Acting
77
Man
Feb 18, 1908
Sep 21, 1991 (83)
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Angelo Rossitto
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.
| Year | Movie / TV show / Other | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Other Side of the Wind | Angelo |
| 1991 | Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook | Luigi / Indigo (archive footage) |
| 1987 | Star Trek: The Next Generation | Spectator (uncredited) |
| 1987 | From a Whisper to a Scream | Tinker |
| 1986 | Horrible Horror | Luigi in 'Spooks Run Wild' |
| 1985 | Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome | Master |
| 1985 | Amazing Stories | Vaudevillian |
| 1985 | The Making of 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome' | Self |
| 1983 | Something Wicked This Way Comes | Little Person #1 |
| 1981 | Smokey Bites the Dust | Desk Clerk |
| 1980 | Galaxina | Monster from Egg |
| 1980 | Galaxina | |
| 1979 | The Dark | Angie (uncredited) |
| 1978 | Fairy Tales | Otto |
| 1978 | Jason of Star Command | Bork |
| 1977 | The Incredible Hulk | Tom Thumb (uncredited) |
| 1977 | The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries | |
| 1977 | Help Woodsy Spread the Word | Woodsy Owl |
| 1975 | Starsky & Hutch | Big Ben |
| 1975 | Baretta | |
| 1975 | I Wonder Who's Killing Her Now? | Little Pianist |
| 1975 | The Master Gunfighter | Side show midget |
| 1974 | The Rockford Files | Dwarf Patient (uncredited) |
| 1973 | The Stone Killer | Little Man in Hotel Lobby (uncredited) |
| 1973 | The Clones | Man at Phone Booth |
| 1973 | Little Cigars | Angelo |
| 1973 | The Snoop Sisters | Little Igor |
| 1972 | Kung Fu | Angelo (uncredited) |
| 1972 | The Other | Sideshow Performer (uncredited) |
| 1971 | Dracula vs. Frankenstein | Grazbo the Evil Dwarf |
| 1971 | Brain of Blood | Dorro |
| 1971 | Lidsville | Mr. Big |
| 1971 | Mongo's Back in Town | Trembles |
| 1970 | Pufnstuf | Seymore Spider / Clang |
| 1970 | Alex in Wonderland | Fellini #1 |
| 1969 | H.R. Pufnstuf | Seymore Spider |
| 1967 | Doctor Dolittle | Dwarf (uncredited) |
| 1967 | The Trip | Dwarf in Forest Fantasy (uncredited) |
| 1967 | The Perils of Pauline | Pygmy Leader's Assistant |
| 1966 | T.H.E. Cat | Circus Dwarf (uncredited) |
| 1965 | Branded | Shooting Gallery Man (uncredited) |
| 1964 | The Man from U.N.C.L.E. | Blind Pencil Seller |
| 1962 | Requiem for a Heavyweight | Midget Wrestler Outside Wrestling Ring (uncredited) |
| 1962 | The Magic Sword | 2nd Dwarf |
| 1962 | The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm | Dwarf |
| 1962 | Confessions of an Opium Eater | Newspaper Boy |
| 1961 | Pocketful of Miracles | Angie (uncredited) |
| 1959 | The Wild and the Innocent | Midget (uncredited) |
| 1959 | The Rebel | Godfrey |
| 1958 | The Adventures of Super Pup | |
| 1957 | Invasion of the Saucer-Men | Saucer Man |
| 1957 | The Story of Mankind | Dwarf in Nero's Court |
| 1955 | Gunsmoke | Billy (uncredited) |
| 1955 | Dementia | Newsboy (uncredited) |
| 1953 | Mesa of Lost Women | Dwarf Lab Assistant |
| 1952 | The Greatest Show on Earth | Dwarf |
| 1950 | The Baron of Arizona | Angie -- Gypsy |
| 1950 | The Bandit Queen | Nino |
| 1947 | Scared to Death | Indigo |
| 1943 | The Spider Woman | Obongo - Pygmy (uncredited) |
| 1942 | The Corpse Vanishes | Toby (as Angelo) |
| 1942 | Reunion in France | Citizen in Bomb Shelter (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Hellzapoppin' | Dwarf Devil (uncredited) |
| 1941 | Spooks Run Wild | Luigi |
| 1940 | Doomed to Die | Newsboy #3 in Montage |
| 1939 | The Wizard of Oz | Munchkin Villager (uncredited) |
| 1939 | Mr. Wong in Chinatown | Mute Dwarf |
| 1938 | Child Bride | Angelo |
| 1934 | Babes in Toyland | Elmer - Second Little Pig / 1st Sandman in Cave (uncredited) |
| 1933 | Carnival Lady | Dwarf |
| 1932 | Freaks | Angeleno |
| 1930 | The Big House | Inmate (uncredited) |
| 1929 | Seven Footprints to Satan | The Dwarf |
| 1929 | One Stolen Night | The Dwarf |
| 1928 | While the City Sleeps | Member of Skeeter's Gang |
| 1927 | The Beloved Rogue | Beppo - the Dwarf |
| 1927 | Old San Francisco | Chang Loo - the Dwarf |