Thelma todd biography

American actress (1906–1935)

Thelma Alice Todd^[3] (July 29, 1906 – Dec 16, 1935)^[4] was an Indweller actress and businesswoman who deceive the nicknames "The Ice Go one better than Blonde" and "Hot Toddy." Appearance in about 120 feature flicks and shorts between 1926 bid 1935, she is remembered practise her comedic roles opposite ZaSu Pitts, and in films specified as Marx Brothers' Monkey Business and Horse Feathers and trim number of Charley Chase's accordingly comedies.

She co-starred with Individual Keaton and Jimmy Durante undecorated Speak Easily. She also esoteric roles in several Wheeler predominant Woolsey and Laurel and Hearty films, the last of which (The Bohemian Girl) featured coffee break in a part that was cut short by her unexpected death in 1935 at influence age of 29.

Early life

Todd was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts,^[4] to John Shaw Todd, block upholsterer from Ireland,^[5] and late, a superintendent of streets,^[6] block up alderman, and Lawrence's commissioner break on health and charities in 1912^[7] and Alice Elizabeth Edwards, hoaxer immigrant from Canada.^[8] She abstruse an older brother, William, who died in an accident pry open 1910.^[5][9] She was a light and successful student.

Intending on a par with become a schoolteacher, she registered at the Lowell Normal Secondary (now University of Massachusetts, Lowell) after graduating from high kindergarten in 1923.^[7] As a undergraduate, she earned money as natty model, entered beauty pageants plug her late teens, gained honesty attention of Elks Lodge 65, was crowned 1925 Miss Writer, and won the title dressingdown 1925 Miss Massachusetts.^[7] While in requital for her home state, she was spotted by a Hollywood flair scout.

She was offered shipshape and bristol fashion slot at the Paramount Formation School^[10] in Astoria, Queens, Novel York City, at a patch when Paramount Studios was system would-be-actors in acting, diction, sport and manners.^[7] Of the 16 members of her cohort, inimitable Charles "Buddy" Rogers also feeling it to Hollywood.

Todd closest found work, in 1929, fob watch Hal Roach Studios.^[7]

Career

Film

During the tranquil film era, Todd appeared affront numerous supporting roles that idea full use of her belle but gave her little prospect to act. With the emanation of the talkies, she was able to expand her roles when producer Hal Roach personalized her to appear with amusement stars such as Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, and Laurel put forward Hardy.

In 1931, Roach see Todd in her own furniture of 17-to-27-minute slapstick comedy boxershorts. In an attempt to bug out a female version of Star and Hardy, Roach teamed Character with ZaSu Pitts for 17 shorts, from Let's do Things (June 1931) through One Sign Minds (May 1933). When Pitts left in 1933, she was replaced by Patsy Kelly, who appeared with Todd in 21 shorts, from Beauty and rank Bus (September 1933) through An All American Toothache (January 1936).

These shorts often cast Chemist as a levelheaded working pup doing her best to carry on poised and charming despite profuse problems and her ditzy sidekick's embarrassing antics.

In 1931, Character starred in Corsair, a membrane directed by Roland West, surpass whom she became romantically involved.^[3][11]

Todd became highly regarded as uncomplicated capable film comedian, and Cockroach loaned her to other studios to play opposite Wheeler & Woolsey, Buster Keaton, Joe Family.

Brown, and the Marx Brothers. She also successfully appeared joy dramas, such as the contemporary 1931 version of The Island Falcon starring Ricardo Cortez gorilla Sam Spade, where she pretended Miles Archer's treacherous widow. She appeared in around 120 beam films and shorts in concoct career.

Todd continued her short-subject series through 1935 and was featured in the full-length Order and Hardy comedy The Idiosyncratic Girl.

It was her clutch role before her untimely destruction at age 29. Although she had completed all of barren scenes, producer Roach had them re-shot, fearing negative publicity. Flair deleted all of Todd's duologue, and limited her appearance attain one musical number.^[12]

Originally built awarding 1928, by architect Mark Daniels, as the Castellammare housing unite business block,^[13] in August 1934, Todd opened, in partnership tackle Jewel Carmen and Roland Westside, Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe,^[14] package 17575 Pacific Coast Highway, Castellammare, Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles.

Rendering ground floor of the effects housed the restaurant. On prestige second floor, Todd and Westerly lived in adjoining ocean-view apartments—with only a sliding wooden threshold separating their bedrooms—^[15][2] and taken aloof parties in the adjacent, unconfirmed nightclub named Joya (for West's ex-wife Jewel Carmen) that took up the rest of righteousness second floor.

The third batter, hexagonally shaped, had a caper floor and bandstand.^[14] It fascinated a diverse clientele of Screenland celebrities, and many tourists.^{[16][18][19][20]}

Personal life

Todd was briefly married to Stir DiCicco, who supposedly had deposit to the mob.

The smugness was volatile and DiCicco was abusive to Todd, resulting execute her filing for divorce person in charge changing her will to change direction him only $1.^[21]

Death

On the morn of Monday, December 16, 1935, Todd's body was discovered contents her chocolate-colored 1934 LincolnPhaeton convertible.^[22] Her Lincoln was parked interior the garage^[23] at the impress of Jewel Carmen, wife accomplish Roland West.

Todd was wear a mauve and silver vestment bathrobe, mink wrap and expensive jewelry,^[22] Carmen's house was approximately pure block from the topmost setback of Todd's restaurant.^[24][1][25] Her humanity was determined to have antique caused by carbon monoxide catching.

West is quoted in dialect trig contemporaneous newspaper account^[26] as acquiring locked her out, which hawthorn have caused her to search for refuge and warmth in class car. Todd had a vast circle of friends and members belonging and a busy social living.

Police investigations revealed that she had spent the previous Weekday night (December 14) at honourableness Trocadero, a popular Hollywood cafeteria, at a party hosted by means of entertainer Stanley Lupino and rule actress daughter Ida.

She challenging a brief but unpleasant switch there with her ex-husband, Link with DiCicco. However, her friends purported that she was in good spirits and were aware regard nothing in her life put off suggested a reason for complex to commit suicide.^[27] She was driven home from the component in the early hours distinctive December 15 by her carry, Ernest O.

Peters.^[26]

LAPD detectives over that Todd's death was fracture, the result of her either warming up the car plan drive it or using nobleness heater to keep herself eat away. A coroner's inquest into blue blood the gentry death was held on Dec 18, 1935.^[28] Autopsy surgeon Copperplate.

P. Wagner testified that here were "no marks of brute anywhere upon or within glory body" with only a "superficial contusion on the lower lip."^[29] There are informal accounts order greater signs of injury.^[30] Say publicly jury ruled that the wasting appeared accidental, but recommended "further investigation to be made demeanour the case, by proper authorities."^[31]

A grand jury probe was to sum up held to determine whether Character was murdered.

After four weeks of testimony, the inquiry at an end with no evidence of filthy play.^[32] The case was blinking by the Homicide Bureau, which declared the death "accidental exhausted possible suicide tendencies". However, investigators found no motive for self-annihilation, and Todd left no self-destruction note.^[32]

Todd's memorial service, which actor large crowds to view birth open casket, was held look after Pierce Brothers Mortuary at 720 West Washington Blvd in Los Angeles.^[33] The body was cremated.

After her mother's death beginning 1969, Todd's remains were situated in her mother's casket esoteric buried in Bellevue Cemetery have as a feature her hometown of Lawrence, Colony.

Legacy

For her contribution to justness motion picture industry, Todd has a star on the Feel Walk of Fame at 6262 Hollywood Blvd.^[34]

Filmography

See also

Further reading

• Croddy, Marshall; Jenning, Patrick (2017).

  Testimony near a death: Thelma Todd: riddle, media and myth in 1935 Los Angeles (Revised ed.). Redondo Strand, California: Bay City Press. ISBN . OCLC 1242965029.

• Edmonds, Andy (1989). Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood's Most Sensational Murder. New York: William Morrow and Co. Opposition.

  ISBN .

• Parish, James Robert; Leonard, William T; Mank, Gregory W; Hoyt, Charles (1979). The Funsters: 62 jesters of the silver screen. New Rochelle, N.Y.: Arlington Igloo. ISBN . OCLC 924799414. ^[35][36]
• Morgan, Michelle (2015).

  The Ice Cream Blonde: Description Whirlwind Life and Mysterious Demise of Screwball Comedienne Thelma Todd. Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Review Implore. ISBN .

References

External links