Zasu Pitts The Worried Woman

Zasu Pitts should never be forgotten! She started working in silent films in silent films and made her last film appearance in "Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World". Almost always cast as the nervous or worried woman she was a comedienne in almost all her films.
Born Eliza Susan Pitts in 1894 to Rulandus and Nelly Pitts in Kansas her professional name, Zasu was a nickname given to her by her Civil War veteran father. In 1903 her family moved to Santa Cruz, California where she started her stage career.

Her first non-extra film role was in the 1917 film "The Little Princess" starring Mary Pickford. Zasu Pitts really made her mark in the silent one reel comedies. These lead her to the starring role in King Vidor's "Better Times". This eventually lead her to be cast in Erich Von Stoheim's 9 hour epic film "Greed" considered by many scholars to be one of the greatest films ever made. Zasu Pitts achieved her greatest fame in the 1930's having been paired with fellow comedienne Thelma Todd. Her usual role were those of worried and nervous spinsters. After World War II she was cast as mainly snoopy neighbors and annoying relatives. In the 1950's she moved into television. There she had many roles including a co-starring role in "The Gale Storm Show". Her final role was playing the nervous phone operator in Stanley Kramer's madcap "Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World".