Acting
Thelma Todd
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
Buzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime
Series · 2016
Murders of Hollywood
Film · 2003
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files
Film · 1992
Death In Hollywood
Film · 1990
Death Scenes
Film · 1989
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
Film · 1988
Yesterday and Today
Film · 1953
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
Film · 1942
The Bohemian Girl
Film · 1936
An All American Toothache
Film · 1936
Two for Tonight
Film · 1935
Top Flat
Film · 1935
The Tin Man
Film · 1935
Sing Sister Sing
Film · 1935
Hot Money
Film · 1935
Twin Triplets
Film · 1935
Treasure Blues
Film · 1935
The Misses Stooge
Film · 1935
Slightly Static
Film · 1935
After the Dance
Film · 1935
Cockeyed Cavaliers
Film · 1934
Hips, Hips, Hooray!
Film · 1934
Lightning Strikes Twice
Film · 1934
The Poor Rich
Film · 1934
Maid in Hollywood
Film · 1934
Soup and Fish
Film · 1934
One-Horse Farmers
Film · 1934
Opened by Mistake
Film · 1934
Palooka
Film · 1934
Three Chumps Ahead
Film · 1934
I'll Be Suing You
Film · 1934
Done in Oil
Film · 1934
Bum Voyage
Film · 1934
Babes in the Goods
Film · 1934
Bottoms Up
Film · 1934
Take the Stand
Film · 1934
Air Hostess
Film · 1933
Counsellor at Law
Film · 1933
The Devil's Brother
Film · 1933
Sitting Pretty
Film · 1933
Mary Stevens, M.D.
Film · 1933
Son of a Sailor
Film · 1933
The Bargain of the Century
Film · 1933
Asleep in the Feet
Film · 1933
Maids a la Mode
Film · 1933
Backs to Nature
Film · 1933
One Track Minds
Film · 1933
Beauty and the Bus
Film · 1933
Air Fright
Film · 1933
Cheating Blondes
Film · 1933
You Made Me Love You
Film · 1933
Horse Feathers
Film · 1932
Speak Easily
Film · 1932
This Is the Night
Film · 1932
Call Her Savage
Film · 1932
Klondike
Film · 1932
The Big Timer
Film · 1932
Show Business
Film · 1932
Sealskins
Film · 1932
Red Noses
Film · 1932
The Nickel Nurser
Film · 1932
The Soilers
Film · 1932
The Old Bull
Film · 1932
Strictly Unreliable
Film · 1932
Sneak Easily
Film · 1932
Alum and Eve
Film · 1932
Deception
Film · 1932
The Maltese Falcon
Film · 1931
Monkey Business
Film · 1931
On the Loose
Film · 1931
Chickens Come Home
Film · 1931
Corsair
Film · 1931
Broadminded
Film · 1931
The Hot Heiress
Film · 1931
Rough Seas
Film · 1931
No Limit
Film · 1931
The Pip from Pittsburg
Film · 1931
Catch-As Catch-Can
Film · 1931
Command Performance
Film · 1931
Love Fever
Film · 1931
War Mamas
Film · 1931
The Pajama Party
Film · 1931
Let's Do Things
Film · 1931
Aloha
Film · 1931
Swanee River
Film · 1931
Another Fine Mess
Film · 1930
Her Man
Film · 1930
Whispering Whoopee
Film · 1930
High C's
Film · 1930
Follow Thru
Film · 1930
The Real McCoy
Film · 1930
Dollar Dizzy
Film · 1930
The Fighting Parson
Film · 1930
The Shrimp
Film · 1930
The King
Film · 1930
The Head Guy
Film · 1930
Looser Than Loose
Film · 1930
All Teed Up
Film · 1930
Seven Footprints to Satan
Film · 1929
Unaccustomed as We Are
Film · 1929
Hurdy Gurdy
Film · 1929
Snappy Sneezer
Film · 1929
Hotter Than Hot
Film · 1929
Look out Below
Film · 1929
House of Horror
Film · 1929
Careers
Film · 1929
The Bachelor Girl
Film · 1929
Trial Marriage
Film · 1929
Crazy Feet
Film · 1929
Her Private Life
Film · 1929
Sky Boy
Film · 1929
Stepping Out
Film · 1929
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon
Film · 1929
Heart to Heart
Film · 1928
The Noose
Film · 1928
Naughty Baby
Film · 1928
The Crash
Film · 1928
Vamping Venus
Film · 1928
The Haunted House
Film · 1928
Nevada
Film · 1927
The Shield of Honor
Film · 1927
Rubber Heels
Film · 1927
Fireman, Save My Child
Film · 1927
The Gay Defender
Film · 1927
God Gave Me Twenty Cents
Film · 1926
Fascinating Youth
Film · 1926