ZaSu Pitts - Actress. A wonderful comedienne, ZaSu was one of the first stereotyped funny-women to tackle and succeed in a straight, dramatic role when she portrayed the character of Trina, the obsessed miser in Erich von Stroheim's Greed (Metro, 1924). She began her film career in 1917. Writer Frances Marion discovered ZaSu in a group of spectators while Mary Pickford was filming Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (Artcraft) on location in Northern California. Frances introduced young ZaSu to Mary, who immediately cast her as an extra. ZaSu's screen presence impressed Mary so much she would tap her for a larger role in her next film, The Little Princess (Artcraft). Douglas Fairbanks snagged ZaSu for his comedy A Modern Musketeer (Artcraft, 1917). ZaSu was only 19, but this skinny little gal had the quirkiest charm of any new personality in Hollywood.

King Vidor had been making films since 1915, starring his wife Florence. He had just created his own production company through the backing of Brentwood Films. In getting his wish to produce, the rising autuer was expected to provide all original material, plus cast players and crew to fulfill his obligations. Put on the hot seat and running out of time and ideas, Vidor was blessed with a great inspiration that he describes from his memoir, A Tree is a Tree (Samuel French, 1953):

The next heaven-sent gift came to me while I was riding on a Hollywood Boulevard streetcar. A strange angular young girl sat opposite me watching anxiously for her destination. Each time she turned she managed by weird gesticulation to strike the passenger on either side of her. When the conductor announced that hers was the next stop, she showed her delight and appreciation with a good backhand slap on his stomach. She retreated down the aisle, knocking hats, heads, and newspapers in grand confusion. Most of the passengers were at the windows to watch her get off, but I just couldn't sit there and let this interesting creature go out of my life forever. I bounded out of the car and caught up to her as she reached the corner of Hollywood and Gower.

"What is your name, please?"

"ZaSu. Last of Eliza, first of Susie... I was named after two maiden aunts, Eliza and Susie. Do you think I should change my name? ... I hope they let me stay at the Hollywood Studio Club. It's a nice place, isn't it?" As an accent to this last remark, I got a surprising blow on the chest...

Next day I wrote a story about an unloved wallflower in a boarding school writing to and supposedly receiving letters from a big league ball player...

The picture was called Better Times (Brentwood Film Corporation, 1919) and it was ZaSu's first starring role. She had prominent roles in three more Vidor directed films: The Other Half (Brentwood Film Corporation, 1919), Poor Relations (Brentwood Film Corporation, 1919), and Three Wise Fools (Goldwyn Pictures, 1923). She was a comedy natural and put the audience in stitches just by standing there - it was the way she stood there that was more unique than most performers. She portrayed the flibberty-gibbits and scatterbrain types, going in five directions at once without going anywhere - her eyes and hands told the story.

There was another significant Hollywood director who saw something completely different in ZaSu. Erich von Stroheim sensed that this actress had a depth of character that could be expressed in a darker and more dramatic fashion. Just the thought of "ZaSu the Tragedienne" sent most people into hysterics. Nevertheless, von Stroheim was determined to star her in his ambitious project, Greed (52k jpg), (74k jpg). ZaSu courageously trusted him. As a result, she made what was perhaps the most remarkable transformation from comedy to drama of any performer in the history of film. She triumphed despite the severe editing this now partially lost masterpiece suffered. Von Stroheim declared her his favorite actress - a rare accolade from the misunderstood genius. Only he could have conceived and implemented this stroke of casting - so strong against type. She broke type successfully for two more films - another for von Stroheim, The Wedding March (Paramount Famous-Lasky Corp., 1928), starring George Fawcett, and Sins of the Fathers (Paramount Famous-Lasky Corp., 1929), starring Emil Jannings and this time directed by Ludwig Berger.

ZaSu was not just a busy actress - she was also a dedicated mother. Through her marriage to Tom Gallery she had one daughter, ZaSu Ann Gallery. Later, the couple adopted a boy who came into their family under special circumstances. ZaSu's great friend, the glamorous and tragic Barbara La Marr (1896 - 1926), was dying, and she gratefully entrusted her son to ZaSu's care. That child, Don Gallery, grew up in the industry that ZaSu was so much a part of. He has written about his beloved adoptive mother as if she were his natural mother. Many of ZaSu's peers felt the same strong affection towards her. That special affection was further shared by her audience, who considered her a familiar friend.

By the time the sound era arrived, ZaSu made her mark as an effective scene stealer in scores of comedies. She was notably teamed with Thelma Todd in several Hal Roach two-reelers in the early to mid-1930s. "Toddy" and ZaSu were very popular with the public, but Toddy's untimely and mysterious death in 1935 that ended their collaboration. Some of the films ZaSu appeared in during the remainder of her prolific career were: No, No Nannette (First National, 1929), starring Bernice Claire (she also appeared in the 1940 remake); All Quiet on the Western Front (Universal, 1930) {the silent version only}, starring Lew Ayres and Louis Wolheim; The Guardsman (M-G-M, 1931), starring Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne; Back Street (Universal, 1932), starring Irene Dunne; Roar of the Dragon (RKO, 1932) (47k jpg), starring Richard Dix and Edward Everett Horton; Blondie of the Follies (A Marion Davies Production for Cosmopolitan, for M-G-M, 1932), starring Marion Davies; Dames (Warner Bros., 1934), starring Joan Blondell and Dick Powell; Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (Paramount, 1934), starring W.C. Fields; Ruggles of Red Gap (Paramount, 1935), starring Charles Laughton; Eternally Yours (Walter Wanger Production, Inc; a Tay Garnett Production, 1939), starring Loretta Young and directed by Tay Garnett); Life with Father (Warner Bros., 1947), starring William Powell and Irene Dunne; and Francis (a.k.a. Francis the Talking Mule) (Universal, 1950), starring Donald O'Connor.

In the 1950's ZaSu made it to the small screen. Television audiences loved her in the popular comedy series, Oh! Susanna (1956 - 1960, CBS/ABC) (later retitled The Gale Storm Show for syndication). Her last feature film appearance was a cameo in the epic Stanley Kramer comedy, It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (United Artists, 1963). Our beloved, "familiar friend" ZaSu Pitts succumbed to cancer in 1963. Fortunately, what she has left behind is a unique career and the legacy of everlasting laughter.

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