Thelma Todd
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 29, 1906
- Died
- December 16, 1935
- Birthplace
- Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
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
Murders of Hollywood 2003
as Self (archive footage)
- Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files 1992
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Death In Hollywood 1990
as Self (archive footage)
Death Scenes 1989
as Self (archive footage)
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies 1988
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Yesterday and Today 1953
as (archive footage)
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) 1942
as Self (archive footage)
The Bohemian Girl 1936
as Gypsy Queen's Daughter
- An All American Toothache
An All American Toothache 1936
as Thelma Alice Todd
Top Flat 1935
as Thelma Todd
Hot Money 1935
as Miss Thelma Todd
Twin Triplets 1935
as Thelma
Two for Tonight 1935
as Lilly
Slightly Static 1935
as Thelma
After the Dance 1935
as Mabel Kane
The Misses Stooge 1935
as Thelma Todd
The Tin Man 1935
as Thelma Todd
Sing Sister Sing 1935
as Thelma
Treasure Blues 1935
as Thelma
Bum Voyage 1934
as Thelma
Lightning Strikes Twice 1934
as Judy Nelson
Done in Oil 1934
as Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd
- Opened by Mistake
Opened by Mistake 1934
as Thelma
Take the Stand 1934
as Miss Sally Oxford
- One-Horse Farmers
One-Horse Farmers 1934
as Thelma
Three Chumps Ahead 1934
as Thelma Todd
Cockeyed Cavaliers 1934
as Lady Genevieve
- I'll Be Suing You
I'll Be Suing You 1934
as Miss Todd
Maid in Hollywood 1934
as Thelma
Bottoms Up 1934
as Judith Marlowe
Soup and Fish 1934
as Miss Thelma Todd
The Poor Rich 1934
as Gwendolyn Fetherstone
Babes in the Goods 1934
as Thelma Todd
Hips, Hips, Hooray! 1934
as Miss Amelia Frisby
Palooka 1934
as Trixie
Counsellor at Law 1933
as Lillian La Rue
Air Fright 1933
as Thelma
Son of a Sailor 1933
as The Baroness
Sitting Pretty 1933
as Gloria Duval
Backs to Nature 1933
as Thelma
You Made Me Love You 1933
as Pamela Berne
Beauty and the Bus 1933
as Thelma
Mary Stevens, M.D. 1933
as Lois Cavanaugh
One Track Minds 1933
as Thelma Todd
The Devil's Brother 1933
as Lady Pamela Rocburg
Cheating Blondes 1933
as Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners
The Bargain of the Century 1933
as Thelma
Maids a la Mode 1933
as Miss Todd
Asleep in the Feet 1933
as Thelma
Air Hostess 1933
as Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton
Sneak Easily 1932
as Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense
Call Her Savage 1932
as Sunny De Lane
- Deception
Deception 1932
as Lola Del Mont
The Soilers 1932
as Thelma
Alum and Eve 1932
as Thelma
Klondike 1932
as Klondike
Show Business 1932
as Thelma
Horse Feathers 1932
as Connie Bailey
Speak Easily 1932
as Eleanor Espere
The Old Bull 1932
as Thelma
Strictly Unreliable 1932
as Miss Thelma Todd
This Is the Night 1932
as Claire Mathewson
Red Noses 1932
as Miss Todd
The Nickel Nurser 1932
as Thelma Todd
The Big Timer 1932
as Kay Mitchell
Sealskins 1932
as Thelma Todd
On the Loose 1931
as Thelma
Corsair 1931
as Alison Corning
War Mamas 1931
as Thelma
The Pajama Party 1931
as Thelma
Monkey Business 1931
as Lucille Briggs
Catch-As Catch-Can 1931
as Thelma
Broadminded 1931
as Gertie Gardner
Let's Do Things 1931
as Thelma Todd
The Maltese Falcon 1931
as Iva Archer
Aloha 1931
as Winifred Bradford
Rough Seas 1931
as Antoinette
Love Fever 1931
as Thelma Todd
The Hot Heiress 1931
as Lola
The Pip from Pittsburg 1931
as Thelma
- Swanee River
Swanee River 1931
as Caroline
Chickens Come Home 1931
as Mrs. Hardy (uncredited)
Command Performance 1931
as Lydia
No Limit 1931
as Betty Royce
High C's 1930
as Antoinette
Another Fine Mess 1930
as Lady Plumtree (uncredited)
Looser Than Loose 1930
as Thelma, Charley's Fiancee
Dollar Dizzy 1930
as Thelma Todd
Follow Thru 1930
as Ruth Van Horn
Her Man 1930
as Nelly
The King 1930
as The Queen
The Shrimp 1930
as Jim's Girlfriend
All Teed Up 1930
as Thelma
Whispering Whoopee 1930
as Miss Todd
The Fighting Parson 1930
as The Blonde Dance Hall Girl
The Real McCoy 1930
as Thelma
The Head Guy 1930
as The Star
Stepping Out 1929
as Charley's Wife
Sky Boy 1929
Actor
Crazy Feet 1929
as Dancer
Her Private Life 1929
as Mrs. Leslie
Hotter Than Hot 1929
Actor
- Look out Below
Look out Below 1929
as Thelma
Snappy Sneezer 1929
as Mary White
Careers 1929
as Hortense
The Bachelor Girl 1929
as Gladys
Hurdy Gurdy 1929
as Blondie
Unaccustomed as We Are 1929
as Mrs. Kennedy
House of Horror 1929
as Thelma
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon 1929
as The Woman
Trial Marriage 1929
as Grace Logan
Seven Footprints to Satan 1929
as Eve Martin
Naughty Baby 1928
as Bonnie Le Vonne
The Haunted House 1928
as The Nurse
The Crash 1928
as Daisy McQueen
Heart to Heart 1928
as Ruby Boyd
Vamping Venus 1928
as Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus
The Noose 1928
as Phyllis
The Gay Defender 1927
as Ruth Ainsworth
The Shield of Honor 1927
as Rose aka Flora Fisher
Fireman, Save My Child 1927
as (uncredited)
Nevada 1927
as Hettie Ide
Rubber Heels 1927
as Princess Aline
God Gave Me Twenty Cents 1926
as Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
Fascinating Youth 1926
as Lorraine Lane
Credits from TMDB.