She had viewers rolling in the aisles in The Dummy (1929), Finn and Hattie (1931), The Guardsman (1931), Blondie of the Follies (1932), Sing and Like It (1934) and Ruggles of Red Gap (1935). 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 the intensity of her acting. Switching between comedy shorts and features, by the advent of sound, she was relegated to comedy roles.
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She starred in a number of Hal Roach shorts and features, and co-starred in a series of feature-length comedies with Slim Summerville. Her stock persona (a fretful, flustered, worrisome spinster) made her instantly recognizable and was often imitated in cartoons and other films. She also played secondary parts in many films. Pitts enjoyed her greatest fame in the 1930s, often starring in B movies and comedy shorts, teamed with Thelma Todd.
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The movie has gained respect over time, having failed initially at the box office due to its extensive cutting. The surprise casting initially shocked Hollywood, but showed that Pitts could draw tears with her doleful demeanor as well as laughs. In 1924, the actress, now a reputable comedy farceuse, was given the greatest tragic role of her career in Erich von Stroheim's epic classic, Greed (1924), a nine-hour-plus picture, edited to under two hours. The couple paired in several films, including Bright Eyes (1921), Heart of Twenty (1920), Patsy (1921) and A Daughter of Luxury (1922). The following year she met and married actor Tom Gallery. Pitts grew in popularity following a series of Universal one-reeler comedies and earned her first feature-length lead in King Vidor's Better Times (1919). She earned praise in all those films.įile:Zasu Pitts Who's Who on the Screen.jpg
Werker and released as Hello, Sister! (1933). Von Stroheim also featured her in his films Sins of the Fathers (1928), The Wedding March (1928), War Nurse (1930) and Walking Down Broadway, which was re-edited by Alfred L. Pitts became a leading lady in Erich von Stroheim's masterpiece, Greed (1924) based on this performance, von Stroheim labeled Pitts "the greatest dramatic actress". Pitts made her debut in the silent film, The Little Princess (1917), starring Mary Pickford. Pitts made her stage debut in 1915 and was discovered two years later for films by pioneer screenwriter Frances Marion. She attended Santa Cruz High School, where she participated in school theatricals. Her childhood home at 208 Lincoln Street still stands. In 1903, when she was nine years old, the family moved to Santa Cruz, California, seeking a warmer climate and better job opportunities. 15), Pitts herself gives the correct pronunciation as "Say Zoo" ( /ˈseɪzuː/), recounting that Mary Pickford predicted, "any will mispronounce it", and adding, "How right was." Though the name is commonly mispronounced /ˈzæzuː/ ZA-z oo, /ˈzeɪsuː/ ZAY-s oo, or /ˈzeɪzuː/ ZAY-z oo, in her 1963 book Candy Hits (p. The names of her mother's sisters Eliza and Susan became the basis for ZaSu's unique first name, which has been (incorrectly) spelled as Zazu Pitts or Zasu Pitts in many film credits and articles. Her father, who had lost a leg while serving in the 76th New York Infantry Regiment in the Civil War, had settled the family in Kansas by the time ZaSu was born. ZaSu Pitts was born in Parsons, Kansas to Rulandus and Nellie (Shay) Pitts she was the third of four children.
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