Hollywood Scandal of the Week: Thelma Todd

Thelma Todd (1906-1935) made her name starring in dozens of A-list comedies throughout the 1930's, working alongside figures like Laurel and Hardy and the Marx Brothers in films like: Another Fine Mess (James Parrott, 1930), Monkey Business (Norman Z. McLeod, 1931) and Horse Feathers (Norman Z. McLeod, 1932). At the same time, she was also the proprietor of a well known Hollywood restaurant, the Sidewalk Cafe. The story of her premature death at age 29, is one that has been plagued by numerous inconsistencies and foggy details, casting a shroud of doubt as to the true nature of the actress’ passing.

Todd was found dead December 16, 1935 slumped over in her car. Period sources state the cause of death as carbon monoxide poisoning, from fumes "she breathed accidentally" ("Thelma Todd Dead; Found in Garage" LA Times 17 Dec. 1935). The night of her death, Todd had been attending a party given by comedian Stanley Lupino (father of actor/director Ida Lupino), and was reported to have been in good spirits. She is also said to have consumed a number of drinks at the party, before returning home. In the above mentioned article, Ida Lupino is quoted as saying "(Miss. Todd) drank a cocktail before dinner and a little brandy and champagne during dinner.” In an interesting twist, a LA Times article dated 24 December 1935 has Lupino going against this previous statement, testifying that there was "very little" drinking at the party. This fact contributed to later theories as to the suspicious nature of Todd's death, as many sources have stated that her blood alcohol level would have been too high for the supposed chain of events to have occurred.

Todd is reported to have climbed the above staircase (approx. 270 stairs) from the beach, to the garage where she was eventually found. If her blood alcohol level was as high as it was reported (contemporary sources say .13), is it conceivable that the actress would have been coherent and coordinated enough to climb this rather intimidating staircase? This is a theory which was examined during the investigation. A 22 December 1935 article discussed this aspect of the investigation, 

"A woman operative about the size of Miss. Todd dressed herself in furs, evening gown and dainty slippers, as the actress had been attired. The operative then climbed the 270 steps leading from Miss. Todd's sidewalk cafe to the Cliff-side Garage in which the body was found. The slippers in the test were more scuffed than those of the actress, indicating Miss. Todd probably did not make the long climb as some investigators had theorized..." ("Todd 'Death Walk' Traced for Clue" L.A. Times 22 December, 1935).

Todd lived in an apartment over the cafe, so it would make the most sense that she would have had to scale the staircase to make the suicide/accidental death theory believable; however, the fact that her slippers were not scuffed lends fuel to lingering idea that she was murdered.

Further confusion stems from a number of eye witness accounts which cite to have spotted Todd around Hollywood throughout the day on Sunday (her time of death was stated to have been dawn on Sunday morning, with her body being discovered on Monday). This confusion first becomes apparent the day Todd's body was discovered. In the initial article reporting her death, a Mrs. Ford  (purportedly the wife of actress Wallace Ford) says, "I thought I was loosing my mind today when I was told the police said Thelma died at dawn Sunday....I talked to her some time between 4 o'clock and 4:30 Sunday afternoon. I've known her for years, and I couldn't be mistaken." ("Thelma Todd Dead; Found in Garage" LA Times 17 Dec. 1935). An article on Christmas Eve gives another witness account of Todd out and about hours after she reportedly died, quoting the owner of a cigar store, "She gave me a nickel and asked me to call a number for her. I don't remember the prefix, but the number was 7771. A minute or so later, a man came in and they left together....her high heeled shoes were a little bit dirty." ("Miss. Todd Linked to a 'Strange Man'" 24 Dec. 1935). There is also a supposed statement by Jewel Carmen, (the first wife of Todd's business partner and supposed lover) Roland West, that she had seen Todd in her car with a "strange man" after 11 o'clock on Sunday night.

Roland West was a former Hollywood director, and had been a partial owner of the Sidewalk Cafe with Todd. The two shared apartment space over the Cafe. Initial reports say that he locked Todd out after she did not get home from the Lupino party when he told her to (2 am); however, in an article dated 19 December, 1935, he gives a different sequence of events. He denies having locked her out, claiming that the threat was merely a joke between them. After going to bed at 2:30, he was awoken by the dog whining and what sounded like water running in the apartment. Thinking Todd had arrived home, he went back to sleep. ("Todd Death Sent to Grand Jurors" L.A. Times 19 Dec. 1935). If West was considered a suspect or a "person of interest," it was not apparent in the articles of the period.

The death of Thelma Todd is yet another in the long line of suspicious Hollywood deaths over the last century. Throughout the investigation, there were a number of inconsistencies preventing authorities from establishing a concrete timeline, or even a solid time of death. Due to the well documented nature of these issues, the final verdict of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning has not been popularly accepted; rather, people familiar with the case often believe more sinister events were afoot. There is definitely more to be written on this complicated sequence of events.