ZaSu Pitts Movies
According to her own account, actress ZaSu Pitts was given her curious cognomen because she was named for two aunts, Eliza and Susan. Born in Kansas, Pitts moved with her family to California, where at age 19 she began her film career. Her first starring role was as an ugly duckling who finds true love in 1919's Better Times. Her calculated vagueness and fluttery hand gestures earned Pitts comedy roles from the outset, but director Erich Von Stroheim saw dramatic potential in the young actress. He cast her as the grasping, money-mad wife in his masterpiece Greed (1924), and she rose to the occasion with a searing performance. Except for a couple of later collaborations with Von Stroheim, Pitts returned to predominately comic assignments after Greed. One exception was her portrayal of Lew Ayres' ailing mother in the Oscar-winning All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), a brilliant piece of work that unfortunately fell victim to the editors' scissors when a preview audience, conditioned to Pitts' comedy roles, broke out in loud laughter when she came onscreen (she was replaced by Beryl Mercer in the domestic version of All Quiet, though reportedly her scenes were retained for some European versions). Established as a top character comedian by the '30s (her oft-imitated catchphrase was "Oh, dear, oh my!"), Pitts co-starred with Thelma Todd in a series of Hal Roach two-reelers, was top-billed in such feature programmers as Out All Night (1933) and The Plot Thickens (1935), and showed up in select character roles in A-pictures. During the '40s and '50s, she toured in Ramshackle Inn, a play written especially for her by George Batson. From 1956 through 1960, Pitts played Elvira "Nugey" Nugent on the popular Gale Storm TV sitcom Oh, Susanna. ZaSu Pitts died in 1963, shortly after completing her final film appearance in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) and just a few days after her last TV guest assignment on Burke's Law. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide- 1930
After the master of sophisticated romantic comedy, Ernst Lubitsch, directed Jeanette MacDonald in the smash hit The Love Parade, they were reunited a year later for this similarly frothy romp. Countess Vera Von Conti (MacDonald) is engaged to marry the dull Prince Otto Von Seibenheim (Claud Allister), whom she doesn't love. At the 11th hour, Vera decides to skip the wedding and instead heads to Monte Carlo, where she visits the casinos and begins losing in a heroic fashion. A handsome stranger spies the beautiful Vera and asks to touch her hair for luck, but instead it's Vera's luck that dramatically improves as she wins back her fortune. Vera immediately offers the man a job as her combination valet and good luck charm, not knowing that he's actually the wealthy and powerful Count Rudolph Falliere (Jack Buchanan). The Count plays along, pretending to be a commoner as he uses his new position with Vera to learn how he can win her heart. As one might expect, MacDonald sings several songs (including "Beyond the Blue Horizon"), and also duets with British music star Jack Buchanan on "Whatever It Is, It's Grand" and "Always in All Ways." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Buchanan, Jeanette MacDonald, (more)
- 1929
In this drama, which marks Barbara Stawyck's Hollywood film debut, a woman is taken to an illegal cabaret set aboard a wealthy man's yacht. Her captor, the owner, then locks her in a stateroom. When the cops raid the joint, she is photographed with the wealthy cad. Time passes and the woman ends up marrying her new boss. The cad gets involved with her sister-in-law. Later her new husband and the creep get in a fight over the woman. A shot is fired and the millionaire dies. The police then find the woman locked in her room. To spare her husband, the woman confesses to killing the cad. Her husband refuses to let her take the fall for his crime and she is freed. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rod La Rocque, Barbara Stanwyck, (more)
- 1929
Still in the Hollywood phase of his career, director Alexander Korda made his talking-picture bow with Warner Bros.' The Squall. Myrna Loy stars as Nubi, a sexy and seductive Hungarian gypsy girl who is caught in a torrential downpour. Taking refuge in a farmhouse, Nubi wreaks havoc on the male occupants, all of whom violently vie for her attentions. In other words, the film's title is both literal and symbolic. Loretta Young appears in the secondary role of Irma, sweetheart of emotional young farmer Paul Lajos (Carrol Nye). The Squall was based on a play by Jean Bart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Myrna Loy, Richard Tucker, (more)
- 1929
The popular silent romantic team of Charles Farrell and Janet Gaynor made a successful all-talking, all-singing, all-dancing debut in Sunny Side Up. The story is old bromide about a poor girl who falls in love with a rich man, then tries to pass herself off as a woman of wealth. This being a 1929 Fox picture, the supporting cast includes the ineluctable dialect comedian El Brendel, along with squeaky-voiced soubrette Marjorie White. In his feature-film debut, 7-year-old Jackie Cooper shows up as a tenement kid, while Joe E. Brown does a guest bit as a grinning undertaker. The superb DeSylva-Brown-Henderson score includes "If I Had a Talking Picture of You," "Turn on the Heat" (a jaw-droppingly erotic number, in which the gyrations of the chorus girls causes a banana tree to blossom full out!), and the title song. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Janet Gaynor, Charles Farrell, (more)
- 1929
The 1929 comedy Twin Beds was the second of three versions of the 1914 stage farce by Margaret Mayo and Salisbury Field. The original story of a newlywed bride who is briefly lured from her honeymoon suite by a vainglorious opera singer has been realigned as a traditional "backstage" romance. Elsie Dolan (Patsy Ruth Miller), accidently finding herself in the office of songwriter Danny Brown (Jack Mulhall), achieves Broadway success with Danny's help. Marrying Danny out of gratitude, she is temporarily enchanted by her egotistical leading man Monty Solari (Armand Kaliz), leading to an evening of misunderstandings, door-slammings and hasty retreats under the bed when the very-married Solari wanders drunkenly into Danny and Elsie's apartment. Previously filmed in 1920, Twin Beds was memorably remade in 1942 with George Brent, Joan Bennett and Mischa Auer. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jack Mulhall, Patsy Ruth Miller, (more)
- 1929
In this comedy, a lonesome fellow returns from Peru with a fortune and begins looking for a wife. While still single, he has a real estate agent show him a home or two. The agent invites him to dinner. During the meal the agent and his wife bicker constantly, causing the poor fellow to rethink the idea of matrimony. He decides that he still wants to share his new home with someone and so ends up having the agent's sister-in-law move in. She performs all the wifely duties but one... The two go on dating other people until they both realize that they have fallen in love with each other. Look carefully for brand new starlet Jean Harlow in a bit part. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edmund Lowe, Constance Bennett, (more)
- 1929
The early Paramount talkie The Dummy represented a collaboration of sorts between screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, who adapted the play on which the film was based, and Mankiewicz' brother Joseph, who wrote the subtitles for the film's silent version. The title character is office-boy Barney, played by Mickey Bennett. Pretending to be a deaf-mute, Barney tries to trump his detective boss Walter Babbing (John Cromwell) by tracking down the person who kidnapped Peggy Meredith (Vondell Darr), the daughter of wealthy Agnes and Trumbull Meredith (Ruth Chatterton, Frederic March). The guilty party turns out to be Rose Gleason, played by ZaSu Pitts in a rare non-comic role. Previously filmed as a silent picture with Jack Pickford (Mary's brother) in the lead, The Dummy suffered from substandard sound reproduction, but like most 1929 "talkers" it was a big success. John Cromwell, the actor who plays "The Dummy's" boss, is better known for his directorial achievements; his son, James Cromwell, would earn an Oscar nomination for his performance in the 1995 fantasy Babe. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruth Chatterton, Fredric March, (more)
- 1929
Despite what you might think by glancing at the title, The Argyle Case has nothing to do with socks. The film's plot is set in motion when the head of the house of Argyle is murdered. In one of his few talking-picture appearances, silent star Thomas Meighan is the detective on the case. Meighan discovers that the culprit is a member of an espionage ring, intent upon stealing valuable state secrets. Based on a play by Harriet Ford, Harvey J. O'Higgins, and William J. Burns, The Argyle Case was previously filmed in 1917. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thomas Meighan, H.B. Warner, (more)
- 1929
Paris served as the talkie debut for French music-hall favorite Irene Bordoni, who though never quite attaining screen stardom remained popular on American radio. Bordoni is cast as Vivienne Rolland, a Parisian chorus girl in love with Massachusetts boy Andrew Sabbot (Jason Robards Sr.) Andrew's snobbish mother Cora (Louise Closser Hale) tries to break up the romance, and it is her scenes which give the film what little life it has. British song-and-dance man Jack Buchanan (remember him in 1953's The Band Wagon?) likewise makes his talking-picture bow as Guy Pennell, the leading man in Vivienne's revue. Four reels of this 10-reel epic were originally lensed in two-color Technicolor. Paris was adapted from the Cole Porter Broadway musical of the same name -- inexplicably minus the Porter songs! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Irene Bordoni, Jack Buchanan, (more)
- 1929
Based on Zoë Akins's 1923 novel Déclassée and the 1925 film of the same title, Her Private Life stars Billie Dove as Lady Helen Haden, a married Englishwoman blackmailed after having a fling with American gambler Ned Thayer (Walter Pidgeon). When Sir Bruce Haden (Montagu Love) divorces her, Lady Helen travels to New York, where she is forced to pawn her jewels in order to survive. Although she still loves Thayer, she marries his wealthy boss, Rudolph Solomon (Holmes Herbert). The latter nobly steps aside, however, when he discovers that his own sister (Thelma Todd) actually committed a crime for which Thayer had taken the blame. Her Private Life, which featured the talking-picture debuts of both Dove and Walter Pidgeon, was also released in a silent version. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1929
Two vagabonds find romance in this love story. It all begins when they get jobs as railroad brakemen by proving to the foreman that they are strong. Both of them simultaneously think about giving up their wandering ways when they meet two eligible women: the railroad's paymaster and commissary chief, and a dumbbell waitress. Things are looking up until one of the hoboes loses his savings in a crap shoot and later finds himself framed for theft. Fortunately, the two are able to finger the real thieves before it is too late. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robert Armstrong, James Gleason, (more)
- 1928
The great German actor Emil Jannings closed out the American phase of his film career with the Paramount part-talkie Sins of the Fathers. Jannings is cast as Wilhelm Spangler, who works as a head waiter to provide for his pregnant wife (ZaSu Pitts). As their family grows and grows, Spangler becomes more and more successful in his chosen profession, eventually putting enough money together to buy his own restaurant. The now-prosperous Spangler begins playing the filed with other women, including temptress Gretta (Ruth Chatterton). Upon learning about her husband's infidelities, Mother Spangler goes into a catatonic shock, which eventually leads to her death. With no "guiding force" at home, Spangler embarks upon a life of crime as a Prohibition bootlegger. The sins of the fathers are visited upon the sons at last when Spangler's beloved son Tom (Barry Norton) is blinded after drinking some of his dad's bootleg hootch. Later on, Spangler is thrown in jail, prompting the far-from-faithful Gretta to walk out on him. After serving his term, Spangler starts life all over again from the bottom as a waiter. An unhappy ending is averted when Spangler is tearfully reunited with son Tom, whose sight has been restored. Outside of a bizarre sequence in which Emil Jannings sings in a whiskey baritone, Sins of the Fathers was distinguished by the presence of Ruth Chatterton, whose first film this was. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Emil Jannings, ZaSu Pitts, (more)
- 1928
The only relation that the 1928 Buck Privates has to the much-later Abbott and Costello vehicle of the same name is the fact that both films were produced by Universal. Set during WWI, the film focuses on the adventures of American doughboy John Smith (Malcolm McGregor) during a brief stopover in Luxembourg. Billeted in the home of a pacifistic landowner, Smith becomes fascinated with his host's daughter Anna (Lya de Putti), with whom he has been prohibited to speak, nor is he even allowed to glance in her direction. Should Anna associate with Smith, she would be branded a "traitor" by the pro-German villagers and have her head shaved as evidence of her betrayal. This doesn't stop Smith from enjoying a midnight rendezvous or two with the girl, despite the interference of his equally lovestruck topkick Sgt. Butts (Eddie Gribbon). Caught in the act of smooching with Anna, Butts is threatened with court-martial unless he marries the girl. But on the day of the wedding, Anna's maidservant Hulda (ZaSu Pitts) substitutes for her mistress, while Anna elopes with her true love John Smith. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lya de Putti, Malcolm McGregor, (more)
- 1928
Another in the popular series of Wallace Beery-Raymond Hatton farces, Wife Savers eschews the slapstick of the earlier efforts in favor of situation comedy. While stationed in Switzerland, soldiers Louis (Beery) and Rodney (Hatton) fall in love with local damsel Colette (Sally Blane), much to the dismay of Colette's self-appointed boyfriend General Lavoris (Tom Kennedy, a carryover from the previous Beery-Hatton comedies). Mustered out of service, Rodney trusts Louis to look after Colette in his absence. General Lavoris then passes a law that all single girls be married immediately, hoping to turn this new edict to his advantage. To protect Colette from the General, Louis marries the girl. Rodney returns, misunderstands the situation, and challenges Louis to a duel. Our heroes are spared the necessity of wiping each other out when Colette steps forth with her new sweetheart. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Raymond Hatton, (more)
- 1928
Having alienated virtually all the major Hollywood studios, filmmaker Erich Von Stroheim turned to independent entrepreneur Pat Powers for funding for his 1927 epic The Wedding March. Set during the Austro-Hungarian Hapsburg regime, the film stars director Von Stroheim as wastrelly Prince Nikki, who is advised by his parents to marry into money if he hopes to keep up his sumptuous lifestyle. During the Corpus Christi festival (much of which is lensed in early Technicolor), Nikki spots the beautiful peasant girl Mitzi (Fay Wray) in the crowd. The two fall in love, but happiness eludes them: Nikki is slated to marry the homely, clubfooted daughter (ZaSu Pitts) of a millionaire corn-plaster manufactuer, while Mitzi's erstwhile boy friend, a mean-spirited butcher (Matthew Betz) who despises the aristocracy, promises dire consequences to Nikki for compromising Mitzi. Despite his dissipated, debauched lifestyle, Prince Nikki develops into the most sympathetic character in the film. As it now exists, The Wedding March is one of Von Stroheim's best films; incredibly, it was originally the first half of a two-part production (the second half, The Wedding, no longer exists). Released by Paramount, the film did excellent business during its first week-then dropped off precipitously, one of several factors which caused an irreparable rift between Von Stroheim and his new benefactor Powers. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Erich Von Stroheim, Fay Wray, (more)
- 1928
In this comedy, a wealthy matron is terribly upset when she learns that her socialite son is planning to marry a blue collar girl. Upon hearing the dreadful news, the irate mother immediately cancels her vacation in Europe, disguises herself, and takes up residence in her cousin's boardinghouse. There she encounters a dashing, sophisticated thief and discovers that he is planning to rob her lovely home in Washington Square. She and her maid quickly return to the endangered home and find the house awash with people. Among them are her son and his fiance, the would-be thief, and many reporters and cops. Appalled at the thought of scandal, the quick-thinking mother immediately congratulates the young couple and introduces the crook as her "art broker." In this way, peace is restored and all are happy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean Hersholt, Alice Joyce, (more)
- 1927
Because of its heavy reliance on slapstick (a no-no for features in the late '20s), this picture, very loosely based on the Ernest Thayer poem, got mixed reviews. But with comedians like Wallace Beery, Ford Sterling, ZaSu Pitts, and Sterling Holloway in the cast, it's a surprise that anyone wouldn't expect slapstick! Casey (Beery) is a junk dealer whose helper is the 13-year-old Spec (the very freckled Spec O'Donnell). He's in love with Camille, who runs a millinery stop (Pitts), but he is taken away from the small town where he lives when he is signed up by the New York Giants. Casey seems to be more interested in beer drinking than he is in playing baseball, so he is introduced to Trixie, a Floradora girl (Iris Stuart), in the hopes that this will distract him from the brew. Casey's rival for Camille attempts to get him drunk so he will miss the Big Game. Spec shows up in time to get him up to bat. Unfortunately, Casey strikes out and all his friends and fans leave him -- except for Spec. And when he arrives home, Casey finds that Camille is waiting for him. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Wallace Beery, Ford Sterling, (more)
- 1927
A young boy (Johnny Harron) defends his mother against his violently abusive stepfather (Noah Beery) in this tragic melodrama. The focus of the film is the cruelty of the man who takes pride in the fact his wife and stepson consider him insane. Ethel Grey Terry, ZaSu Pitts, and Russell Simpson co-star with memorable screen-villain Beery. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Harron, Viora Daniels, (more)
- 1926
Character actor Alan Hale served as director on behalf of producer Cecil B. DeMille of the minor domestic drama Risky Business. Spoiled-rotten socialite Cecily (Vera Reynolds) is being groomed by her mother Mrs. Strouds (Ethel Clayton) for a wealthy marriage to handsome Harold (Ward Crane). But Cecily has eyes only for poor-but-honest country doctor Ted (Kenneth Thomson). Hoping to disillusion her daughter, Mrs. Strouds arranges for Cecily to witness first-hand the trials and tribulations of life as the spouse of a busy general practitioner. The plan succeeds, and Cecily agrees to marry Harold after all. Shortly afterward, however, a child who has been run over by callous Harold's speeding roadster is saved from the jaws of death by the dedicated Dr. Ted. Realizing at last that Ted is the right man for her, Cecily gives Harold the heave-ho and marries the marvelous medico. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vera Reynolds, Ethel Clayton, (more)
- 1926
The masterful direction of Frank Borzage adds three-dimensionality to the otherwise cardboard complications in Easy to Wed. Young marrieds Tommy (Matt Moore) and Daphne Carter (Kathryn Perry) try desperately to "keep up with the Joneses." In the process, they spend themselves into poverty. But they still look out for those less fortunate than themselves, thus they take in downtrodden Cassius Hayden (Albert Gran) as a boarder, offering him a free meal and bed. Luck of luck, Hayden turns out to be a millionaire--and you know what happens next. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt Moore, Katherine Perry, (more)
- 1926
Lew Cody stars as Tony Townsend, a top-hatted "international adventurer" who gets into a heap of trouble when he runs out of money at the fancy French resort of Monte Carlo. Escaping the authorities, the dapper Tony -- who somewhere along the line has been forced to relinquish his trousers as a down-payment for his board bill -- hides out in the hotel room of prim American schoolteacher Sally (Gertrude Olmstead). He persuades her to protect him from arrest, which she does reluctantly. Clearly, these two were meant for each other, though neither realizes this inevitability until the closing scene. Along the way, Tony poses as one Prince Boris, which does not rest well with the real Boris (Roy D'Arcy). This MGM "B"-plus feature was released in Great Britain as Dreams of Monte Carlo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lew Cody, Gertrude Olmstead, (more)
- 1926
What Happened to Jones takes approximately 70 minutes' screen time to tell in this frothy comedy. On the night before his wedding, Tom Jones (Reginald Denny) attends a poker game with his corpulent pal Ebeneezer Goodly (Otis Harlan). When the cops raid the game, Tom and Eb sneak into a ladies' Turkish bath, making their escape in female drag. Upon arriving in Eb's home, Tom is forced by circumstance to pose as Eb's brother, a bishop. It turns out that the bishop is slated to officiate over the wedding of Tom and his sweetheart Lucille (Marian Nixon), putting our hero in the pickle of having to be in two places at once when he's not anywhere at all! With films like What Happened to Jones to his credit, it's no wonder that Reginald Denny was Universal's number one comedy star. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Reginald Denny, Marian Nixon, (more)
- 1926
Adapted from the Fannie Hurst story of the same name, Mannequin is the story of Joan Herrick (Dolores Costello), kidnapped in infancy from her wealthy parents (Alice Joyce, Warner Baxter) and raised by a slatternly slum woman (ZaSu Pitts). Growing up a real "looker," Selene manages to finds work as a model in an exclusive Manhattan dress shop. She falls in love with crusading newspaperman Martin Innesbrook (Walter Pigeon), who is presently campaigning to prevent beautiful murderesses from escaping the full weight of the law on the basis of their good looks. In due course, Joan is herself accused of murder, causing Martin to regret his "sexless justice" campaign. In a hardly flattering comment on the American legal system, Joan is acquitted when the judge on the case turns out to be her own father. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Joyce, Warner Baxter, (more)
- 1926
A minor silent comedy-drama, Her Big Night featured Grace Darmond, a blond former serial queen, as the secretary of a millionaire who, on her vacation, checks into a hotel posing as Countess Fontaine. She manages to ensnare her employer's handsome son (Herbert Rawlinson), but the situation becomes predictably confusing when the real countess (Vola Vale) suddenly turns up. Directed by John Ince, the brother of pioneering filmmaker Thomas H. Ince, Her Big Night was produced by low-budget company Kerman Films. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laura La Plante, ZaSu Pitts, (more)
- 1925
This muddled murder mystery-comedy was based on the Max Marcin stage play The Night Cap. Bank president Robert Andrews (James Kirkwood) has loaned someone money out of the bank funds and he wants to distract the bank examiner from examining the books and discovering the shortage. So he invites him, and the directors, over to his house. All sorts of intrigue happens at the gathering -- Andrews argues with Jerry Hammond (Tom Ricketts), who is in love with his ward, Anne Maynard (Madge Bellamy). Lester Knoles (Arthur Stuart Hull), meanwhile, is jealous of Andrews' friendship with his wife (Rosemary Theby). In addition, we discover that Andrews has a life insurance policy that will cover the shortage should he die. Not too surprisingly, after some strange goings-on, Andrews is found dead in Mrs. Knoles' room. The police investigate and everybody seems to have a motive to kill Andrews. A lot of confusion ensues, until it is discovered that Andrews isn't really dead after all, and the man who he loaned the money shows up and straightens things out. It's also revealed that the bank examiner has given up his job in favor of selling real estate. ~ Janiss Garza, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James Kirkwood, ZaSu Pitts, (more)
