Acting · Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA · Born July 29, 1906
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.
TVBuzzfeed Unsolved: True Crime
2016
as Self (archive footage)
MovieMurders of Hollywood
2003
as Self (archive footage)
Murderers, Mobsters, & Madmen: Volume 6: Hollywood Police Files
1992
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieDeath In Hollywood
1990
MovieDeath Scenes
1989
as Self (archive footage)
MovieHollywood Scandals and Tragedies
1988
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieYesterday and Today
1953
as (archive footage)
MovieScreen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
1942
as Self (archive footage)
MovieThe Bohemian Girl
1936
as Gypsy Queen's Daughter
An All American Toothache
1936
as Thelma Alice Todd
MovieTop Flat
1935
as Thelma Todd
MovieHot Money
1935
as Miss Thelma Todd
MovieTwin Triplets
1935
as Thelma
MovieTwo for Tonight
1935
as Lilly
MovieSlightly Static
1935
as Thelma
MovieAfter the Dance
1935
as Mabel Kane
MovieThe Misses Stooge
1935
as Thelma Todd
MovieThe Tin Man
1935
as Thelma Todd
MovieSing Sister Sing
1935
as Thelma
MovieTreasure Blues
1935
as Thelma
MovieBum Voyage
1934
as Thelma
MovieLightning Strikes Twice
1934
as Judy Nelson
MovieDone in Oil
1934
as Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd
Opened by Mistake
1934
as Thelma
MovieTake the Stand
1934
as Miss Sally Oxford
One-Horse Farmers
1934
as Thelma
MovieThree Chumps Ahead
1934
as Thelma Todd
MovieCockeyed Cavaliers
1934
as Lady Genevieve
I'll Be Suing You
1934
as Miss Todd
MovieMaid in Hollywood
1934
as Thelma
MovieBottoms Up
1934
as Judith Marlowe
MovieSoup and Fish
1934
as Miss Thelma Todd
MovieThe Poor Rich
1934
as Gwendolyn Fetherstone
MovieBabes in the Goods
1934
as Thelma Todd
MovieHips, Hips, Hooray!
1934
as Miss Amelia Frisby
MoviePalooka
1934
as Trixie
MovieCounsellor at Law
1933
as Lillian La Rue
MovieAir Fright
1933
as Thelma
MovieSon of a Sailor
1933
as The Baroness
MovieSitting Pretty
1933
as Gloria Duval
MovieBacks to Nature
1933
as Thelma
MovieYou Made Me Love You
1933
as Pamela Berne
MovieBeauty and the Bus
1933
as Thelma
MovieMary Stevens, M.D.
1933
as Lois Cavanaugh
MovieOne Track Minds
1933
as Thelma Todd
MovieThe Devil's Brother
1933
as Lady Pamela Rocburg
MovieCheating Blondes
1933
as Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners
MovieThe Bargain of the Century
1933
as Thelma
MovieMaids a la Mode
1933
as Miss Todd
MovieAsleep in the Feet
1933
as Thelma
MovieAir Hostess
1933
as Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton
MovieSneak Easily
1932
as Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense
MovieCall Her Savage
1932
as Sunny De Lane
Deception
1932
as Lola Del Mont
MovieThe Soilers
1932
as Thelma
MovieAlum and Eve
1932
as Thelma
MovieKlondike
1932
as Klondike
MovieShow Business
1932
as Thelma
MovieHorse Feathers
1932
as Connie Bailey
MovieSpeak Easily
1932
as Eleanor Espere
MovieThe Old Bull
1932
as Thelma
MovieStrictly Unreliable
1932
as Miss Thelma Todd
MovieThis Is the Night
1932
as Claire Mathewson
MovieRed Noses
1932
as Miss Todd
MovieThe Nickel Nurser
1932
as Thelma Todd
MovieThe Big Timer
1932
as Kay Mitchell
MovieSealskins
1932
as Thelma Todd
MovieOn the Loose
1931
as Thelma
MovieCorsair
1931
as Alison Corning
MovieWar Mamas
1931
as Thelma
MovieThe Pajama Party
1931
as Thelma
MovieMonkey Business
1931
as Lucille Briggs
MovieCatch-As Catch-Can
1931
as Thelma
MovieBroadminded
1931
as Gertie Gardner
MovieLet's Do Things
1931
as Thelma Todd
MovieThe Maltese Falcon
1931
as Iva Archer
MovieAloha
1931
as Winifred Bradford
MovieRough Seas
1931
as Antoinette
MovieLove Fever
1931
as Thelma Todd
MovieThe Hot Heiress
1931
as Lola
MovieThe Pip from Pittsburg
1931
as Thelma
Swanee River
1931
as Caroline
MovieChickens Come Home
1931
as Mrs. Hardy (uncredited)
MovieCommand Performance
1931
as Lydia
MovieNo Limit
1931
as Betty Royce
MovieHigh C's
1930
as Antoinette
MovieAnother Fine Mess
1930
as Lady Plumtree (uncredited)
MovieLooser Than Loose
1930
as Thelma, Charley's Fiancee
MovieDollar Dizzy
1930
as Thelma Todd
MovieFollow Thru
1930
as Ruth Van Horn
MovieHer Man
1930
as Nelly
MovieThe King
1930
as The Queen
MovieThe Shrimp
1930
as Jim's Girlfriend
MovieAll Teed Up
1930
as Thelma
MovieWhispering Whoopee
1930
as Miss Todd
MovieThe Fighting Parson
1930
as The Blonde Dance Hall Girl
MovieThe Real McCoy
1930
as Thelma
MovieThe Head Guy
1930
as The Star
MovieStepping Out
1929
as Charley's Wife
MovieSky Boy
1929
MovieCrazy Feet
1929
as Dancer
MovieHer Private Life
1929
as Mrs. Leslie
Look out Below
1929
as Thelma
MovieHotter Than Hot
1929
MovieSnappy Sneezer
1929
as Mary White
MovieCareers
1929
as Hortense
MovieThe Bachelor Girl
1929
as Gladys
MovieHurdy Gurdy
1929
as Blondie
MovieUnaccustomed as We Are
1929
as Mrs. Kennedy
MovieHouse of Horror
1929
as Thelma
MovieHal Roach Presents Harry Langdon
1929
as The Woman
MovieTrial Marriage
1929
as Grace Logan
MovieSeven Footprints to Satan
1929
as Eve
MovieNaughty Baby
1928
as Bonnie Le Vonne
MovieThe Haunted House
1928
as The Nurse
MovieThe Crash
1928
as Daisy McQueen
MovieHeart to Heart
1928
as Ruby Boyd
MovieVamping Venus
1928
as Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus
MovieThe Noose
1928
as Phyllis
MovieThe Shield of Honor
1927
as Rose aka Flora Fisher
MovieThe Gay Defender
1927
as Ruth Ainsworth
MovieNevada
1927
as Hettie Ide
MovieFireman, Save My Child
1927
as (uncredited)
MovieRubber Heels
1927
as Princess Aline
MovieGod Gave Me Twenty Cents
1926
as Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited)
MovieFascinating Youth
1926
as Lorraine Lane
