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.
Acted in
Hollywood's Hidden Secrets
1987
as (archive footage)
Yesterday and Today
1953
as (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
1942
as Self (archive footage)
The Bohemian Girl
1936
as Gypsy Queen's Daughter
An All American Toothache
1936
as Thelma Alice Todd
Top Flat
1935
as Thelma Todd
Hot Money
1935
as Miss Thelma Todd
Twin Triplets
1935
as Thelma
Two for Tonight
1935
as Lilly
Slightly Static
1935
as Thelma
After the Dance
1935
as Mabel Kane
The Misses Stooge
1935
as Thelma Todd
The Tin Man
1935
as Thelma Todd
Sing Sister Sing
1935
as Thelma
Treasure Blues
1935
as Thelma
Bum Voyage
1934
as Thelma
Lightning Strikes Twice
1934
as Judy Nelson
Done in Oil
1934
as Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd
Opened by Mistake
1934
as Thelma
Take the Stand
1934
as Miss Sally Oxford
One-Horse Farmers
1934
as Thelma
Three Chumps Ahead
1934
as Thelma Todd
Cockeyed Cavaliers
1934
as Lady Genevieve
I'll Be Suing You
1934
as Miss Todd
Maid in Hollywood
1934
as Thelma
Bottoms Up
1934
as Judith Marlowe
Soup and Fish
1934
as Miss Thelma Todd
The Poor Rich
1934
as Gwendolyn Fetherstone
Babes in the Goods
1934
as Thelma Todd
Hips, Hips, Hooray!
1934
as Miss Amelia Frisby
Palooka
1934
as Trixie
Counsellor at Law
1933
as Lillian La Rue
Air Fright
1933
as Thelma
Son of a Sailor
1933
as The Baroness
Sitting Pretty
1933
as Gloria Duval
Backs to Nature
1933
as Thelma
You Made Me Love You
1933
as Pamela Berne
Beauty and the Bus
1933
as Thelma
Mary Stevens, M.D.
1933
as Lois Cavanaugh
One Track Minds
1933
The Devil's Brother
1933
as Lady Pamela Rocburg
Cheating Blondes
1933
as Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners
The Bargain of the Century
1933
as Thelma
Maids a la Mode
1933
as Miss Todd
Asleep in the Feet
1933
as Thelma
Air Hostess
1933
as Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton
Sneak Easily
1932
as Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense
Call Her Savage
1932
as Sunny De Lane
Deception
1932
as Lola Del Mont
The Soilers
1932
as Thelma
Alum and Eve
1932
as Thelma
Klondike
1932
as Klondike
Show Business
1932
as Thelma
Horse Feathers
1932
as Connie Bailey
Speak Easily
1932
as Eleanor Espere
The Old Bull
1932
as Thelma
Strictly Unreliable
1932
as Miss Thelma Todd
This Is the Night
1932
as Claire Mathewson
Red Noses
1932
as Miss Todd
The Nickel Nurser
1932
as Thelma Todd
The Big Timer
1932
as Kay Mitchell
Sealskins
1932
as Thelma Todd
On the Loose
1931
as Thelma
Corsair
1931
as Alison Corning
War Mamas
1931
as Thelma
The Pajama Party
1931
as Thelma
Monkey Business
1931
as Lucille Briggs
Catch-As Catch-Can
1931
as Thelma
Broadminded
1931
as Gertie Gardner
Let's Do Things
1931
as Thelma Todd
The Maltese Falcon
1931
as Iva Archer
Aloha
1931
as Winifred Bradford
Rough Seas
1931
as Antoinette
Love Fever
1931
as Thelma Todd
The Hot Heiress
1931
as Lola
The Pip from Pittsburg
1931
as Thelma
Swanee River
1931
as Caroline
Chickens Come Home
1931
as Mrs. Hardy
Command Performance
1931
as Lydia
No Limit
1931
as Betty Royce
High C's
1930
as Antoinette
Another Fine Mess
1930
as Lady Plumtree (uncredited)
Looser Than Loose
1930
as Thelma, Charley's Fiancee
Dollar Dizzy
1930
as Thelma Todd
Follow Thru
1930
as Mrs. Van Horn
Her Man
1930
as Nelly
The King
1930
as The Queen
The Shrimp
1930
as Jim's Girlfriend
All Teed Up
1930
as Thelma
Whispering Whoopee
1930
as Miss Todd
The Fighting Parson
1930
as The Blonde Dance Hall Girl
The Real McCoy
1930
as Thelma
The Head Guy
1930
as The Star
Stepping Out
1929
as Charley's Wife
Sky Boy
1929
Crazy Feet
1929
as Dancer
Her Private Life
1929
as Mrs. Leslie
Look out Below
1929
as Thelma
Hotter Than Hot
1929
Snappy Sneezer
1929
as Mary White
Careers
1929
as Hortense
The Bachelor Girl
1929
as Gladys
Hurdy Gurdy
1929
as Blondie
Unaccustomed as We Are
1929
as Mrs. Kennedy
House of Horror
1929
as Thelma
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon
1929
as The Woman
Trial Marriage
1929
as Grace Logan
Seven Footprints to Satan
1929
as Eve
Naughty Baby
1928
as Bonnie Le Vonne
Fashion News
1928
as Self (1929)
The Haunted House
1928
as The Nurse
The Crash
1928
as Daisy McQueen
Heart to Heart
1928
as Ruby Boyd
Vamping Venus
1928
as Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus
The Noose
1928
as Phyllis
The Shield of Honor
1927
as Rose aka Flora Fisher
The Gay Defender
1927
as Ruth Ainsworth
Nevada
1927
as Hettie Ide
Fireman, Save My Child
1927
as (uncredited)
Rubber Heels
1927
as Princess Aline
God Gave Me Twenty Cents
1926
as Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
Fascinating Youth
1926
as Lorraine Lane