Thelma Todd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thelma Todd
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Todd, c. 1933
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| Born |
Thelma Alice Todd
July 29, 1906 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Died | December 16, 1935 (aged 29) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| 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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Thelma Alice Todd (born July 29, 1906 – died December 16, 1935) was an American actress and businesswoman. People knew her by the nicknames "The Ice Cream Blonde" and "Hot Toddy." She appeared in about 120 movies, both long films and short ones, between 1926 and 1935. She is best known for her funny roles, especially with ZaSu Pitts. She also starred in films with the Marx Brothers, like Monkey Business and Horse Feathers. Thelma Todd also worked with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily. She was in movies with Laurel and Hardy too. Her last film was The Bohemian Girl, but her scenes were changed after her death in 1935 when she was 29 years old.
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Early Life and Education
Thelma Todd was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Her father, John Shaw Todd, was from Ireland and worked in city government. Her mother, Alice Elizabeth Edwards, was from Canada. Thelma had an older brother, William, who passed away in 1910.
Thelma was a very smart student and did well in school. She planned to become a teacher. After finishing high school in 1923, she went to Lowell Normal School, which is now the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
From Model to Miss Massachusetts
While studying, Thelma worked as a model. In her late teens, she started entering beauty pageants. She won the title of 1925 Miss Lawrence and then became 1925 Miss Massachusetts. A talent scout from Hollywood noticed her during these contests. She was offered a chance to study at the Paramount Players School in Astoria, Queens, New York City. This school taught acting, speaking, sports, and good manners. Out of 16 students in her group, only Thelma and Charles "Buddy" Rogers became successful in Hollywood. In 1929, Thelma started working at Hal Roach Studios.
Acting Career
Silent Films and Talkies
In the early days of movies, called the silent film era, Thelma Todd played many supporting roles. These roles showed off her beauty but didn't give her much chance to act. When movies started having sound, called talkies, her career grew. Producer Hal Roach hired her to work with famous comedy stars like Harry Langdon, Charley Chase, and Laurel and Hardy.
Comedy Shorts
In 1931, Hal Roach gave Thelma Todd her own series of short comedy films. These films were usually 17 to 27 minutes long and were full of funny, physical comedy.
- With ZaSu Pitts: From 1931 to 1933, Thelma teamed up with ZaSu Pitts for 17 short films. They were like a female version of Laurel and Hardy. Thelma often played a sensible working girl trying to stay calm, while ZaSu Pitts played her clumsy, silly friend.
- With Patsy Kelly: When ZaSu Pitts left in 1933, Patsy Kelly became Thelma's new comedy partner. They made 21 short films together until 1936.
Thelma Todd became known as a very talented film comedian. Other studios often borrowed her from Hal Roach to act alongside stars like Wheeler & Woolsey, Buster Keaton, Joe E. Brown, and the Marx Brothers. She also did well in serious movies, like the 1931 version of The Maltese Falcon. In total, she appeared in about 120 films.
Her last film was the Laurel and Hardy comedy The Bohemian Girl. She had finished filming all her parts, but after her death, the producer decided to reshoot her scenes. They removed all her spoken lines and only showed her in one musical part.
Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe
In August 1934, Thelma Todd opened a restaurant called Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe. It was located at 17575 Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles. She opened it with her business partners, Jewel Carmen and Roland West.
The restaurant was on the ground floor. On the second floor, Thelma and Roland West had apartments next to each other. They also had a private nightclub called Joya on the second floor, where they hosted parties. The third floor had a dance floor. The cafe was very popular and attracted many Hollywood celebrities and tourists.
Personal Life
Thelma Todd was married for a short time to Pat DiCiccio. Their marriage was difficult, and Thelma filed for divorce.
Thelma Todd's Death
On the morning of December 16, 1935, Thelma Todd was found dead in her car inside a garage. The garage belonged to Jewel Carmen, who was the former wife of Roland West, Thelma's business partner. The garage was close to Thelma's restaurant.
The cause of her death was determined to be carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a dangerous gas that you cannot see or smell. Roland West told newspapers that he had locked Thelma out of their shared living space, which might have caused her to go to her car for warmth.
Police investigated Thelma's death. They concluded that it was an accident. They thought she might have been warming up her car to drive it or using the car's heater to stay warm. A special hearing was held, and the jury said her death seemed accidental. However, they asked for more investigation. A grand jury also looked into the case to see if she was murdered, but after four weeks, they found no evidence of foul play.
Thelma Todd was cremated. Later, in 1969, her remains were placed in her mother's casket and buried in Bellevue Cemetery in her hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts.
Legacy
Thelma Todd has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6262 Hollywood Boulevard. This star honors her contributions to the movie industry.
Images for kids
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Todd, c. 1933
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Todd in Corsair (1931)
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Todd, Roland Young, Lili Damita in This Is the Night (1932)
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Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe, 17535 Pacific Coast Highway, Pacific Palisades
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Buster Keaton, Todd, and Jimmy Durante in Speak Easily (1932)
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Todd in Corsair (1931)
