyond Victory as Fritzi Mobley
1931The Bad Sister as Minnie
1931Finn and Hattie as Mrs. Hattie Haddock
1930Passion Flower as Mrs. Harney
1930Free Love as Ada, the Maid
1930War Nurse as Cushie
1930Sin Takes a Holiday as Annie
1930River's End as Louise
1930The Lottery Bride as Hilda
1930Monte Carlo as Bertha
1930The Squealer as Bella
1930Little Accident as Monica
1930The Devil's Holiday as Ethel
1930Honey as Mayme
1930No, No, Nanette as Pauline Hastings
1929The Honeymoon as Caecilia
1929This Thing Called Love as Clara Bertrand
1929The Locked Door as Telephone Girl
1929Paris as Harriet
1929Oh, Yeah! as The Elk
1929Her Private Life as Timmins
1929The Argyle Case as Mrs. Wyatt
1929Twin Beds as Tillie
1929The Squall as Lena
1929The Dummy as Rose Gleason
1928Sins of the Fathers as Mother Spengler
1928The Wedding March as Cecelia Schweisser
1928Buck Privates as Hulda
192813 Washington Square as The Maid
1928Wife Savers as Germaine
1927Casey at the Bat as Camille
1926Her Big Night as Gladys Smith
1926Risky Business as Agnes Wheaton
1926Sunny Side Up as Evelyn
1926The Great Love as Nancy
1926Early to Wed as Mrs. Dugan
1926Monte Carlo as Hope Durant
1926What Happened to Jones as Hilda (as Zazu Pitts)
1926Mannequin as Annie Pogani
1925Wages for Wives as Luella Logan
1925Lazybones as Ruth Fanning
1925Thunder Mountain as Mandy Coulter
1925Pretty Ladies as Maggie Keenan
19251925 Studio Tour as Self
1925Old Shoes as Unknown
1925The Great Divide as Polly Jordan
1925The Re-Creation of Brian Kent as Judy
1924Greed as Trina
1924Secrets of the Night as Celia Stebbins
1924The Fast Set as Mona
1924Changing Husbands as Delia
1924The Goldfish as Amelia Pugsley
1924West of the Water Tower as Dessie Arnhalt
1923Tea- With a Kick! as 'Brainy' Jones
1923Hollywood as Zasu Pitts
1923Three Wise Fools as Mickey
1923Mary of the Movies as Zasu Pitts (uncredited)
1923Souls for Sale as Self - Celebrity Actress in Commissary
1923Poor Men's Wives as Apple Annie
1922For the Defense as Jennie Dunn
1922A Daughter of Luxury as Mary Cosgrove
1921Patsy as Patsy
1920Heart of Twenty as Katie Abbott
1920Seeing It Through as Betty Lawrence
1919Poor Relations as Daisy Perkins
1919The Other Half as Jennie Jones, The Jazz Kid
1919Better Times as Nancy Scroggs
1919Men, Women, and Money as Katie Jones
1919As the Sun Went Down as Sal Sue
1918A Lady's Name as Emily
1918The Talk of the Town as Unknown
1918A Society Sensation as Mary
1918How Could You, Jean? as Oscar's Sweetheart
1917A Modern Musketeer as A Kansas Belle (uncredited)
1917A Little Princess as Becky
1917'49–'17 as Party Guest (uncredited)
1917Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
1917His Fatal Beauty as Perscilla
1917A Desert Dilemma as Unknown
1917Tillie of the Nine Lives as Unknown
1917Uneasy Money as Suza - the Editor's Assistant