Thelma Alice Todd was an American actress and businesswoman who carried the nicknames "The Ice Cream Blonde" and "Hot Toddy". Appearing in about 120 feature films and shorts between 1926 and 1935, she is 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 featured her in a part that was cut short by her sudden death in 1935 at the age of 29.
Lyda Roberti was an American singer and stage and film actress.
Gus Meins, born Gustave Peter Ludwig Luley, was an American film director. He was born in Frankfurt, Germany.
Patsy Kelly was an American actress. She is known for her role as the brash, wisecracking sidekick to Thelma Todd in a series of short comedy films produced by Hal Roach in the 1930s. Kelly's career continued in similar roles after Todd's death in 1935.
The Bohemian Girl is a 1936 comedic feature film version of the opera The Bohemian Girl by Michael William Balfe. Directed by James W. Horne and Charles Rogers, and it was produced at the Hal Roach Studios, and stars Laurel and Hardy, and Thelma Todd in her final film role. This was also the only appearance of Darla Hood in a full-length feature produced by Hal Roach.
The Noose is an American silent drama film adaptation of the Willard Mack play The Noose, which was released in 1928. It stars Richard Barthelmess, Montagu Love, Robert Emmett O'Connor, and Thelma Todd. The movie was adapted by Garrett Graham and James T. O'Donohoe from the play. It was directed by John Francis Dillon and Richard Barthelmess's performance was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.
Gilbert Pratt was an American film director, actor, and writer. He directed 87 films between 1917 and 1936 and was often credited as Gil Pratt. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and died in Los Angeles, California.
Virginia Karns was a singer and character actress at the Hal Roach Studios in the early 1930s. Fans probably remember her best from the opening scene of the Laurel and Hardy musical comedy Babes in Toyland (1934), in which she portrayed Mother Goose.
Speak Easily is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy film starring Buster Keaton, Jimmy Durante, and Thelma Todd, and directed by Edward Sedgwick. The studio also paired Keaton and Durante as a comedy team during this period in The Passionate Plumber and What! No Beer? Keaton later used many of the physical gags he created for this film when he wrote (uncredited) gags for the Marx Brothers' A Night At The Opera.
Marion Edgar "Ed" Brandenburg was an American actor and stuntman. He appeared in 37 films between 1922 and 1938 and was the brother of actor Chet Brandenburg. He was born in Lexington, Kentucky and died in San Gabriel, California.
Pitts and Todd were a 1930s movie comedy duo consisting of actresses ZaSu Pitts and Thelma Todd. Assembled by Hal Roach as the female counterparts to Laurel and Hardy, the duo's members changed over the years and included actresses Patsy Kelly, Pert Kelton and Lyda Roberti.
Slightly Static is a 1935 American short comedy film directed by William H. Terhune. It was the debut film of Roy Rogers who performed with the Sons of the Pioneers although his name was uncredited. It is the 17th entry in the series.
White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd is a 1991 American television film directed by Paul Wendkos and written by Robert E. Thompson and Lindsay Harrison. Based on the 1989 non-fiction book Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood's Most Sensational Murder by Andy Edmonds, the film is about the life of Hollywood comedic actress Thelma Todd, whose 1935 death was ruled accidental but always has been controversial. Loni Anderson as stars as Todd, alongside Maryedith Burrell, Robert Davi, Paul Dooley, Linda Kelsey, and John O'Hurley. It premiered on NBC on May 5, 1991.
Kelly the Second is a 1936 American romantic comedy film directed by Gus Meins and starring Patsy Kelly, Guinn Williams, and Charley Chase. This Hal Roach studio film was distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The title is a pun, "Second" referring not to lineage but a boxer's corner man.
Song and Dance Man is a 1936 American drama film directed by Allan Dwan, written by Maude Fulton, adapted from the play by George M. Cohan. It stars Claire Trevor, Paul Kelly, Michael Whalen, Ruth Donnelly, James Burke and Helen Troy. It was released on March 11, 1936, by 20th Century Fox.
Soup and Fish is a 1934 American pre-Code comedy short released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Hal Roach and directed by Gus Meins, and starring Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly. It is the 5th entry in the Todd and Kelly pairing for the series.
The Tin Man is a 1935 American comedy short released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Hal Roach and directed by James Parrott, and starring Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly. It is the 15th entry in the series.
The Misses Stooge is a 1935 American comedy short released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Hal Roach and directed by James Parrott, and starring Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly. It is the 16th entry in the series.
Twin Triplets is a 1935 American comedy short released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, produced by Hal Roach and directed by James Parrott, and starring Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly. It is the 18th entry in the series.
