Thelma Todd
Known for: Acting
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
Series
Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime
Self (archive footage)
2016
Film
Monkey Business
Lucille Briggs
1931
Film
The Devil's Brother
Lady Pamela Rocburg
1933
Film
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Lady Genevieve
1934
Film
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
(archive footage) (uncredited)
1988
Film
Another Fine Mess
Lady Plumtree (uncredited)
1930
Film
Horse Feathers
Connie Bailey
1932
Film
Her Man
Nelly
1930
Film
Careers
Hortense
1929
Film
Death In Hollywood
1990
Film
Call Her Savage
Sunny De Lane
1932
Film
Son of a Sailor
The Baroness
1933
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files
(archive footage) (uncredited)
1992
Film
Air Hostess
Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton
1933
Film
Chickens Come Home
Mrs. Hardy (uncredited)
1931
Film
The Maltese Falcon
Iva Archer
1931
Film
The Bohemian Girl
Gypsy Queen's Daughter
1936
Film
This Is the Night
Claire Mathewson
1932
Film
Bottoms Up
Judith Marlowe
1934
Film
Her Private Life
Mrs. Leslie
1929
Film
Cheating Blondes
Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners
1933
Film
The Noose
Phyllis
1928
Film
After the Dance
Mabel Kane
1935
Film
Speak Easily
Eleanor Espere
1932
Film
Unaccustomed as We Are
Mrs. Kennedy
1929
Opened by Mistake
Thelma
1934
Film
Naughty Baby
Bonnie Le Vonne
1928
Film
The Gay Defender
Ruth Ainsworth
1927
Film
High C's
Antoinette
1930
Film
The Big Timer
Kay Mitchell
1932
Film
Alum and Eve
Thelma
1932
Film
The Tin Man
Thelma Todd
1935
Film
Two for Tonight
Lilly
1935
Film
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Self (archive footage)
1942
Film
Follow Thru
Ruth Van Horn
1930
Film
Top Flat
Thelma Todd
1935
Film
Maid in Hollywood
Thelma
1934
Film
The Bargain of the Century
Thelma
1933
Film
The Nickel Nurser
Thelma Todd
1932
Film
Mary Stevens, M.D.
Lois Cavanaugh
1933
Film
Fireman, Save My Child
(uncredited)
1927
Film
Counsellor at Law
Lillian La Rue
1933
Film
Sing Sister Sing
Thelma
1935
Film
God Gave Me Twenty Cents
Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
1926
Film
The Pajama Party
Thelma
1931
Film
Slightly Static
Thelma
1935
Film
Nevada
Hettie Ide
1927
Film
Maids a la Mode
Miss Todd
1933
Film
War Mamas
Thelma
1931
Film
Command Performance
Lydia
1931
Film
The Real McCoy
Thelma
1930
Film
Corsair
Alison Corning
1931
Film
Fascinating Youth
Lorraine Lane
1926
Film
Hotter Than Hot
1929
Film
Asleep in the Feet
Thelma
1933
Film
Sitting Pretty
Gloria Duval
1933
Film
Let's Do Things
Thelma Todd
1931
Film
The Bachelor Girl
Gladys
1929
Film
Take the Stand
Miss Sally Oxford
1934
Film
The Poor Rich
Gwendolyn Fetherstone
1934
Film
One Track Minds
Thelma Todd
1933
Film
On the Loose
Thelma
1931
Film
The Fighting Parson
The Blonde Dance Hall Girl
1930
Film
Three Chumps Ahead
Thelma Todd
1934
Film
Aloha
Winifred Bradford
1931
Film
Hips, Hips, Hooray!
Miss Amelia Frisby
1934
Film
Murders of Hollywood
Self (archive footage)
2003
Film
Palooka
Trixie
1934
Film
Catch-As Catch-Can
Thelma
1931
Film
Sealskins
Thelma Todd
1932
Film
The Hot Heiress
Lola
1931
Film
Show Business
Thelma
1932
Film
Hurdy Gurdy
Blondie
1929
Film
Heart to Heart
Ruby Boyd
1928
Film
No Limit
Betty Royce
1931
Film
Red Noses
Miss Todd
1932
Film
Death Scenes
Self (archive footage)
1989
Film
The Crash
Daisy McQueen
1928
Film
Dollar Dizzy
Thelma Todd
1930
Film
Whispering Whoopee
Miss Todd
1930
Film
Bum Voyage
Thelma
1934
Film
Hot Money
Miss Thelma Todd
1935
Film
Rubber Heels
Princess Aline
1927
Film
Looser Than Loose
Thelma, Charley's Fiancee
1930
Film
Klondike
Klondike
1932
Film
The Shield of Honor
Rose aka Flora Fisher
1927
Film
Yesterday and Today
(archive footage)
1953
Film
The Head Guy
The Star
1930
Film
All Teed Up
Thelma
1930
Film
Strictly Unreliable
Miss Thelma Todd
1932
Film
The Shrimp
Jim's Girlfriend
1930
I'll Be Suing You
Miss Todd
1934
Film
Crazy Feet
Dancer
1929
Film
The Old Bull
Thelma
1932
Film
Beauty and the Bus
Thelma
1933
Film
Broadminded
Gertie Gardner
1931
Film
Sneak Easily
Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense
1932
Film
Twin Triplets
Thelma
1935
Film
Treasure Blues
Thelma
1935
Film
Air Fright
Thelma
1933
Look out Below
Thelma
1929
Film
You Made Me Love You
Pamela Berne
1933
Film
Love Fever
Thelma Todd
1931
Film
Rough Seas
Antoinette
1931
Film
Soup and Fish
Miss Thelma Todd
1934
Film
Seven Footprints to Satan
Eve
1929
Film
Lightning Strikes Twice
Judy Nelson
1934
Film
Done in Oil
Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd
1934
Film
The Misses Stooge
Thelma Todd
1935
Film
Babes in the Goods
Thelma Todd
1934
Deception
Lola Del Mont
1932
Film
The Pip from Pittsburg
Thelma
1931
Film
The Haunted House
The Nurse
1928
Film
The Soilers
Thelma
1932
Film
House of Horror
Thelma
1929
One-Horse Farmers
Thelma
1934
Film
Trial Marriage
Grace Logan
1929
Film
The King
The Queen
1930
Film
Snappy Sneezer
Mary White
1929
Film
Vamping Venus
Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus
1928
Film
Stepping Out
Charley's Wife
1929
Swanee River
Caroline
1931
An All American Toothache
Thelma Alice Todd
1936
Film
Backs to Nature
Thelma
1933
Film
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon
The Woman
1929
Film
Sky Boy
1929