ZaSu Pitts (/ˈseɪzuË Ëˆpɪts/; born Eliza Susan Pitts; January ,
[a] â€" June , ) was an American actress who starred in many silent
dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic silent film Greed, and
comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the
advent of sound films. She also appeared on numerous radio shows. Her
career as an entertainer spanned nearly years, and she was awarded a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in .Eliza Susan Pitts was born in
Parsons, Kansas, to Rulandus and Nelly (née Shay) Pitts; she was the
third of four children. Her father, who had lost a leg while serving
in the th 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 nickname "ZaSu",
i.e., to satisfy competing family interests. She later adopted the
nickname professionally and legally. It has been (incorrectly) spelled
as Zazu Pitts in some film credits and news articles. Although the
name is commonly mispronounced /ˈzæzuË / ZAZ-oo or /ˈzeɪsuË /
ZAY-soo, or /ˈzeɪzuË / ZAY-zoo, in her book Candy Hits (p. ), Pitts
herself gives the correct pronunciation as "Say Zoo" /ˈseɪzuË /,
recounting that Mary Pickford had predicted "many will mispronounce
it", and adding, "How right she was."In , 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 Lincoln
Street still stands. She attended Santa Cruz High School, where she
participated in school theatricals.
[a] â€" June , ) was an American actress who starred in many silent
dramas, including Erich von Stroheim's epic silent film Greed, and
comedies, transitioning successfully to mostly comedy films with the
advent of sound films. She also appeared on numerous radio shows. Her
career as an entertainer spanned nearly years, and she was awarded a
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in .Eliza Susan Pitts was born in
Parsons, Kansas, to Rulandus and Nelly (née Shay) Pitts; she was the
third of four children. Her father, who had lost a leg while serving
in the th 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 nickname "ZaSu",
i.e., to satisfy competing family interests. She later adopted the
nickname professionally and legally. It has been (incorrectly) spelled
as Zazu Pitts in some film credits and news articles. Although the
name is commonly mispronounced /ˈzæzuË / ZAZ-oo or /ˈzeɪsuË /
ZAY-soo, or /ˈzeɪzuË / ZAY-zoo, in her book Candy Hits (p. ), Pitts
herself gives the correct pronunciation as "Say Zoo" /ˈseɪzuË /,
recounting that Mary Pickford had predicted "many will mispronounce
it", and adding, "How right she was."In , 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 Lincoln
Street still stands. She attended Santa Cruz High School, where she
participated in school theatricals.
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