Thelma Todd was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, a city situated near the New Hampshire state line. She was a lovely child with good academic tendencies, which led her to decide early on to become a schoolteacher. After high school, she attended college, but her mother insisted she participate in several beauty contests. Thelma's success in these contests led her to win the title of "Miss Massachusetts" in 1925 and eventually compete in the "Miss America" pageant. Although she didn't win, the pageant allowed her to be discovered by talent scouts looking for fresh faces to feature in films.
Thelma began appearing in one- and two-reel shorts, mostly comedies, which showcased her keen comic timing and physical comedy skills. She was signed to Paramount Pictures and made her film debut at age 21 in 1927's Fascinating Youth, a romantic comedy. She received minor billing in another film that year, God Gave Me Twenty Cents, and starred alongside Gary Cooper and William Powell in the western Nevada.
In the late 1920s, Thelma began to get more prominent roles in films, appearing in 20 pictures in 1928 and 1929 alone. She transitioned to sound films, using her bright, breezy voice with a pleasant New England accent. In 1930, she added 14 more films to her resume, including the musical Follow Thru, which was a box-office hit.
Thelma continued to appear in films throughout the early 1930s, including the Marx Brothers farce Monkey Business and the profitable This Is the Night, which featured Cary Grant in his first major role. She also opened her own nightclub/restaurant, Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Café, which attracted a mix of show-business people and shady underworld types.
Tragically, Thelma's life came to a sudden end on December 16, 1935, when she was found dead in her car in her garage in Los Angeles. Her death was ruled a suicide, but many believe it was actually a murder connected to her club. Despite her untimely demise, Thelma had made an impressive 115 films in her short career and left behind a legacy as a talented actress and beauty.
