FLIXREC
Thelma Todd

Thelma Todd

Acting July 29, 1906 (29 years old) December 16, 1935 Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA

Biography

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.

Movies 125

Horse Feathers 6.9

Horse Feathers

as Connie Bailey

1932
The Devil's Brother 6.9

The Devil's Brother

as Lady Pamela Rocburg

1933
Monkey Business 6.9

Monkey Business

as Lucille Briggs

1931
Her Man 5.2

Her Man

as Nelly

1930
Cockeyed Cavaliers 5.8

Cockeyed Cavaliers

as Lady Genevieve

1934
Mary Stevens, M.D. 6.2

Mary Stevens, M.D.

as Lois Cavanaugh

1933
Call Her Savage 5.7

Call Her Savage

as Sunny De Lane

1932
Unaccustomed as We Are 7.0

Unaccustomed as We Are

as Mrs. Kennedy

1929
Death In Hollywood 6.8

Death In Hollywood

as Self (archive footage)

1990
The Maltese Falcon 6.4

The Maltese Falcon

as Iva Archer

1931
Another Fine Mess 6.9

Another Fine Mess

as Lady Plumtree (uncredited)

1930
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies

as (archive footage) (uncredited)

1988
Her Private Life 3.0

Her Private Life

as Mrs. Leslie

1929
The Bohemian Girl 6.2

The Bohemian Girl

as Gypsy Queen's Daughter

1936
Son of a Sailor 6.0

Son of a Sailor

as The Baroness

1933
You Made Me Love You 7.1

You Made Me Love You

as Pamela Berne

1933
Seven Footprints to Satan 6.2

Seven Footprints to Satan

as Eve Martin

1929
Catch-As Catch-Can 3.3

Catch-As Catch-Can

as Thelma

1931
Careers 10.0

Careers

as Hortense

1929
The Shield of Honor 6.0

The Shield of Honor

as Rose aka Flora Fisher

1927
This Is the Night 5.4

This Is the Night

as Claire Mathewson

1932
Bum Voyage 6.5

Bum Voyage

as Thelma

1934
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)

Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)

as Self (archive footage)

1942
Follow Thru 7.4

Follow Thru

as Ruth Van Horn

1930
Air Hostess 6.3

Air Hostess

as Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton

1933
Let's Do Things 6.5

Let's Do Things

as Thelma Todd

1931
Three Chumps Ahead 10.0

Three Chumps Ahead

as Thelma Todd

1934
The Hot Heiress 6.2

The Hot Heiress

as Lola

1931
Chickens Come Home 6.6

Chickens Come Home

as Mrs. Hardy (uncredited)

1931
Klondike 5.2

Klondike

as Klondike

1932
Two for Tonight 7.7

Two for Tonight

as Lilly

1935
The Bargain of the Century 4.2

The Bargain of the Century

as Thelma

1933
Asleep in the Feet 4.8

Asleep in the Feet

as Thelma

1933
The Pip from Pittsburg 6.6

The Pip from Pittsburg

as Thelma

1931
Heart to Heart 7.0

Heart to Heart

as Ruby Boyd

1928
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files 8.0

Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files

as (archive footage) (uncredited)

1992
God Gave Me Twenty Cents 9.0

God Gave Me Twenty Cents

as Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)

1926
Maid in Hollywood 9.0

Maid in Hollywood

as Thelma

1934
Fireman, Save My Child 8.0

Fireman, Save My Child

as (uncredited)

1927
Babes in the Goods 8.0

Babes in the Goods

as Thelma Todd

1934
The Gay Defender 9.0

The Gay Defender

as Ruth Ainsworth

1927
Fascinating Youth 9.0

Fascinating Youth

as Lorraine Lane

1926
On the Loose 6.8

On the Loose

as Thelma

1931
Broadminded 4.1

Broadminded

as Gertie Gardner

1931
Palooka 3.6

Palooka

as Trixie

1934
The Pajama Party 7.0

The Pajama Party

as Thelma

1931
Dollar Dizzy 6.8

Dollar Dizzy

as Thelma Todd

1930
Cheating Blondes 5.0

Cheating Blondes

as Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners

1933
The Poor Rich 8.0

The Poor Rich

as Gwendolyn Fetherstone

1934
Nevada 6.7

Nevada

as Hettie Ide

1927
Corsair 4.4

Corsair

as Alison Corning

1931
The King 4.4

The King

as The Queen

1930
Vamping Venus 7.0

Vamping Venus

as Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus

1928
The Tin Man 7.2

The Tin Man

as Thelma Todd

1935
Murders of Hollywood 5.0

Murders of Hollywood

as Self (archive footage)

2003
Yesterday and Today 7.0

Yesterday and Today

as (archive footage)

1953
Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon

Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon

as The Woman

1929
An All American Toothache 8.0

An All American Toothache

as Thelma Alice Todd

1936
Counsellor at Law 6.6

Counsellor at Law

as Lillian La Rue

1933
Looser Than Loose 6.0

Looser Than Loose

as Thelma, Charley's Fiancee

1930
One Track Minds 7.0

One Track Minds

as Thelma Todd

1933
Sitting Pretty 8.0

Sitting Pretty

as Gloria Duval

1933
Bottoms Up 5.2

Bottoms Up

as Judith Marlowe

1934
Death Scenes 4.2

Death Scenes

as Self (archive footage)

1989
Hips, Hips, Hooray! 6.6

Hips, Hips, Hooray!

as Miss Amelia Frisby

1934
Soup and Fish 10.0

Soup and Fish

as Miss Thelma Todd

1934
Opened by Mistake 8.0

Opened by Mistake

as Thelma

1934
Speak Easily 5.8

Speak Easily

as Eleanor Espere

1932
Beauty and the Bus 8.0

Beauty and the Bus

as Thelma

1933
Top Flat 7.0

Top Flat

as Thelma Todd

1935
Maids a la Mode 3.7

Maids a la Mode

as Miss Todd

1933
After the Dance 6.5

After the Dance

as Mabel Kane

1935
Strictly Unreliable 6.0

Strictly Unreliable

as Miss Thelma Todd

1932
The Haunted House 7.0

The Haunted House

as The Nurse

1928
Command Performance 5.1

Command Performance

as Lydia

1931
The Misses Stooge 10.0

The Misses Stooge

as Thelma Todd

1935
Aloha 8.0

Aloha

as Winifred Bradford

1931
The Soilers 6.8

The Soilers

as Thelma

1932
The Head Guy 4.2

The Head Guy

as The Star

1930
The Crash 8.0

The Crash

as Daisy McQueen

1928
The Fighting Parson 7.0

The Fighting Parson

as The Blonde Dance Hall Girl

1930
I'll Be Suing You 9.0

I'll Be Suing You

as Miss Todd

1934
Red Noses 7.5

Red Noses

as Miss Todd

1932
Rubber Heels 7.0

Rubber Heels

as Princess Aline

1927
Twin Triplets 8.0

Twin Triplets

as Thelma

1935
The Nickel Nurser 4.0

The Nickel Nurser

as Thelma Todd

1932
Hotter Than Hot 10.0

Hotter Than Hot

1929
One-Horse Farmers 8.0

One-Horse Farmers

as Thelma

1934
Naughty Baby 5.0

Naughty Baby

as Bonnie Le Vonne

1928
The Real McCoy 6.4

The Real McCoy

as Thelma

1930
The Bachelor Girl 7.0

The Bachelor Girl

as Gladys

1929
Slightly Static 9.0

Slightly Static

as Thelma

1935
Lightning Strikes Twice 5.2

Lightning Strikes Twice

as Judy Nelson

1934
Love Fever 4.6

Love Fever

as Thelma Todd

1931
Trial Marriage 10.0

Trial Marriage

as Grace Logan

1929
Hurdy Gurdy 7.0

Hurdy Gurdy

as Blondie

1929
Show Business 6.5

Show Business

as Thelma

1932
Air Fright 6.3

Air Fright

as Thelma

1933
The Big Timer 4.6

The Big Timer

as Kay Mitchell

1932
No Limit 6.0

No Limit

as Betty Royce

1931
House of Horror 10.0

House of Horror

as Thelma

1929
The Noose 7.7

The Noose

as Phyllis

1928
Sky Boy

Sky Boy

1929
Treasure Blues 9.0

Treasure Blues

as Thelma

1935
Snappy Sneezer 6.8

Snappy Sneezer

as Mary White

1929
Alum and Eve 6.8

Alum and Eve

as Thelma

1932
Crazy Feet 6.8

Crazy Feet

as Dancer

1929
Take the Stand 5.5

Take the Stand

as Miss Sally Oxford

1934
All Teed Up 4.8

All Teed Up

as Thelma

1930
Deception 7.5

Deception

as Lola Del Mont

1932
The Shrimp 7.0

The Shrimp

as Jim's Girlfriend

1930
Look out Below 5.5

Look out Below

as Thelma

1929
Whispering Whoopee 6.2

Whispering Whoopee

as Miss Todd

1930
High C's 4.4

High C's

as Antoinette

1930
Sing Sister Sing 7.3

Sing Sister Sing

as Thelma

1935
Sneak Easily 8.0

Sneak Easily

as Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense

1932
Sealskins 6.7

Sealskins

as Thelma Todd

1932
Swanee River 9.0

Swanee River

as Caroline

1931
The Old Bull 6.0

The Old Bull

as Thelma

1932
War Mamas 8.0

War Mamas

as Thelma

1931
Rough Seas 7.0

Rough Seas

as Antoinette

1931
Hot Money 10.0

Hot Money

as Miss Thelma Todd

1935
Backs to Nature 6.3

Backs to Nature

as Thelma

1933
Stepping Out 6.0

Stepping Out

as Charley's Wife

1929
Done in Oil 9.0

Done in Oil

as Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd

1934

TV Shows 1

Reviews

Loading reviews...