Person Details
Birthday: 1906-07-29 12:56:27
Death: 1935-12-16 12:56:27
Aliases: Alison Loyd , Тельма Тодд
Gender: Female
Place of birth: Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
Homepage:
Movie Involvements: 34
TV Involvements: 0
Most Famous Work
Biography
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.
Most Famous Work
Fashion News
(1928) Self (1929)The Maltese Falcon
(1931) Iva ArcherNevada
(1927) Hettie IdeCounsellor at Law
(1933) Lillian La RueNaughty Baby
(1928) Bonnie Le VonneKlondike
(1932) KlondikeCheating Blondes
(1933) Anne Merrick / Elaine MannersHer Man
(1930) NellyActing
Year | Character | Movie/Tv |
---|---|---|
2016 | Self (archive footage) | |
1987 | (Archival Footage) | |
1953 | (archive footage) | |
1942 | Self (archive footage) | |
1936 | Gypsy Queen's Daughter | |
Thelma Alice Todd | ||
1935 | Thelma Todd | |
Miss Thelma Todd | ||
Thelma | ||
Lilly | ||
Thelma | ||
Mabel Kane | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
Thelma | ||
Thelma | ||
1934 | Thelma | |
Judy Nelson | ||
Thelma Todd aka Mlle. La Todd | ||
Thelma | ||
Miss Sally Oxford | ||
Thelma | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
Lady Genevieve | ||
Miss Todd | ||
Thelma | ||
Judith Marlowe | ||
Miss Thelma Todd | ||
Gwendolyn Fetherstone | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
Miss Amelia Frisby | ||
Trixie | ||
1933 | Lillian La Rue | |
Thelma | ||
The Baroness | ||
Gloria Duval | ||
Thelma | ||
Pamela Berne | ||
Thelma | ||
Lois Cavanaugh | ||
N/A | ||
Lady Pamela Rocburg | ||
Anne Merrick / Elaine Manners | ||
Thelma | ||
Miss Todd | ||
Thelma | ||
Mrs. Sylvia C. Carleton | ||
1932 | Miss Thelma Todd - Attorney for the Defense | |
Sunny De Lane | ||
Lola Del Mont | ||
Thelma | ||
Thelma | ||
Klondike | ||
Thelma | ||
Connie Bailey | ||
Eleanor Espere | ||
Thelma | ||
Miss Thelma Todd | ||
Claire Mathewson | ||
Miss Todd | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
Kay Mitchell | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
1931 | Thelma | |
Alison Corning | ||
Thelma | ||
Thelma | ||
Lucille Briggs | ||
Thelma | ||
Gertie Gardner | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
Iva Archer | ||
Winifred Bradford | ||
Antoinette | ||
Thelma Todd | ||
Lola | ||
Thelma | ||
Caroline | ||
Mrs. Hardy | ||
Lydia | ||
Betty Royce | ||
1930 | Antoinette | |
Lady Plumtree (uncredited) | ||
Thelma, Charley's Fiancee | ||
Thelma Todd (uncredited) | ||
Mrs. Van Horn | ||
Nelly | ||
The Queen | ||
Jim's Girlfriend | ||
Thelma | ||
Miss Todd | ||
The Blonde Dance Hall Girl | ||
Thelma | ||
The Star | ||
1929 | Charley's Wife | |
N/A | ||
Dancer | ||
Mrs. Leslie | ||
N/A | ||
Thelma | ||
Mary White | ||
Hortense | ||
Gladys | ||
Blondie | ||
Mrs. Kennedy | ||
Thelma | ||
The Woman | ||
Grace Logan | ||
Eve | ||
1928 | Bonnie Le Vonne | |
Self (1929) | ||
The Nurse | ||
Daisy McQueen | ||
Ruby Boyd | ||
Madame Vanezlos the Dancer / Venus | ||
Phyllis | ||
1927 | Ruth Ainsworth | |
Rose aka Flora Fisher | ||
Hettie Ide | ||
(uncredited) | ||
Princess Aline | ||
1926 | Dance-Hall Girl (uncredited) | |
Lorraine Lane | ||
Year | Character | Movie/Tv |