ZaSu Pitts

1894 Parsons, Kansas – 1963 Los Angeles, California

BiographyBorn Eliza Susan Pitts in 1894, ZaSu Pitts took her stage name from her father’s two sisters, EliZA and Susan. She was an actress and comedian whose first husband was actor and boxing promoter Thomas Sarsfield Gallery (1897 – 1993). They had a daughter, ZaSu Ann Gallery, and one adopted son, Donald Michael "Sonny" Gallery (born Marvin Carville La Marr). They adopted him after his biological mother and close friend (actress Barbara La Marr) of ZaSu's died. At 19, Pitts played minor roles in two Mary Pickford films. She soon became a leading lady and reached stardom in Von Stroheim’s The Wedding March. In the talkies, Pitts was found to be a natural comedienne. From 1930 to her death in 1963 she was best known as a lightheaded, ditzy character actor. Her film credits include: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917), Tea With a Kick (1923), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), Life with Father (1947), It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963).

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