Thelma Todd
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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.
Known for
Credits
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files (1992)
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Devil's Brother (1933)
as Lady Pamela Rocburg
Her Man (1930)
as Nelly
Cockeyed Cavaliers (1934)
as Lady Genevieve
This Is the Night (1932)
as Claire Mathewson
Careers (1929)
as Hortense
Horse Feathers (1932)
as Connie Bailey
The Bohemian Girl (1936)
as Gypsy Queen's Daughter
Call Her Savage (1932)
as Sunny De Lane
Opened by Mistake (1934)
as Thelma
Monkey Business (1931)
as Lucille Briggs
The Pajama Party (1931)
as Thelma
Her Private Life (1929)
as Mrs. Leslie
Maid in Hollywood (1934)
as Thelma
Air Hostess (1933)
as Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton
The Bachelor Girl (1929)
as Gladys
The Fighting Parson (1930)
as The Blonde Dance Hall Girl
Hotter Than Hot (1929)
Actor
God Gave Me Twenty Cents (1926)
as Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
The Gay Defender (1927)
as Ruth Ainsworth
Chickens Come Home (1931)
as Mrs. Hardy (uncredited)
Cheating Blondes (1933)
as Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies (1988)
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Let's Do Things (1931)
as Thelma Todd
Counsellor at Law (1933)
as Lillian La Rue
Mary Stevens, M.D. (1933)
as Lois Cavanaugh
Son of a Sailor (1933)
as The Baroness
Three Chumps Ahead (1934)
as Thelma Todd
The Maltese Falcon (1931)
as Iva Archer
Speak Easily (1932)
as Eleanor Espere
The Pip from Pittsburg (1931)
as Thelma
The Head Guy (1930)
as The Star
Another Fine Mess (1930)
as Lady Plumtree (uncredited)
Catch-As Catch-Can (1931)
as Thelma
Bum Voyage (1934)
as Thelma
The Shield of Honor (1927)
as Rose aka Flora Fisher
Corsair (1931)
as Alison Corning
The Poor Rich (1934)
as Gwendolyn Fetherstone
After the Dance (1935)
as Mabel Kane
Follow Thru (1930)
as Ruth Van Horn
Seven Footprints to Satan (1929)
as Eve Martin
Slightly Static (1935)
as Thelma
You Made Me Love You (1933)
as Pamela Berne
Murders of Hollywood (2003)
as Self (archive footage)
Unaccustomed as We Are (1929)
as Mrs. Kennedy
Beauty and the Bus (1933)
as Thelma
Sitting Pretty (1933)
as Gloria Duval
War Mamas (1931)
as Thelma
Lightning Strikes Twice (1934)
as Judy Nelson
Fireman, Save My Child (1927)
as (uncredited)
Show Business (1932)
as Thelma
The Bargain of the Century (1933)
as Thelma
Soup and Fish (1934)
as Miss Thelma Todd
Command Performance (1931)
as Lydia
Strictly Unreliable (1932)
as Miss Thelma Todd
Fascinating Youth (1926)
as Lorraine Lane
No Limit (1931)
as Betty Royce
Twin Triplets (1935)
as Thelma
Nevada (1927)
as Hettie Ide
Asleep in the Feet (1933)
as Thelma
Bottoms Up (1934)
as Judith Marlowe
Death In Hollywood (1990)
as Self (archive footage)
Naughty Baby (1928)
as Bonnie Le Vonne
Take the Stand (1934)
as Miss Sally Oxford
Hurdy Gurdy (1929)
as Blondie
Broadminded (1931)
as Gertie Gardner
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon (1929)
as The Woman
On the Loose (1931)
as Thelma
An All American Toothache (1936)
as Thelma Alice Todd
Maids a la Mode (1933)
as Miss Todd
Hips, Hips, Hooray! (1934)
as Miss Amelia Frisby
The Noose (1928)
as Phyllis
Two for Tonight (1935)
as Lilly
Rubber Heels (1927)
as Princess Aline
Looser Than Loose (1930)
as Thelma, Charley's Fiancee
Palooka (1934)
as Trixie
Whispering Whoopee (1930)
as Miss Todd
House of Horror (1929)
as Thelma
Trial Marriage (1929)
as Grace Logan
Red Noses (1932)
as Miss Todd
One Track Minds (1933)
as Thelma Todd
Yesterday and Today (1953)
as (archive footage)
The Old Bull (1932)
as Thelma
The Nickel Nurser (1932)
as Thelma Todd
Air Fright (1933)
as Thelma
Treasure Blues (1935)
as Thelma
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) (1942)
as Self (archive footage)
Done in Oil (1934)
as Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd
Deception (1932)
as Lola Del Mont
Dollar Dizzy (1930)
as Thelma Todd
One-Horse Farmers (1934)
as Thelma
The Crash (1928)
as Daisy McQueen
Crazy Feet (1929)
as Dancer
The Tin Man (1935)
as Thelma Todd
The Shrimp (1930)
as Jim's Girlfriend
The Misses Stooge (1935)
as Thelma Todd
Top Flat (1935)
as Thelma Todd
Rough Seas (1931)
as Antoinette
Aloha (1931)
as Winifred Bradford
Babes in the Goods (1934)
as Thelma Todd
Heart to Heart (1928)
as Ruby Boyd
Swanee River (1931)
as Caroline
Sing Sister Sing (1935)
as Thelma
Love Fever (1931)
as Thelma Todd
Stepping Out (1929)
as Charley's Wife
I'll Be Suing You (1934)
as Miss Todd
The Haunted House (1928)
as The Nurse
The Real McCoy (1930)
as Thelma
Sneak Easily (1932)
as Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense
Snappy Sneezer (1929)
as Mary White
Klondike (1932)
as Klondike
The King (1930)
as The Queen
Vamping Venus (1928)
as Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus
Death Scenes (1989)
as Self (archive footage)
Sealskins (1932)
as Thelma Todd
The Big Timer (1932)
as Kay Mitchell
Look out Below (1929)
as Thelma
High C's (1930)
as Antoinette
Hot Money (1935)
as Miss Thelma Todd
The Hot Heiress (1931)
as Lola
Backs to Nature (1933)
as Thelma
The Soilers (1932)
as Thelma
All Teed Up (1930)
as Thelma
Sky Boy (1929)
Actor
Alum and Eve (1932)
as Thelma