Thelma Todd
Acting • Born 1906-07-29 – Died 1935-12-16
Biography
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.
Filmography
125 credits
Seven Footprints to Satan
Movie • 1929
Eve
The Maltese Falcon
Movie • 1931
Iva Archer
Monkey Business
Movie • 1931
Lucille Briggs
Horse Feathers
Movie • 1932
Connie Bailey
Speak Easily
Movie • 1932
Eleanor Espere
Yesterday and Today
Movie • 1953
(archive footage)
God Gave Me Twenty Cents
Movie • 1926
Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
On the Loose
Movie • 1931
Thelma
Another Fine Mess
Movie • 1930
Lady Plumtree (uncredited)
Chickens Come Home
Movie • 1931
Mrs. Hardy
Unaccustomed as We Are
Movie • 1929
Mrs. Kennedy
The Bohemian Girl
Movie • 1936
Gypsy Queen's Daughter
This Is the Night
Movie • 1932
Claire Mathewson
Air Hostess
Movie • 1933
Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton
Corsair
Movie • 1931
Alison Corning
Counsellor at Law
Movie • 1933
Lillian La Rue
The Devil's Brother
Movie • 1933
Lady Pamela Rocburg
Call Her Savage
Movie • 1932
Sunny De Lane
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Movie • 1934
Lady Genevieve
Nevada
Movie • 1927
Hettie Ide
Hips, Hips, Hooray!
Movie • 1934
Miss Amelia Frisby
Her Man
Movie • 1930
Nelly
Klondike
Movie • 1932
Klondike
Whispering Whoopee
Movie • 1930
Miss Todd
Sitting Pretty
Movie • 1933
Gloria Duval
Lightning Strikes Twice
Movie • 1934
Judy Nelson
The Poor Rich
Movie • 1934
Gwendolyn Fetherstone
Mary Stevens, M.D.
Movie • 1933
Lois Cavanaugh
Broadminded
Movie • 1931
Gertie Gardner
The Hot Heiress
Movie • 1931
Lola
Son of a Sailor
Movie • 1933
The Baroness
Two for Tonight
Movie • 1935
Lilly
Rough Seas
Movie • 1931
Antoinette
The Big Timer
Movie • 1932
Kay Mitchell
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Movie • 1942
Self (archive footage)
High C's
Movie • 1930
Antoinette
No Limit
Movie • 1931
Betty Royce
Maid in Hollywood
Movie • 1934
Thelma
Top Flat
Movie • 1935
Thelma Todd
The Bargain of the Century
Movie • 1933
Thelma
Asleep in the Feet
Movie • 1933
Thelma
Sealskins
Movie • 1932
Thelma Todd
Show Business
Movie • 1932
Thelma
The Pip from Pittsburg
Movie • 1931
Thelma
The Tin Man
Movie • 1935
Thelma Todd
Follow Thru
Movie • 1930
Ruth Van Horn
Catch-As Catch-Can
Movie • 1931
Thelma
Sing Sister Sing
Movie • 1935
Thelma
Red Noses
Movie • 1932
Miss Todd
Soup and Fish
Movie • 1934
Miss Thelma Todd
The Real McCoy
Movie • 1930
Thelma
Opened by Mistake
Movie • 1934
Thelma
Hot Money
Movie • 1935
Miss Thelma Todd
Dollar Dizzy
Movie • 1930
Thelma Todd
One-Horse Farmers
Movie • 1934
Thelma
Maids a la Mode
Movie • 1933
Miss Todd
Heart to Heart
Movie • 1928
Ruby Boyd
The Nickel Nurser
Movie • 1932
Thelma Todd
Backs to Nature
Movie • 1933
Thelma
Command Performance
Movie • 1931
Lydia
Palooka
Movie • 1934
Trixie
Love Fever
Movie • 1931
Thelma Todd
The Fighting Parson
Movie • 1930
The Blonde Dance Hall Girl
The Shrimp
Movie • 1930
Jim's Girlfriend
The Head Guy
Movie • 1930
The Star
The King
Movie • 1930
The Queen
War Mamas
Movie • 1931
Thelma
The Pajama Party
Movie • 1931
Thelma
The Old Bull
Movie • 1932
Thelma
The Misses Stooge
Movie • 1935
Thelma Todd
Twin Triplets
Movie • 1935
Thelma
Three Chumps Ahead
Movie • 1934
Thelma Todd
The Soilers
Movie • 1932
Thelma
Strictly Unreliable
Movie • 1932
Miss Thelma Todd
Treasure Blues
Movie • 1935
Thelma
Sneak Easily
Movie • 1932
Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense
Slightly Static
Movie • 1935
Thelma
One Track Minds
Movie • 1933
Thelma Todd
I'll Be Suing You
Movie • 1934
Miss Todd
Beauty and the Bus
Movie • 1933
Thelma
Bum Voyage
Movie • 1934
Thelma
Done in Oil
Movie • 1934
Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd
Let's Do Things
Movie • 1931
Thelma Todd
Babes in the Goods
Movie • 1934
Thelma Todd
Air Fright
Movie • 1933
Thelma
Alum and Eve
Movie • 1932
Thelma
An All American Toothache
Movie • 1936
Thelma Alice Todd
After the Dance
Movie • 1935
Mabel Kane
The Shield of Honor
Movie • 1927
Rose aka Flora Fisher
Bottoms Up
Movie • 1934
Judith Marlowe
Hurdy Gurdy
Movie • 1929
Blondie
Cheating Blondes
Movie • 1933
Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners
Take the Stand
Movie • 1934
Miss Sally Oxford
Looser Than Loose
Movie • 1930
Thelma, Charley's Fiancee
You Made Me Love You
Movie • 1933
Pamela Berne
The Noose
Movie • 1928
Phyllis
All Teed Up
Movie • 1930
Thelma
Aloha
Movie • 1931
Winifred Bradford
Snappy Sneezer
Movie • 1929
Mary White
Look out Below
Movie • 1929
Thelma
Hotter Than Hot
Movie • 1929
House of Horror
Movie • 1929
Thelma
Naughty Baby
Movie • 1928
Bonnie Le Vonne
Careers
Movie • 1929
Hortense
Fascinating Youth
Movie • 1926
Lorraine Lane
The Bachelor Girl
Movie • 1929
Gladys
The Crash
Movie • 1928
Daisy McQueen
Trial Marriage
Movie • 1929
Grace Logan
Crazy Feet
Movie • 1929
Dancer
Vamping Venus
Movie • 1928
Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus
Deception
Movie • 1932
Lola Del Mont
The Haunted House
Movie • 1928
The Nurse
Her Private Life
Movie • 1929
Mrs. Leslie
Rubber Heels
Movie • 1927
Princess Aline
Fireman, Save My Child
Movie • 1927
(uncredited)
Swanee River
Movie • 1931
Caroline
The Gay Defender
Movie • 1927
Ruth Ainsworth
Sky Boy
Movie • 1929
Stepping Out
Movie • 1929
Charley's Wife
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon
Movie • 1929
The Woman
Death Scenes
Movie • 1989
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Movie • 1988
Murders of Hollywood
Movie • 2003
Self (archive footage)
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files
Movie • 1992
Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime
TV • 2016
Self (archive footage)