Death of Thelma Todd

Above, Thelma Todd in 1931.

Years ago, I bought Kenneth Anger's classic book, Hollywood Babylon, which chronicles scandals of Hollywood stars from the 1920s to the 1960s. That book piqued my interest.

One of the book's subjects was actress Thelma Todd.

When I used to live in Los Angeles, I would occasionally drive up the Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica up to Malibu and, occasionally, up to Point Mugu.

Above, Thelma Todd's Inn in the 1930s. The house where she died was a block up the hill.

Along the way, near Sunset Blvd. in Pacific Palisades, stands a building that Thelma Todd's Inn (or Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe) was located. The Inn was co-owned by actress/comedienne Thelma Todd in the 1930s. I've passed by it many times.

Above, the building that housed Thelma Todd's Inn today.

From Wikipedia:

Thelma Alice Todd (July 29, 1906 – December 16, 1935) was an American actress and businesswoman often referred to by the nickname "The Ice Cream Blonde", as well as "Hot Toddy". Appearing in around 120 feature films and shorts between 1926 and 1935, she is best 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 (The Bohemian Girl) featured her in a part that was truncated by her suspicious death in 1935 at the age of 29. 

On Todd's death:

On the morning of Monday, December 16, 1935, Thelma Todd was found dead in her car inside the garage of Jewel Carmen, a former actress and former wife of Todd's lover and business partner Roland West. Carmen's house was approximately a block from the topmost side of Todd's restaurant. Her death was determined to have been caused by carbon monoxide poisoning. 

Above, L.A.P.D. photo of Thelma Todd's body in her car. 

Investigations concluded that Todd's death was accidental, not suicide or murder. But claims in a 1989 best-seller Hot Toddy by Andy Edmonds says murder. In the book, an unnamed source, who was with Todd shortly before her death (described as a retired Hollywood executive with underworld ties) provided the Edmonds with details of Todd`s last hours and the identity of her murderer. By then, even if it were murder, all the principals were long dead.

Above, Thelma Todd at the morgue.

The building where Thelma Todd's Inn was located looks pretty much the same as it did in the 1930s.

I have a Laurel and Hardy Hal Roach Studios collection and included is a Thelma Todd/ZaSu Pitts comedy short, On The Loose (1931), that Laurel and Hardy has a cameo in.