ZaSu Pitts was one of the most popular and versatile actresses of the early Hollywood era. She starred in many silent dramas, including Erich von Stroheim’s epic 1924 silent film Greed, and comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the advent of sound films. She also appeared on numerous radio shows and TV programs. Her career as an entertainer spanned nearly 50 years, and she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. But how did this talented and beloved star die? Here is the story of ZaSu Pitts’ cause of death.
Contents
ZaSu Pitts’ Early Life and Career
ZaSu Pitts was born as Eliza Susan Pitts on January 3, 1894, in Parsons, Kansas, to Rulandus and Nelly (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 name “ZaSu”, i.e., to satisfy competing family interests. It has been (incorrectly) spelled as Zazu Pitts in some film credits and news articles.
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.
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 Mary Pickford.
Pitts’s 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). Their daughter Ann was born in 1922.
In 1924 the actress, now a reputable comedy farceur, was given the greatest tragic role of her career in Erich von Stroheim’s epic classic Greed (1924), an over-four-hour picture cut down by the studio to less than two. The surprise casting initially shocked Hollywood but showed that she could draw tears and pathos as well as laughs with her patented doleful demeanor. The movie has grown tremendously in reputation over time, although it failed initially at the box office due to its extensive cutting.
Trading off between comedy shorts and features, she earned additional kudos in such heavy dramas as Sins of the Fathers (1928), The Wedding March (1928), also helmed by Von Stroheim, and War Nurse (1930). Still, by the advent of sound, which was an easy transition for Pitts, she was fully secured in comedy.
ZaSu Pitts’ Later Career and Personal Life
One bitter and huge disappointment for her was when she was replaced in the war classic All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) by Beryl Mercer after her initial appearance drew unintentional laughs from preview audiences. She decided, however, to make the most of a not-so-bad situation. She had them rolling in the aisles in such wonderful and wacky entertainment as 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).
She divorced Gallery in 1933 and married John E. Woodall in the same year. They adopted a son named Donald in 1935. Pitts continued to work steadily throughout the 1930s and 1940s, appearing in such films as No Man of Her Own (1932), Professional Sweetheart (1933), Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch (1934), The Plot Thickens (1936), On Our Merry Way (1948), Francis (1950) and Francis Joins the WACS (1954).
She also became a popular radio personality, starring in such shows as The ZaSu Pitts Show, The Gale Storm Show and Life with Luigi. She made her TV debut in 1950 and appeared in such programs as The Red Skelton Hour, The Gale Storm Show, The Ann Sothern Show, The Twilight Zone and Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
She also wrote a cookbook titled Candy Hits by ZaSu Pitts in 1963, which featured her favorite recipes for sweets and desserts.
ZaSu Pitts’ Cause of Death
ZaSu Pitts died of cancer on June 7, 1963, at the age of 69, in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Her husband John E. Woodall died in 1964 and was buried next to her.
ZaSu Pitts left behind a legacy of laughter and tears, as well as a devoted fan base that still appreciates her unique talent and charm. She was one of the most versatile and prolific actresses of her time, appearing in over 200 films and countless radio and TV shows. She was also a loving mother and wife, who enjoyed cooking and gardening. She was a true star who never lost her humble and kind personality.
ZaSu Pitts was the queen of comedy, who also touched the hearts of millions with her dramatic roles. She will always be remembered as one of the greatest actresses of all time.
