Thelma Todd was born in Lawrence, MA in 1905 (some say 1906). Regardless of her year of birth, Thelma was a very smart young woman and a very dutiful daughter. Setting out to be a teacher, the horrific and haunting death of her younger brother indirectly changed the course of her life. Shortly after his death she was entered into a beauty contest without her knowledge. She won. This led to eventual entry and winning of the Miss Massachusetts of 1925 contest, which in turn led to a screen test. The rest, as they say, is history!
Thelma subsequently made her way out to Hollywood, in part to escape her unhappy East coast life. When her mother learned Thelma had been photographed almost nude, Mrs. Todd also moved out west to keep an eye on her " little girl ". There is no denying that Thelma partied hardy. She made poor choices in men, drank too much, stayed out too late, took pills and battled with weight and personal demons. Nevertheless, Thelma was a brilliant and talented comedienne and actress. During Thelma's short career she appeared in 116 films. She appeared with Nancy in "Abie's Irish Rose ", " Follow Thru " and " After the Dance ".
Despite her astonishing number of film appearances, unfortunately today, Thelma is best remembered as one of Hollywood's " Unsolved Mysteries " for having died under suspicious circumstances. Thelma's lifeless body was found disshelveled and bloody in the garage of her home. The official cause of death was from carbon monoxide poisoning. Some maintain she committed suicide, whereas others believe she was murdered. Either way, the sad fact is that she died at a very young age without ever having known true happiness.
To learn more about the life of the gal dubbed " Hot Toddy ", why not visit Denny Jackson's Actresses of the Silver Screen .
Visit Silent Ladies to see a fabulous array of photographs of this delectable blonde.
To view a complete listing of all of Thelma's movies, visit Internet Movie Data Base
Return to Main Menu to visit the website of the enchanting Miss Carroll, " Babyface " ~ A Tribute to Nancy Carroll.