Angelo Rossitto
Born: 1908-02-18 in Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Died: 1991-09-21
Known For: Acting
Biography
Angelo Salvatore Rossitto (February 18, 1908 – September 21, 1991) was an American actor and voice artist. He had dwarfism and was 2'11" (89 cm) tall, and was often billed as Little Angie or Moe. 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. Rossitto was born in Omaha, Nebraska to Salvatore Rossitto and Carmela Caniglia, both born in Carlentini, Province of Siracusa, Sicily, Italy, and had a sister, Josephine Rossitto. He was 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 appears alongside singer/songwriter Tom Waits and Lee Kolima on the cover art of Waits' 1983 album Swordfishtrombones, which pays homage to his performance in Freaks. He also appears on the cover of Bob Dylan's album The Basement Tapes.
Filmography
2018
- The Other Side of the Wind as Angelo
1991
- Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook as Luigi / Indigo (archive footage)
1987
- Star Trek: The Next Generation as Spectator (uncredited)
- From a Whisper to a Scream as Tinker
1985
- Amazing Stories as Vaudevillian
- Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome as Master
- The Making of 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' as Self
1983
- Something Wicked This Way Comes as Little Person #1
1981
- Smokey Bites the Dust as Desk Clerk
1980
- Galaxina as Monster from Egg
1979
- The Dark as Angie (uncredited)
1978
- Fairy Tales as Otto
- Jason of Star Command as Bork
1977
- The Incredible Hulk as Tom Thumb (uncredited)
- The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
- Help Woodsy Spread the Word as Woodsy Owl
1975
- Starsky & Hutch as Big Ben
- Baretta
- The Master Gunfighter as Side show midget
- I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? as Little Pianist
1974
- The Rockford Files as Dwarf Patient (uncredited)
1973
- The Clones as Man at Phone Booth
- The Stone Killer as Little Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
- The Snoop Sisters as Little Igor
- Little Cigars as Angelo
1971
- Dracula vs. Frankenstein as Grazbo the Evil Dwarf
- Brain of Blood as Dorro
- Mongo's Back in Town as Trembles
- Lidsville as Mr. Big
1970
- Alex in Wonderland as Fellini #1
- Pufnstuf as Seymore Spider / Clang
1969
- H.R. Pufnstuf as Seymore Spider
1967
- Doctor Dolittle as Dwarf (uncredited)
- The Trip as Dwarf in Forest Fantasy (uncredited)
- The Perils of Pauline as Pygmy Leader's Assistant
1966
- T.H.E. Cat as Circus Dwarf (uncredited)
1965
- Branded as Shooting Gallery Man (uncredited)
1964
- The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as Blind Pencil Seller
1962
- Requiem for a Heavyweight as Midget Wrestler Outside Wrestling Ring (uncredited)
- The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm as Dwarf
- The Magic Sword as 2nd Dwarf
- Confessions of an Opium Eater as Newspaper Boy
1961
- Pocketful of Miracles as Angie (uncredited)
1959
- The Rebel as Godfrey
- The Wild and the Innocent as Midget (uncredited)
1958
- Shirley Temple's Storybook as Mouse
1957
- Invasion of the Saucer-Men as Saucer Man
- The Story of Mankind as Dwarf in Nero's Court
1953
- Mesa of Lost Women as Dwarf Lab Assistant
1952
- The Greatest Show on Earth as Dwarf
1950
- The Bandit Queen as Nino
- The Baron of Arizona as Angie -- Gypsy
1947
- Scared to Death as Indigo
1944
- Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves as Arab Dwarf (uncredited)
1943
- The Spider Woman as Obongo - Pygmy (uncredited)
1942
- Reunion in France as Citizen in Bomb Shelter (uncredited)
- The Corpse Vanishes as Toby
1941
- Hellzapoppin' as Dwarf Devil (uncredited)
- Spooks Run Wild as Luigi
1940
- Doomed to Die as Newsboy #3 in Montage
1939
- The Wizard of Oz as Munchkin Villager (uncredited)
- Mr. Wong in Chinatown as Mute Dwarf
1938
- Child Bride as Angelo
1934
- Babes in Toyland as Elmer - Second Little Pig / 1st Sandman in Cave (uncredited)
- I Believed in You as Greenwich Village Waiter
1933
- Carnival Lady as Dwarf
1932
- Freaks as Angeleno
1930
- The Big House as Inmate (uncredited)
1929
- The Mysterious Island as Underwater Creature
- Seven Footprints to Satan as The Dwarf
- One Stolen Night as The Dwarf
1928
- The Viking as Viking Little Person (uncredited)
- While the City Sleeps as Member of Skeeter's Gang
1927
- Old San Francisco as Chang Loo - the Dwarf
- The Beloved Rogue as Beppo - the Dwarf