Thelma Todd
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thelma Alice Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935) was an American actress. Appearing in about 120 pictures between 1926 and 1935, she is best remembered for her comedic roles in films such as Marx Brothers' Monkey Business and Horse Feathers, a number of Charley Chase's short comedies, and co-starring with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily. She also had roles in Wheeler and Woolsey farces, several Laurel and Hardy films, the last of which (The Bohemian Girl) featured her in a part that was truncated by her suspicious death at the age of 29.
During the silent film era, Todd appeared in numerous supporting roles that made full use of her beauty but gave her little chance to act. With the advent of the talkies, Todd was given opportunity to expand her roles when producer Hal Roach signed her to appear with such comedy stars as Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, and Laurel and Hardy.
In 1931, Roach cast Todd in her own series of slapstick comedy shorts, running 17 to 27 minutes each. In an attempt to create a female version of Laurel and Hardy, Roach teamed Todd with ZaSu Pitts for 17 shorts, from "Let's do Things" (June 1931) through "One Track Minds" (May 1933). When Pitts left in 1933, she was replaced by Patsy Kelly, appearing with Todd in 21 shorts, from "Beauty and the Bus" (September 1933) through "An All American Toothache" (January 1936). These Roach shorts often cast Todd as a working girl having all sorts of problems, and trying her best to remain poised and charming despite the embarrassing antics of her sidekick.
Todd also appeared successfully in such dramas as the original 1931 film version of The Maltese Falcon starring Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade, in which she played Miles Archer's treacherous widow. During her career she appeared in 119 films although many of these were short films, and was sometimes publicized as "The Ice Cream Blonde."
Todd continued her short-subject series through 1935, and was featured in the full-length Laurel and Hardy comedy The Bohemian Girl. This was her last film; she died after completing all of her scenes, but most of them were re-shot. Producer Roach deleted all of Todd's dialogue and limited her appearance to one musical number.
Photos
Movies (125)
Murders of Hollywood
2003 · Self (archive footage)
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files
1992 · (archive footage) (uncredited)
Death In Hollywood
1990 · Self (archive footage)
Death Scenes
1989 · Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988 · (archive footage) (uncredited)
Yesterday and Today
1953 · (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
1942 · Self (archive footage)
The Bohemian Girl
1936 · Gypsy Queen's Daughter
An All American Toothache
1936 · Thelma Alice Todd
Top Flat
1935 · Thelma Todd
Hot Money
1935 · Miss Thelma Todd
Twin Triplets
1935 · Thelma
Two for Tonight
1935 · Lilly
Slightly Static
1935 · Thelma
After the Dance
1935 · Mabel Kane
The Misses Stooge
1935 · Thelma Todd
The Tin Man
1935 · Thelma Todd
Sing Sister Sing
1935 · Thelma
Treasure Blues
1935 · Thelma
Bum Voyage
1934 · Thelma
Lightning Strikes Twice
1934 · Judy Nelson
Done in Oil
1934 · Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd
Opened by Mistake
1934 · Thelma
Take the Stand
1934 · Miss Sally Oxford
One-Horse Farmers
1934 · Thelma
Three Chumps Ahead
1934 · Thelma Todd
Cockeyed Cavaliers
1934 · Lady Genevieve
I'll Be Suing You
1934 · Miss Todd
Maid in Hollywood
1934 · Thelma
Bottoms Up
1934 · Judith Marlowe
Soup and Fish
1934 · Miss Thelma Todd
The Poor Rich
1934 · Gwendolyn Fetherstone
Babes in the Goods
1934 · Thelma Todd
Hips, Hips, Hooray!
1934 · Miss Amelia Frisby
Palooka
1934 · Trixie
Counsellor at Law
1933 · Lillian La Rue
Air Fright
1933 · Thelma
Son of a Sailor
1933 · The Baroness
Sitting Pretty
1933 · Gloria Duval
Backs to Nature
1933 · Thelma
You Made Me Love You
1933 · Pamela Berne
Beauty and the Bus
1933 · Thelma
Mary Stevens, M.D.
1933 · Lois Cavanaugh
One Track Minds
1933 · Thelma Todd
The Devil's Brother
1933 · Lady Pamela Rocburg
Cheating Blondes
1933 · Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners
The Bargain of the Century
1933 · Thelma
Maids a la Mode
1933 · Miss Todd
Asleep in the Feet
1933 · Thelma
Air Hostess
1933 · Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton
Sneak Easily
1932 · Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense
Call Her Savage
1932 · Sunny De Lane
Deception
1932 · Lola Del Mont
The Soilers
1932 · Thelma
Alum and Eve
1932 · Thelma
Klondike
1932 · Klondike
Show Business
1932 · Thelma
Horse Feathers
1932 · Connie Bailey
Speak Easily
1932 · Eleanor Espere
The Old Bull
1932 · Thelma
Strictly Unreliable
1932 · Miss Thelma Todd
This Is the Night
1932 · Claire Mathewson
Red Noses
1932 · Miss Todd
The Nickel Nurser
1932 · Thelma Todd
The Big Timer
1932 · Kay Mitchell
Sealskins
1932 · Thelma Todd
On the Loose
1931 · Thelma
Corsair
1931 · Alison Corning
War Mamas
1931 · Thelma
The Pajama Party
1931 · Thelma
Monkey Business
1931 · Lucille Briggs
Catch-As Catch-Can
1931 · Thelma
Broadminded
1931 · Gertie Gardner
Let's Do Things
1931 · Thelma Todd
The Maltese Falcon
1931 · Iva Archer
Aloha
1931 · Winifred Bradford
Rough Seas
1931 · Antoinette
Love Fever
1931 · Thelma Todd
The Hot Heiress
1931 · Lola
The Pip from Pittsburg
1931 · Thelma
Swanee River
1931 · Caroline
Chickens Come Home
1931 · Mrs. Hardy (uncredited)
Command Performance
1931 · Lydia
No Limit
1931 · Betty Royce
High C's
1930 · Antoinette
Another Fine Mess
1930 · Lady Plumtree (uncredited)
Looser Than Loose
1930 · Thelma, Charley's Fiancee
Dollar Dizzy
1930 · Thelma Todd
Follow Thru
1930 · Ruth Van Horn
Her Man
1930 · Nelly
The King
1930 · The Queen
The Shrimp
1930 · Jim's Girlfriend
All Teed Up
1930 · Thelma
Whispering Whoopee
1930 · Miss Todd
The Fighting Parson
1930 · The Blonde Dance Hall Girl
The Real McCoy
1930 · Thelma
The Head Guy
1930 · The Star
Stepping Out
1929 · Charley's Wife
Sky Boy
1929
Crazy Feet
1929 · Dancer
Her Private Life
1929 · Mrs. Leslie
Look out Below
1929 · Thelma
Hotter Than Hot
1929
Snappy Sneezer
1929 · Mary White
Careers
1929 · Hortense
The Bachelor Girl
1929 · Gladys
Hurdy Gurdy
1929 · Blondie
Unaccustomed as We Are
1929 · Mrs. Kennedy
House of Horror
1929 · Thelma
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon
1929 · The Woman
Trial Marriage
1929 · Grace Logan
Seven Footprints to Satan
1929 · Eve Martin
Naughty Baby
1928 · Bonnie Le Vonne
The Haunted House
1928 · The Nurse
The Crash
1928 · Daisy McQueen
Heart to Heart
1928 · Ruby Boyd
Vamping Venus
1928 · Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus
The Noose
1928 · Phyllis
The Shield of Honor
1927 · Rose aka Flora Fisher
The Gay Defender
1927 · Ruth Ainsworth
Nevada
1927 · Hettie Ide
Fireman, Save My Child
1927 · (uncredited)
Rubber Heels
1927 · Princess Aline
God Gave Me Twenty Cents
1926 · Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
Fascinating Youth
1926 · Lorraine Lane
