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