Thelma Alice Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935) was an American actress and businesswoman who was often referred to by the nicknames "The Ice Cream Blonde" and "Hot Toddy". Appearing in around 120 feature films and shorts between 1926 and 1935, she is best remembered for her comedic roles opposite ZaSu Pitts, and in films such as Marx Brothers' Monkey Business and Horse Feathers and a number of Charley Chase's short comedies. She co-starred with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily. She also had roles in several Wheeler and Woolsey and Laurel and Hardy films, the last of which (The Bohemian Girl) featured her in a part that was cut short by her suspicious death in 1935 at the age of 29.

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Sunday, June 20, 2021. 9:37.AM.
Thelma Todd : Actress ( Died December 16, 1935 (aged 29 ) Very sad to read as she was the shining and brilliant artist of that era. )
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1. Profile :

*Todd, c. 1933

Born Thelma Alice Todd, July 29, 1906, Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.

Died December 16, 1935 (aged 29), Pacific Palisades, California, U.S.

Cause of death Carbon monoxide poisoning (suspicious)

Other names Alison Loyd

Occupation Actress

Years active 1926–1935

Spouse(s)   -  Pat DiCicco - ?(m. 1932; div. 1934)?

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2. Introduction :

Thelma Alice Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935) was an American actress and businesswoman who was often referred to by the nicknames "The Ice Cream Blonde" and "Hot Toddy". Appearing in around 120 feature films and shorts between 1926 and 1935, she is best remembered for her comedic roles opposite ZaSu Pitts, and in films such as Marx Brothers' Monkey Business and Horse Feathers and a number of Charley Chase's short comedies. She co-starred with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily. She also had roles in several Wheeler and Woolsey and Laurel and Hardy films, the last of which (The Bohemian Girl) featured her in a part that was cut short by her suspicious death in 1935 at the age of 29.

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3. Early life :

Thelma Todd

Todd was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts to John Shaw Todd, an upholsterer from Ireland, and Alice Elizabeth Edwards, an immigrant from Canada. She had an older brother, William, who died in an accident in 1910. She was a bright and successful student. Intending to become a schoolteacher, she enrolled at the Lowell Normal School (now University of Massachusetts, Lowell) after graduating from high school in 1923. She began entering beauty pageants in her late teens, and in 1925 won the title of Miss Massachusetts. While representing her home state, she was spotted by a Hollywood talent scout and began her film career at Paramount.

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4. Career :

*Todd in Corsair (1931)

*Todd, Roland Young, Lili Damita in This Is the Night (1932)

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, she was able to expand her roles when producer Hal Roach signed her to appear with comedy stars such as Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, and Laurel and Hardy.

In 1931, Roach cast Todd in her own series of 17-to-27-minute slapstick comedy shorts. 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, who appeared with Todd in 21 shorts, from "Beauty and the Bus" (September 1933) through "An All American Toothache" (January 1936). These shorts often cast Todd as a levelheaded working girl doing her best to remain poised and charming despite numerous problems and her ditzy sidekick's embarrassing antics.

In 1931, Todd starred in Corsair, a film directed by Roland West, with whom she become romantically involved.

Todd became highly regarded as a capable film comedian, and Roach loaned her to other studios to play opposite Wheeler & Woolsey, Buster Keaton, Joe E. Brown, and the Marx Brothers. She also successfully appeared in dramas, such as the original 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon starring Ricardo Cortez as Sam Spade, where she played Miles Archer's treacherous widow. She appeared in around 120 feature films and shorts in her career.

In August 1934, Todd opened Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe, at 17575 Pacific Coast Highway in the Los Angeles coastal neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. It attracted a diverse clientele of Hollywood celebrities, and many tourists.

Todd continued her short-subject series through 1935 and was featured in the full-length Laurel and Hardy comedy The Bohemian Girl. It was her last role before her untimely death at age 29. Although she had completed all of her scenes, producer Roach had them re-shot, fearing negative publicity. He deleted all of Todd's dialogue, and limited her appearance to one musical number.

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5. Death :

*Buster Keaton, Todd, and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily (1932)

On the morning of Monday, December 16, 1935, Todd was found dead in her car inside the garage of Jewel Carmen, a former actress and former wife of Todd's lover and business partner Roland West. Carmen's house was approximately a block from the topmost side of Todd's restaurant. Her death was determined to have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. West is quoted in a contemporaneous newspaper account as having locked her out, which may have caused her to seek refuge and warmth in the car. Todd had a wide circle of friends and associates and a busy social life.

Police investigations revealed that she had spent the previous Saturday night (December 14) at the Trocadero, a popular Hollywood restaurant, at a party hosted by entertainer Stanley Lupino and his actress daughter Ida. She had a brief but unpleasant exchange there with her ex-husband, Pat DiCicco. However, her friends stated that she was in good spirits and were aware of nothing in her life that suggested a reason for her to commit suicide. She was driven home from the party in the early hours of December 15 by her chauffeur, Ernest O. Peters.

*Todd in Corsair (1931) :

LAPD detectives concluded that Todd's death was accidental, the result of her either warming up the car to drive it or using the heater to keep herself warm. A coroner's inquest into the death was held on December 18, 1935. Autopsy surgeon A. P. Wagner testified that there were "no marks of violence anywhere upon or within the body" with only a "superficial contusion on the lower lip." There are informal accounts of greater signs of injury. The jury ruled that the death appeared accidental, but recommended "further investigation to be made into the case, by proper authorities."

A grand jury probe was subsequently held to determine whether Todd was murdered. After four weeks of testimony, the inquiry concluded with no evidence of foul play. The case was closed by the Homicide Bureau, which declared the death "accidental with possible suicide tendencies." However, investigators found no motive for suicide, and Todd left no suicide note.

Todd's memorial service was held at Pierce Brothers Mortuary at 720 West Washington Blvd in Los Angeles. The body was cremated. After her mother's death in 1969, Todd's remains were placed in her mother's casket and buried in Bellevue Cemetery in her hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts.

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Legacy :

*Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe, Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades

For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Todd has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6262 Hollywood Blvd.

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Filmography :

Film

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Year Title Role Notes

1926 Fascinating Youth Lorraine Lane Silent

1926 God Gave Me Twenty Cents Dance-Hall Girl Uncredited

1927 Rubber Heels Princess Anne Silent

1927 Fireman, Save My Child Uncredited / Silent

1927 Nevada Hettie Ide 

1927 The Gay Defender Ruth Ainsworth 

1928 The Shield of Honor Rose aka Flora Fisher 

1928 The Noose Phyllis Silent

1928 Abie's Irish Rose Part-talkie

1928 Vamping Venus Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus 

1928 Heart to Heart Ruby Boyd 

1928 The Crash Daisy McQueen 

1928 The Haunted House The Nurse Silent

1928 Naughty Baby Bonnie Le Vonne 

1929 Seven Footprints to Satan Eve Martin Produced as both a silent film and part-talkie

1929 Trial Marriage Grace Logan 

1929 House of Horror Thelma 

1929 Unaccustomed As We Are Mrs. Kennedy Short

1929 The Bachelor Girl Gladys 

1929 Cherchez la Femme Hortense 

1929 Her Private Life Mrs. Leslie First full length talkie

1930 Her Man Nelly 

1930 Another Fine Mess Lady Plumtree Short, Uncredited

1931 No Limit Betty Royce 

1931 Command Performance Lydia 

1931 Chickens Come Home Mrs. Hardy Short, Uncredited

1931 Swanee River Caroline 

1931 The Hot Heiress Lola 

1931 Aloha Winifred Bradford 

1931 The Maltese Falcon Iva Archer Alternative title: Dangerous Female

1931 Broadminded Gertie Gardner 

1931 The Pip from Pittsburg Thelma Short

1931 Monkey Business Lucille Briggs 

1931 Corsair Alison Corning Credited as Alison Loyd

1931 On the Loose Thelma Short

1932 The Big Timer Kay Mitchell 

1932 This Is the Night Claire Mathewson 

1932 Horse Feathers Connie Bailey 

1932 Speak Easily Eleanor Espere 

1932 Klondike Klondike 

1932 Deception Lola Del Mont 

1932 Call Her Savage Sunny De Lane 

1933 Air Hostess Sylvia C. Carleton 

1933 Cheating Blondes Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners 

1933 Fra Diavolo Lady Pamela Rocburg Alternative titles: Bogus Bandits

The Devil's Brother

1933 Mary Stevens, M.D. Lois Cavanaugh 

1933 You Made Me Love You Pamela Berne 

1933 Sitting Pretty Gloria Duval 

1933 Son of a Sailor The Baroness 

1933 Counsellor at Law Lillian La Rue 

1934 Palooka Trixie Alternative titles: Joe Palooka

The Great Schnozzle

1934 Hips, Hips, Hooray! Amelia Frisby 

1934 The Poor Rich Gwendolyn Fetherstone 

1934 Bottoms Up Judith Marlowe 

1934 Cockeyed Cavaliers Lady Genevieve 

*1934 Take the Stand Sally Oxford 

*1934 Lightning Strikes Twice Judith 'Judy' Nelson 

1935 After the Dance Mabel Kane 

1935 Two for Tonight Lilly 

1936 The Bohemian Girl Gypsy queen's daughter (final film role)

End.

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