
Thelma Todd
Born July 29, 1906 · 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.
More Movies

Her Man

Cockeyed Cavaliers

Horse Feathers

Mary Stevens, M.D.

Unaccustomed as We Are

Careers

Call Her Savage

Air Hostess

Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)

Son of a Sailor

This Is the Night

Let's Do Things

The Bohemian Girl

Counsellor at Law

Beauty and the Bus

Maids a la Mode

Hips, Hips, Hooray!

Death In Hollywood

Seven Footprints to Satan

God Gave Me Twenty Cents

The Maltese Falcon

The Shield of Honor

The Poor Rich

Another Fine Mess

You Made Me Love You

Chickens Come Home

Cheating Blondes

Speak Easily

Babes in the Goods

The Gay Defender

Catch-As Catch-Can

Asleep in the Feet

Two for Tonight

The Bargain of the Century

Fireman, Save My Child

The Big Timer

After the Dance

Bottoms Up

Maid in Hollywood

Yesterday and Today

Slightly Static

Fascinating Youth

Murders of Hollywood

Her Private Life

The Pip from Pittsburg

On the Loose

Naughty Baby

Corsair

The Fighting Parson

Follow Thru

Lightning Strikes Twice

No Limit

Soup and Fish

Sitting Pretty

The Pajama Party

Palooka

Aloha

Heart to Heart

Nevada

Show Business

The Head Guy

Death Scenes

War Mamas

Broadminded

The Haunted House

Hot Money

Crazy Feet

The Soilers

One Track Minds

The Tin Man

The Bachelor Girl

Love Fever

Command Performance

Vamping Venus

Looser Than Loose

The Hot Heiress

The Noose

Bum Voyage

Three Chumps Ahead

Klondike

Sneak Easily

Strictly Unreliable

Air Fright

Dollar Dizzy

Hotter Than Hot

The Nickel Nurser

Take the Stand

The Misses Stooge

Red Noses

House of Horror

The Crash

Twin Triplets

Done in Oil

Alum and Eve

Sealskins

Hurdy Gurdy

Rubber Heels

High C's

The King

The Shrimp

Top Flat

The Real McCoy

Whispering Whoopee

Snappy Sneezer

Stepping Out

All Teed Up

Rough Seas

Sky Boy

The Old Bull

Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon

Backs to Nature

Treasure Blues

Trial Marriage




