Acting
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
Film · 1964
The Thrill of It All
Film · 1963
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
Film · 1963
Burke's Law
Series · 1963
Teenage Millionaire
Film · 1961
Guestward, Ho!
Series · 1960
Disneyland '59
Film · 1959
The Dennis O'Keefe Show
Series · 1959
This Could Be the Night
Film · 1957
Perry Mason
Series · 1957
The Gale Storm Show
Series · 1956
The 20th Century Fox Hour
Series · 1955
Screen Director's Playhouse
Series · 1955
Francis Joins the WACS
Film · 1954
General Electric Theater
Series · 1953
Private Secretary
Series · 1953
Denver and Rio Grande
Film · 1952
Francis
Film · 1950
What's My Line?
Series · 1950
Lum and Abner
Film · 1949
The Philco Television Playhouse
Series · 1948
Life with Father
Film · 1947
The Perfect Marriage
Film · 1947
Dear Miss Gloria
Film · 1946
Breakfast in Hollywood
Film · 1946
Let's Face It
Film · 1943
So's Your Aunt Emma!
Film · 1942
The Bashful Bachelor
Film · 1942
Mexican Spitfire at Sea
Film · 1942
Tish
Film · 1942
Niagara Falls
Film · 1941
Broadway Limited
Film · 1941
Uncle Joe
Film · 1941
Weekend for Three
Film · 1941
The Mexican Spitfire's Baby
Film · 1941
Miss Polly
Film · 1941
It All Came True
Film · 1940
No, No, Nanette
Film · 1940
Eternally Yours
Film · 1939
Nurse Edith Cavell
Film · 1939
Naughty but Nice
Film · 1939
Mickey the Kid
Film · 1939
The Lady's from Kentucky
Film · 1939
52nd Street
Film · 1937
Forty Naughty Girls
Film · 1937
Wanted!
Film · 1937
The Plot Thickens
Film · 1936
Mad Holiday
Film · 1936
13 Hours by Air
Film · 1936
Sing Me a Love Song
Film · 1936
Ruggles of Red Gap
Film · 1935
Going Highbrow
Film · 1935
Spring Tonic
Film · 1935
The Affair of Susan
Film · 1935
She Gets Her Man
Film · 1935
Hot Tip
Film · 1935
Dames
Film · 1934
Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch
Film · 1934
Sing and Like It
Film · 1934
The Gay Bride
Film · 1934
The Meanest Gal in Town
Film · 1934
Two Alone
Film · 1934
Their Big Moment
Film · 1934
Private Scandal
Film · 1934
Love Birds
Film · 1934
Three on a Honeymoon
Film · 1934
And She Learned About Dames
Film · 1934
Meet the Baron
Film · 1933
Professional Sweetheart
Film · 1933
Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men
Film · 1933
Mr. Skitch
Film · 1933
Hello, Sister!
Film · 1933
Her First Mate
Film · 1933
The Bargain of the Century
Film · 1933
Asleep in the Feet
Film · 1933
Maids a la Mode
Film · 1933
Love, Honor and Oh, Baby!
Film · 1933
The Vanishing Frontier
Film · 1933
Out All Night
Film · 1933
One Track Minds
Film · 1933
She Whoops To Conquer
Film · 1933
They Just Had to Get Married
Film · 1933
Mother's Helper
Film · 1933
Blondie of the Follies
Film · 1932
Once in a Lifetime
Film · 1932
Shopworn
Film · 1932
The Crooked Circle
Film · 1932
Strangers of the Evening
Film · 1932
Make Me a Star
Film · 1932
Westward Passage
Film · 1932
Destry Rides Again
Film · 1932
The Trial of Vivienne Ware
Film · 1932
Is My Face Red?
Film · 1932
Roar of the Dragon
Film · 1932
Show Business
Film · 1932
Sealskins
Film · 1932
Madison Square Garden
Film · 1932
Steady Company
Film · 1932
Red Noses
Film · 1932
The Soilers
Film · 1932
The Old Bull
Film · 1932
Strictly Unreliable
Film · 1932
Sneak Easily
Film · 1932
Alum and Eve
Film · 1932
Broken Lullaby
Film · 1932
Back Street
Film · 1932
The Unexpected Father
Film · 1932
The Big Gamble
Film · 1931
On the Loose
Film · 1931
The Guardsman
Film · 1931
The Bad Sister
Film · 1931
Seed
Film · 1931
Finn and Hattie
Film · 1931
Beyond Victory
Film · 1931
Catch-As Catch-Can
Film · 1931
Penrod and Sam
Film · 1931
A Woman of Experience
Film · 1931
War Mamas
Film · 1931
The Pajama Party
Film · 1931
Let's Do Things
Film · 1931
The Secret Witness
Film · 1931
Their Mad Moment
Film · 1931
The Squealer
Film · 1930
Monte Carlo
Film · 1930
The Lottery Bride
Film · 1930
Sin Takes a Holiday
Film · 1930
Passion Flower
Film · 1930
River's End
Film · 1930
The Devil's Holiday
Film · 1930
No, No, Nanette
Film · 1930
War Nurse
Film · 1930
Honey
Film · 1930
Little Accident
Film · 1930
Free Love
Film · 1930
The Honeymoon
Film · 1929
The Dummy
Film · 1929
The Locked Door
Film · 1929
Oh, Yeah!
Film · 1929
The Squall
Film · 1929
The Argyle Case
Film · 1929
Twin Beds
Film · 1929
Paris
Film · 1929
This Thing Called Love
Film · 1929
Her Private Life
Film · 1929
13 Washington Square
Film · 1928
Wife Savers
Film · 1928
The Wedding March
Film · 1928
Buck Privates
Film · 1928
Sins of the Fathers
Film · 1928
Casey at the Bat
Film · 1927
What Happened to Jones?
Film · 1926
Risky Business
Film · 1926
The Great Love
Film · 1926
Monte Carlo
Film · 1926
Mannequin
Film · 1926
Sunny Side Up
Film · 1926
Early to Wed
Film · 1926
Her Big Night
Film · 1926
Thunder Mountain
Film · 1925
Pretty Ladies
Film · 1925
Lazybones
Film · 1925
1925 Studio Tour
Film · 1925
The Great Divide
Film · 1925
Old Shoes
Film · 1925
Wages for Wives
Film · 1925
The Re-Creation of Brian Kent
Film · 1925
A Woman's Faith
Film · 1925
Greed
Film · 1924
Changing Husbands
Film · 1924
The Fast Set
Film · 1924
Secrets of the Night
Film · 1924
The Goldfish
Film · 1924
West of the Water Tower
Film · 1924
Daughters of Today
Film · 1924
Hollywood
Film · 1923
Three Wise Fools
Film · 1923
Souls for Sale
Film · 1923
Mary of the Movies
Film · 1923
Tea- With a Kick!
Film · 1923
Poor Men's Wives
Film · 1923
The Girl Who Came Back
Film · 1923
A Daughter of Luxury
Film · 1922
For the Defense
Film · 1922
Is Matrimony a Failure?
Film · 1922
Youth to Youth
Film · 1922
Patsy
Film · 1921
Heart of Twenty
Film · 1920
Seeing It Through
Film · 1920
The Other Half
Film · 1919
Better Times
Film · 1919
Men, Women, and Money
Film · 1919
Poor Relations
Film · 1919
As the Sun Went Down
Film · 1919
The Talk of the Town
Film · 1918
How Could You, Jean?
Film · 1918
A Society Sensation
Film · 1918
A Lady's Name
Film · 1918
A Little Princess
Film · 1917
A Modern Musketeer
Film · 1917
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm
Film · 1917
'49 – '17
Film · 1917
Uneasy Money
Film · 1917
Tillie of the Nine Lives
Film · 1917
A Desert Dilemma
Film · 1917
His Fatal Beauty
Film · 1917
Why They Left Home
Film · 1917