Angelo Rossitto

Angelo Rossitto
Angelo Rossitto, right, aged 24 in Tod Browning's Freaks. Fellow performer Johnny Eck is on the left.
Born (1908-02-18)February 18, 1908
Omaha, Nebraska. U.S.
Died September 21, 1991(1991-09-21) (aged 83)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Years active 1927-1987
Height 2 ft 11 in (89 cm)

Angelo Salvatore Rossitto (February 18, 1908 – September 21, 1991) was an American dwarf actor and voice artist. He had dwarfism and was 2'11" (89 cm) tall, and was often billed as Little Angie or Moe.[1] Angelo first appeared in silent films opposite Lon Chaney and John Barrymore. On screen he portrayed everything from dwarfs, midgets, gnomes and pygmies as well as monsters, villains and aliens, with appearances in more than 70 films.

Angelo Rossitto, in Mr. Wong in Chinatown

Rossitto was born in Omaha, Nebraska and discovered by John Barrymore and made his screen debut opposite Barrymore in The Beloved Rogue (1927). That same year he appeared in Warner Brother's Old San Francisco. He appeared in the controversial 1932 film Freaks directed by Tod Browning, and another controversial film, 1938's Child Bride. During the 1940s, he appeared in several poverty row movies starring Bela Lugosi. He appeared frequently in television series and mini-series, particularly best known for the police drama Baretta, and his later film roles included appearances in Alex in Wonderland (1970), Brain of Blood (1971), Dracula vs. Frankenstein (1971), Little Cigars (1973), and Fairy Tales (1978). His last major role was as "Master" opposite Mel Gibson in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).

Rossitto appeared alongside singer/songwriter Tom Waits and Lee Kolima on the cover art of Waits' 1983 album Swordfishtrombones, which paid homage to his performance in Freaks.

Selected filmography

References

  1. ↑ "The New York Times". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2012.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.