Angelo Rossitto
Acting • Born 1908-02-18 – Died 1991-09-21
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
82 credits
Pufnstuf
Movie • 1970
Seymore Spider / Clang
The Stone Killer
Movie • 1973
Little Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
Mesa of Lost Women
Movie • 1953
Dwarf Lab Assistant
Scared to Death
Movie • 1947
Indigo
The Corpse Vanishes
Movie • 1942
Toby
Seven Footprints to Satan
Movie • 1929
The Dwarf
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Movie • 1985
Master
Fairy Tales
Movie • 1978
Otto
Brain of Blood
Movie • 1971
Dorro
Spooks Run Wild
Movie • 1941
Luigi
Smokey Bites the Dust
Movie • 1981
Desk Clerk
Confessions of an Opium Eater
Movie • 1962
Newspaper Boy
Child Bride
Movie • 1938
Angelo
The Wild and the Innocent
Movie • 1959
Midget (uncredited)
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
Movie • 1991
Luigi / Indigo (archive footage)
Mongo's Back in Town
Movie • 1971
Trembles
Carnival Lady
Movie • 1933
Dwarf
The Bandit Queen
Movie • 1950
Nino
The Beloved Rogue
Movie • 1927
Beppo - the Dwarf
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
Movie • 1962
Dwarf
Old San Francisco
Movie • 1927
Chang Loo - the Dwarf
Requiem for a Heavyweight
Movie • 1962
Midget Wrestler Outside Wrestling Ring (uncredited)
The Other
Movie • 1972
Sideshow Performer (uncredited)
While the City Sleeps
Movie • 1928
Member of Skeeter's Gang
Dracula vs. Frankenstein
Movie • 1971
Grazbo the Evil Dwarf
Invasion of the Saucer-Men
Movie • 1957
Saucer Man
The Big House
Movie • 1930
Inmate (uncredited)
The Wizard of Oz
Movie • 1939
Munchkin Villager (uncredited)
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
Movie • 1939
Mute Dwarf
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
Movie • 1975
Little Pianist
The Making of 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'
Movie • 1985
Self
Doomed to Die
Movie • 1940
Newsboy #3 in Montage
Galaxina
Movie • 1980
Monster from Egg
Little Cigars
Movie • 1973
Angelo
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Movie • 1983
Little Person #1
The Magic Sword
Movie • 1962
2nd Dwarf
The Clones
Movie • 1973
Man at Phone Booth
One Stolen Night
Movie • 1929
The Dwarf
The Master Gunfighter
Movie • 1975
Side show midget
From a Whisper to a Scream
Movie • 1987
Tinker
Dementia
Movie • 1955
Newsboy (uncredited)
The Dark
Movie • 1979
Angie (uncredited)
The Spider Woman
Movie • 1943
Obongo - Pygmy (uncredited)
The Other Side of the Wind
Movie • 2018
Angelo
The Greatest Show on Earth
Movie • 1952
Dwarf
Hellzapoppin'
Movie • 1941
Dwarf Devil (uncredited)
Freaks
Movie • 1932
Angeleno
Doctor Dolittle
Movie • 1967
Dwarf (uncredited)
Alex in Wonderland
Movie • 1970
Fellini #1
Reunion in France
Movie • 1942
Citizen in Bomb Shelter (uncredited)
The Baron of Arizona
Movie • 1950
Angie -- Gypsy
The Story of Mankind
Movie • 1957
Dwarf in Nero's Court
Pocketful of Miracles
Movie • 1961
Angie (uncredited)
Help Woodsy Spread the Word
Movie • 1977
Woodsy Owl
Babes in Toyland
Movie • 1934
Elmer - Second Little Pig / 1st Sandman in Cave (uncredited)
The Trip
Movie • 1967
Dwarf in Forest Fantasy (uncredited)
The Perils of Pauline
Movie • 1967
Pygmy Leader's Assistant
The Mysterious Island
Movie • 1929
Underwater Creature
I Believed in You
Movie • 1934
Greenwich Village Waiter
The Viking
Movie • 1928
Viking Little Person (uncredited)
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Movie • 1944
Arab Dwarf (uncredited)
Pygmy Island
Movie • 1950
Pygmy in Cave
Jungle Moon Men
Movie • 1955
Smallest Moon-Man
The Incredible Hulk
TV • 1977
Tom Thumb (uncredited)
Lidsville
TV • 1971
Mr. Big
Baretta
TV • 1975
The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries
TV • 1977
Gunsmoke
TV • 1955
Billy (uncredited)
H.R. Pufnstuf
TV • 1969
Seymore Spider
Amazing Stories
TV • 1985
Vaudevillian
Star Trek: The Next Generation
TV • 1987
Spectator (uncredited)
Jason of Star Command
TV • 1978
Bork
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
TV • 1964
Blind Pencil Seller
The Rebel
TV • 1959
Godfrey
The Rockford Files
TV • 1974
Dwarf Patient (uncredited)
Kung Fu
TV • 1972
Angelo (uncredited)
Branded
TV • 1965
Shooting Gallery Man (uncredited)
T.H.E. Cat
TV • 1966
Circus Dwarf (uncredited)
Starsky & Hutch
TV • 1975
Big Ben
The Snoop Sisters
TV • 1973
Little Igor
Shirley Temple's Storybook
TV • 1958
Mouse
Shirley Temple's Storybook
TV • 1958
Dwarf