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