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