Angelo Rossitto
Acting
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.
The Other Side of the Wind
Angelo
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
Luigi / Indigo (archive footage)
From a Whisper to a Scream
Tinker
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Master
The Making of 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'
Self
Something Wicked This Way Comes
Little Person #1
Smokey Bites the Dust
Desk Clerk
Galaxina
Monster from Egg
The Dark
Angie (uncredited)
Fairy Tales
Otto
Help Woodsy Spread the Word
Woodsy Owl
I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now?
Little Pianist
The Master Gunfighter
Side show midget
The Stone Killer
Little Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)
The Clones
Man at Phone Booth
Little Cigars
Angelo
The Other
Sideshow Performer (uncredited)
Mongo's Back in Town
Trembles
Dracula vs. Frankenstein
Grazbo the Evil Dwarf
Brain of Blood
Dorro
Alex in Wonderland
Fellini #1
Pufnstuf
Seymore Spider / Clang
Doctor Dolittle
Dwarf (uncredited)
The Trip
Dwarf in Forest Fantasy (uncredited)
The Perils of Pauline
Pygmy Leader's Assistant
Requiem for a Heavyweight
Midget Wrestler Outside Wrestling Ring (uncredited)
The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm
Dwarf
Confessions of an Opium Eater
Newspaper Boy
The Magic Sword
2nd Dwarf
Pocketful of Miracles
Angie (uncredited)
The Wild and the Innocent
Midget (uncredited)
The Story of Mankind
Dwarf in Nero's Court
Invasion of the Saucer-Men
Saucer Man
Dementia
Newsboy (uncredited)
Jungle Moon Men
Smallest Moon-Man
Mesa of Lost Women
Dwarf Lab Assistant
The Greatest Show on Earth
Dwarf
The Bandit Queen
Nino
Pygmy Island
Pygmy in Cave
The Baron of Arizona
Angie -- Gypsy
Scared to Death
Indigo
Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves
Arab Dwarf (uncredited)
The Spider Woman
Obongo - Pygmy (uncredited)
Reunion in France
Citizen in Bomb Shelter (uncredited)
The Corpse Vanishes
Toby
Hellzapoppin'
Dwarf Devil (uncredited)
Spooks Run Wild
Luigi
Doomed to Die
Newsboy #3 in Montage
The Wizard of Oz
Munchkin Villager (uncredited)
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
Mute Dwarf
Child Bride
Angelo
Babes in Toyland
Elmer - Second Little Pig / 1st Sandman in Cave (uncredited)
I Believed in You
Greenwich Village Waiter
Carnival Lady
Dwarf
Freaks
Angeleno
The Big House
Inmate (uncredited)
The Mysterious Island
Underwater Creature
One Stolen Night
The Dwarf
Seven Footprints to Satan
The Dwarf
The Viking
Viking Little Person (uncredited)
While the City Sleeps
Member of Skeeter's Gang
Old San Francisco
Chang Loo - the Dwarf
The Beloved Rogue
Beppo - the Dwarf