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