The Enigmatic Death of Thelma Todd
Was the big screen bombshell a victim of suicide, homicide, or a tragic accident?
Thelma Alice Todd’s story began in Lawrence, Massachusetts, when she was born on July 29, 1906, to an Irishman named John Todd, and a Canadian named Alice Edwards. She graduated high school in 1923. Thelma studied to become a school teacher, but her mother signed her up for beauty pageants, fearing that her beautiful and smart daughter would end up being just another New England schoolmarm.
When she was 21 years old, Thelma won the Miss Massachusetts Pageant, which qualified her to compete for the Miss America crown. She lost to Miss California but won the eye of a talent scout in the audience.
Thelma started playing comedic parts in short films for Hal Roach but was soon appearing in feature-length movies with Paramount. The world called her “Hot Toddy,” and more famously, “The Icecream Blonde.” In her lifetime, Thelma Todd appeared in over 120 movies with the likes of Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante.
Men
Thelma enjoyed her status as a sex symbol and one of the most popular women in Hollywood. Thelma was flirtatious but never vampish. She had many boyfriends, but many more male acquaintances who thought of her as one of the boys.
