About

Known credits:
122
Birthday:
1906-07-29
Place of birth:
Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
Website:
N/A

Thelma Todd

Overview

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.

Known for

Acting
1987 Hollywood's Hidden Secrets Actor (archive footage) N/A
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1953 Yesterday and Today Actor (archive footage) N/A
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1942 Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) Actor Self (archive footage) N/A
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1936 The Bohemian Girl Actor Gypsy Queen's Daughter 59
Average
1936 An All American Toothache Actor Thelma Alice Todd N/A
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1935 Top Flat Actor Thelma Todd N/A
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1935 Hot Money Actor Miss Thelma Todd N/A
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1935 Twin Triplets Actor Thelma N/A
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1935 Two for Tonight Actor Lilly 58
Average
1935 Slightly Static Actor Thelma N/A
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1935 After the Dance Actor Mabel Kane 59
Average
1935 The Misses Stooge Actor Thelma Todd N/A
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1935 The Tin Man Actor Thelma Todd 59
Average
1935 Sing Sister Sing Actor Thelma 58
Average
1935 Treasure Blues Actor Thelma N/A
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1934 Bum Voyage Actor Thelma 58
Average
1934 Lightning Strikes Twice Actor Judy Nelson 58
Average
1934 Done in Oil Actor Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd N/A
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1934 Opened by Mistake Actor Thelma N/A
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1934 Take the Stand Actor Miss Sally Oxford 58
Average
1934 One-Horse Farmers Actor Thelma N/A
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1934 Three Chumps Ahead Actor Thelma Todd N/A
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1934 Cockeyed Cavaliers Actor Lady Genevieve 59
Average
1934 I'll Be Suing You Actor Miss Todd N/A
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1934 Maid in Hollywood Actor Thelma N/A
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1934 Bottoms Up Actor Judith Marlowe 58
Average
1934 Soup and Fish Actor Miss Thelma Todd N/A
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1934 The Poor Rich Actor Gwendolyn Fetherstone N/A
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1934 Babes in the Goods Actor Thelma Todd 58
Average
1934 Hips, Hips, Hooray! Actor Miss Amelia Frisby 59
Average
1934 Palooka Actor Trixie 58
Average
1933 Counsellor at Law Actor Lillian La Rue 59
Average
1933 Air Fright Actor Thelma N/A
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1933 Son of a Sailor Actor The Baroness 58
Average
1933 Sitting Pretty Actor Gloria Duval 59
Average
1933 Backs to Nature Actor Thelma 58
Average
1933 You Made Me Love You Actor Pamela Berne 59
Average
1933 Beauty and the Bus Actor Thelma N/A
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1933 Mary Stevens, M.D. Actor Lois Cavanaugh 58
Average
1933 One Track Minds Actor N/A
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1933 The Devil's Brother Actor Lady Pamela Rocburg 59
Average
1933 Cheating Blondes Actor Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners 58
Average
1933 The Bargain of the Century Actor Thelma 58
Average
1933 Maids a la Mode Actor Miss Todd N/A
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1933 Asleep in the Feet Actor Thelma N/A
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1933 Air Hostess Actor Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton 59
Average
1932 Sneak Easily Actor Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense N/A
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1932 Call Her Savage Actor Sunny De Lane 58
Average
1932 Deception Actor Lola Del Mont N/A
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1932 The Soilers Actor Thelma 59
Average
1932 Alum and Eve Actor Thelma 59
Average
1932 Klondike Actor Klondike 58
Average
1932 Show Business Actor Thelma 59
Average
1932 Horse Feathers Actor Connie Bailey 61
Fair
1932 Speak Easily Actor Eleanor Espere 58
Average
1932 The Old Bull Actor Thelma 59
Average
1932 Strictly Unreliable Actor Miss Thelma Todd 59
Average
1932 This Is the Night Actor Claire Mathewson 58
Average
1932 Red Noses Actor Miss Todd N/A
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1932 The Nickel Nurser Actor Thelma Todd N/A
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1932 The Big Timer Actor Kay Mitchell 58
Average
1932 Sealskins Actor Thelma Todd 59
Average
1931 On the Loose Actor Thelma 59
Average
1931 Corsair Actor Alison Corning 58
Average
1931 War Mamas Actor Thelma N/A
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1931 The Pajama Party Actor Thelma 59
Average
1931 Monkey Business Actor Lucille Briggs 62
Fair
1931 Catch-As Catch-Can Actor Thelma N/A
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1931 Broadminded Actor Gertie Gardner 58
Average
1931 Let's Do Things Actor Thelma Todd N/A
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1931 The Maltese Falcon Actor Iva Archer 59
Average
1931 Aloha Actor Winifred Bradford N/A
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1931 Rough Seas Actor Antoinette N/A
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1931 Love Fever Actor Thelma Todd 59
Average
1931 The Hot Heiress Actor Lola 59
Average
1931 The Pip from Pittsburg Actor Thelma 58
Average
1931 Swanee River Actor Caroline N/A
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1931 Chickens Come Home Actor Mrs. Hardy 59
Average
1931 Command Performance Actor Lydia 58
Average
1931 No Limit Actor Betty Royce 59
Average
1930 High C's Actor Antoinette N/A
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1930 Another Fine Mess Actor Lady Plumtree (uncredited) 59
Average
1930 Looser Than Loose Actor Thelma, Charley's Fiancee 59
Average
1930 Dollar Dizzy Actor Thelma Todd 59
Average
1930 Follow Thru Actor Mrs. Van Horn 59
Average
1930 Her Man Actor Nelly 59
Average
1930 The King Actor The Queen 58
Average
1930 The Shrimp Actor Jim's Girlfriend N/A
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1930 All Teed Up Actor Thelma 59
Average
1930 Whispering Whoopee Actor Miss Todd 59
Average
1930 The Fighting Parson Actor The Blonde Dance Hall Girl N/A
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1930 The Real McCoy Actor Thelma N/A
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1930 The Head Guy Actor The Star 58
Average
1929 Stepping Out Actor Charley's Wife 58
Average
1929 Sky Boy Actor N/A
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1929 Crazy Feet Actor Dancer N/A
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1929 Her Private Life Actor Mrs. Leslie 58
Average
1929 Hotter Than Hot Actor N/A
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1929 Look out Below Actor Thelma 59
Average
1929 Snappy Sneezer Actor Mary White N/A
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1929 Careers Actor Hortense N/A
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1929 The Bachelor Girl Actor Gladys N/A
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1929 Hurdy Gurdy Actor Blondie N/A
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1929 Unaccustomed as We Are Actor Mrs. Kennedy 59
Average
1929 House of Horror Actor Thelma N/A
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1929 Hal Roach Presents Harry Langdon Actor The Woman N/A
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1929 Trial Marriage Actor Grace Logan N/A
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1929 Seven Footprints to Satan Actor Eve 59
Average
1928 Naughty Baby Actor Bonnie Le Vonne 58
Average
1928 Fashion News Actor Self (1929) N/A
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1928 The Haunted House Actor The Nurse N/A
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1928 The Crash Actor Daisy McQueen N/A
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1928 Heart to Heart Actor Ruby Boyd N/A
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1928 Vamping Venus Actor Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus N/A
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1928 The Noose Actor Phyllis N/A
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1927 The Shield of Honor Actor Rose aka Flora Fisher 58
Average
1927 The Gay Defender Actor Ruth Ainsworth N/A
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1927 Fireman, Save My Child Actor (uncredited) N/A
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1927 Nevada Actor Hettie Ide 59
Average
1927 Rubber Heels Actor Princess Aline N/A
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1926 God Gave Me Twenty Cents Actor Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited) N/A
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1926 Fascinating Youth Actor Lorraine Lane N/A
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