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ZaSu Pitts 1894 - 1963

ZaSu Pitts was born on January 3, 1894 at Parsons, Kansas., and died at age 69 years old on June 7, 1963 at Hollywood in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States. ZaSu Pitts was buried at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery 5835 W Slauson Ave, in Culver City.

ZaSu Pitts

ZaSu Pitts, Eliza Susan Pitts

January 3, 1894

Parsons, Kansas.

June 7, 1963

Hollywood in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States

Female

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ZaSu Pitts ZaSu Pitts (1894 - 1963)

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ZaSu Pitts' History: 1894 - 1963

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Introduction

Career Pitts, c. 1920 Pitts made her stage debut in 1914–15 doing school and local community theater in Santa Cruz. Going to Los Angeles in 1916, at the age of 22, she spent many months seeking work as a film extra. Finally, she was discovered for substantive roles in films by screenwriter Frances Marion, who cast Pitts as an orphaned slavey (child of work) in the silent film A Little Princess (1917), starring Pickford. Pitts' popularity grew following a series of Universal one-reeler comedies, and earned her first feature-length lead in King Vidor's Better Times (1919). The following year she married her first husband, Tom Gallery, with whom she was paired in several films, including Heart of Twenty (1920), Bright Eyes, Patsy (both 1921) and A Daughter of Luxury (1922). In 1924, the actress, now a reputable comedy farceuse, was given the greatest tragic role of her career in Erich von Stroheim's 7 1⁄2-hour epic Greed (1924). The surprise casting initially shocked Hollywood, but showed that Pitts could draw tears with her doleful demeanor, as well as laughs. Having been extensively edited prior to release — the final theatrical cut ran just over two hours — the movie failed initially at the box office, but has since been restored to over four hours and is considered one of the greatest films ever made. Based on her performance, von Stroheim labelled Pitts "the greatest dramatic actress". He also featured her in his films The Honeymoon (1928), The Wedding March (1928), and Walking Down Broadway, released as Hello, Sister! (1933). David Butler and Pitts look lovingly at each other while Jack McDonald glares in a scene still for the 1919 silent drama Better Times Pitts enjoyed her greatest fame in the early 1930s, often starring in B movies and comedy short films, teamed with Thelma Todd.[b] She played secondary parts in many films. Her stock persona (a fretful, flustered, worried spinster) made her instantly recognizable and was often imitated in cartoons and other films. She starred in a number of Hal Roach short films and features, and co-starred in a series of feature-length comedies with Slim Summerville. Switching between comedy short films and features, by the advent of sound, she was relegated to comedy roles. 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 1940s, she found work in radio, trading banter with Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, W.C. Fields and Rudy Vallee, among others. Pitts' activities on radio included playing Miss Mamie Wayne in the soap opera Big Sister. She also was heard as Miss Pitts on The New Lum and Abner Show. She appeared several times in the earliest Fibber McGee and Molly show, playing a dizzy dame constantly looking for a husband. In 1944, Pitts tackled Broadway, making her debut in the mystery Ramshackle Inn. The play, written expressly for her, did well, and she took the show on the road in later years. Postwar films continued to give her the chance to play comic snoops and flighty relatives in such fare as Life with Father (1947), but in the 1950s, she started focusing on television. This culminated in her best-known series role, playing second banana to Gale Storm in 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" of the ABC sitcom Guestward, Ho!, set on a dude ranch in New Mexico. In 1962, she 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).
01/3

1894

Birthday

January 3, 1894

Birthdate

Parsons, Kansas.

Birthplace

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Ethnicity & Family History

Early life Eliza Susan Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas, to Rulandus and Nelly (née Shay) Pitts; she was the third of four children. Her father, who had lost a leg while serving in the 76th New York Infantry in the Civil War, had settled the family in Kansas by the time ZaSu was born. The names of her father's sisters, Eliza and Susan, were purportedly the basis for the nickname "ZaSu", i.e., to satisfy competing family interests. She later adopted the nickname professionally and legally. It has been (incorrectly) spelled as Zazu Pitts in some film credits and news articles. Although the name is commonly mispronounced /ˈzæzuː/ ZAZ-oo or /ˈzeɪsuː/ ZAY-soo, or /ˈzeɪzuː/ ZAY-zoo, in her 1963 book Candy Hits (p. 15), Pitts herself gives the correct pronunciation as "Say Zoo" /ˈseɪzuː/, recounting that Mary Pickford had predicted "many will mispronounce it", and adding, "How right she was." In 1903, when Pitts was nine years old, her family moved to Santa Cruz, California, to seek a warmer climate and better job opportunities. Her childhood home at 208 Lincoln Street still stands. She attended Santa Cruz High School, where she participated in school theatricals.
Nationality & Locations

Parsons Kansas and Santa Cruz, California.
Professional Career

Famous Actress! In the 1940s, she found work in radio, trading banter with Bing Crosby, Al Jolson, W.C. Fields, and Rudy Vallee, among others. Pitts' activities on radio included playing Miss Mamie Wayne in the soap opera Big Sister. She also was heard as Miss Pitts on The New Lum and Abner Show. She appeared several times in the earliest Fibber McGee and Molly show, playing a dizzy dame constantly looking for a husband. In 1944, Pitts tackled Broadway, making her debut in the mystery Ramshackle Inn. The play, written expressly for her, did well, and she took the show on the road in later years. Postwar films continued to give her the chance to play comic snoops and flighty relatives in such fare as Life with Father (1947), but in the 1950s, she started focusing on television. This culminated in her best-known series role, playing second banana to Gale Storm in 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" of the ABC sitcom Guestward, Ho!, set on a dude ranch in New Mexico. In 1962, she 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).
Personal Life & Family

ZaSu was married twice, the first time to actor Tom Gallery, from 1920 to 1932. They had a daughter together. ZaSu then married John Woodall in 1933, a marriage that lasted until her death in 1963.
06/7

1963

Death

June 7, 1963

Death date

Unknown
Cause of death

Hollywood in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California United States
Death location

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Gravesite & Burial

mm/dd/yyyy
Funeral date
Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery 5835 W Slauson Ave, in Culver City, Los Angeles County, California 90230, United States
Burial location
Obituary

ZaSu Pitts ORIGINAL NAME Eliza Susan Pitts BIRTH 3 Jan 1894 Parsons, Labette County, Kansas, USA DEATH 7 Jun 1963 (aged 69) Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, USA BURIAL Holy Cross Cemetery Culver City, Los Angeles County, California, USA PLOT 'Grotto' Section, Lot 195, Grave 1 MEMORIAL ID 3145 · View Source MEMORIAL PHOTOS 3 FLOWERS 1K+ Actress. Born Eliza Susan Pitts in Parsons, Kansas, she was named for her mother's two sisters, each of whom wanted the child named after her, this resulted in ZaSu early in life. It didn't require a Hollywood agent. She moved to Santa Cruz as a child where her talent was recognized and encouraged from her start in high school plays. She staged a benefit, at the local opera house in 1914 to finance her trip to Hollywood. ZaSu was married twice, the first time to actor Tom Gallery, from 1920 to 1932. They had a daughter together. ZaSu then married John Woodall in 1933, a marriage that lasted until her death. Mary Pickford is credited with giving her credited roles in The Little Princess and Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm in 1917. Known for her comedic roles, particularly after the advent of the talkies, she was teamed with W.C. Fields, Thelma Todd and Slim Summerville. Erich von Stroheim cast her in 1923 for the lead female role in Greed, his legendary epic. He was later to say of her "One looks at Zasu Pitts and sees pathos, even tragedy, and a wistfulness that craves for something she has never had or hopes to have. Yet she is one of the happiest and most contented women I have ever known." When she was cast as the mother in All Quiet on the Western Front, a serious role, the pre-conditioned audience broke out in laughter. Devastated, the director reshot all the scenes with another actress for the final version of the film. She was typecast for good. From the days of "actions speak louder than words" she became known for her trademark hand wringing and her high-pitched voice which were the basis for Olive Oyl in the Popeye cartoons. Her plaintive eyes and signature "Oh dear me," endeared her to many. In the 1950s she played "Elvira ‘Nugey' Nugent" on the TV sitcom The Gale Storm Show, and her TV guest appearances included Perry Mason (Daphne Whilom in the Case of the Absent Artist, 1963), The Spike Jones Show, and The Philco Television Playhouse. She appeared in 1933 with Ted Healy and His Stooges in Meet the Baron and her last film in 1963, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World was with Moe Larry and Curly Joe. That same year she died of cancer. With over 500 credits to her name she was a popular supporting actress in movies, the stage, and on TV. She wrote the book Candy Hits by ZaSu Pitts. In April 1994, the ZaSu Pitts stamp was issued by the United States Post Office as one of a group of ten stamps honoring stars of the silent film era. These stamps were designed by Al Hirschfeld. She took her success in stride saying "I never work at being an actress. I just act natural. Tell me anything easier than that." Bio by: D C McJonathan-Swarm Family Members

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ZaSu Pitts lived 2 years shorter than the average family member when died at the age of 69.

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