A Blog For Thelma Todd
Thelma Todd was a star of silent movies and later the talkies. She is remembered as much today for her mysterious death as she is for her films. In this blog, we take a look at Thelma Todd, her movies, and various commentaries.
From THE LOS ANGELES TIMES MAGAZINE, January 19, 1936
Does tragedy haunt Hollywood? The extent to which tragedies occurred in Hollywood might not have been any greater than elsewhere, but they happened nonetheless.
There were recurring allegations that the authorities did not investigate things thoroughly enough, even that things were deliberately covered up. It was said that the local politicians and the studio bosses worked together to ensure that things would continue smoothly in spite of any problem that might happen to arise.
Some people even thought that there were some sort of connections between these tragedies. They thought the victims had somehow fallen victim to some sort of cycles of bad luck. Dorothy Dell was quoted as having said the day before her death, "You know, they say deaths go in cycles of three. First it was Lilyan Tashman, then Lew Cody. I wonder who'll be next?"
I don't believe it was bad luck, myself. More likely a combination of different things were seen as bad luck by people who had no way of knowing everything that was involved.
William Desmond Taylor
Lew Cody and Mabel Normand
Paul Bern and Jean Harlow.
Dorothy Dell costarred with Shirley Temple, one of the biggest stars of the thirties.
Marjorie White was another traffic fatality in the thirties. Her last movie was the start of the "Three Stooges" series at Columbia.
Busby Berkely, who had a traffic accident on the same street as Marjorie White not long after she did.
Will Rogers was one of the biggest stars of the time.
Karl Dane was one of a number of stars whose career suffered after the coming of sound.
Virginia Bruce and John Gilbert. John Gilbert's career also suffered after sound came in.
More from PHOTOPLAY magazine, from the years 1935 and 1936..
An article about elegible batchelors of the day and the glamour girls that loved them.
Austin Parker is one of the subjects of this article. In the picture at the top, we see Muriel Evans, who worked with Charlie Chase as well as Laurel and Hardy.
Thelma Todd is mentioned on this page as having been associated with Austin Parker.
Wallace Ford's wife later would testify that Thelma Todd had called her during another party, which was after the time the authorities had set for Thelma Todd's death.
A fan of the Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly films writes.
Was Pat DeCicco the love of Thelma Todd's life? Some stories differ. As for Pat DiCicco and Margaret Lindsay, they never got married.
Muriel Evans in KING OF THE PECOS with John Wayne
One of Wallace Ford's better-known roles was THE MUMMY'S HAND.
Ivan Lebedeff (18 June 1894 – 31 March 1953) was a Russian film actor. He appeared in 66 films between 1926 and 1953.
He was born in Ushpol (later Užpaliai), Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire, on June 18, 1894,[1] and died in Los Angeles, California, from a heart attack.
He migrated to the United States in 1925 and in 1930 was recorded at Los Angeles as an actor.[2]
On August 15, 1937, he was recorded as re-entering the US from Mexico, when it was noted that he had resided in the U. S. between October 2, 1925 and October 14, 1930, and again between April 20, 1932, and August 13 1937. His closest relation was given as his sister Nathalie Lebedeff, of Nice, in the south of France.[3]
On November 12, 1937, he was naturalized in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.[4]
He died on March 31, 1953.[5]
^Date taken from naturalization papers and death index entry
^1930 U.S. Federal Census for Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, ED 53, Sheet 11B, Dwelling 231, Family 317, Charles Danziger household. Ivan B. Lebedeff, guest, male, white, 35y, single, Lithuania, Russia, Albania, speaks Russian, immigration 1925, alien, actor.
^Reentry via Mexico. Border Crossings: From Mexico to U.S., 1895-1957, Ancestry.com: "Jean or Ivan Lebedeff, b. Uzpaliai, Lithuania, 43y, male, actor, last permenant residence: Plaza Hotel, Hollywood, CA, returning to last residence, closest relative: sister, Nathalie Lebedeff, 42 Bros 3t de Dr. Richelini, Nice, France. Description of immigrant: 6'0", dk brown hair, brown eyes, fair complexion, sm mole over right eyebrow; all departure and reentry paperwork was in order. Resided in U.S. 2 Oct 1925-14 Oct 1930 and 20 Apr 1932-13 Aug 1937.
^Two index cards on Ancestry.com. Actual paperwork can be found on Footnote.com. Declaration #61076, 15 June 1932 (vol 110, pg 476); Petition #56130, 10 August 1937 (vol. 319, p. 48)
Many people from Russia came to live in the United States because of the Russian revolution. Members of the aristocracy were in danger of being killed by the bolsheviks, and in the new world many of them would go on being aristocrats, even if without money. In Hollywood different types were wanted for the movies, and not surprisingly some of these immigrants found employment there. Foreigners were seen as exotic, and accessories such as monocles were supposed to add to their mystique. Ivan Lebedeff did well enough in the movies to work with stars like Jean Harlow and Mae West. His career later went into a decline, but he was able to continue working in the movies until the time of his death.
With Thelma Todd at a movie premiere in the 1930's.
Pat O-Brien, Jean Halow, and Ivan Lebedeff in BOMBSHELL, 1933.
With Mae West and Paul Cavanagh in GOIN' TO TOWN, 1935.
An article from the November 1931 issue of PHOTOPLAY.
People used to wear hats a lot in those days. Some Russian soldiers were still using swords in World War II, although the same war would also see the use of jet planes, guided missles, and the atomic bomb.
Representing the letter "s" as three dots and the letter "i" as two dots comes from morse code.
Poison gas was used in the first World War and was still considered a fearful weapon at the time this was written, although it was not used in the second World War. "Alexander of Macedonia" is commonly refered to as "Alexander the Great".
An item linking Thelma Todd with Ivan Lebedeff from 1927.
I think they must have meant "graduate", and that the "d" was rendered as an "a".
News Item From April 9, 1932 - Reblogged From "Hollywood Heyday".
Ivan Lebedeff, one of the best monocle wearers in Hollywood,
was lunching with Polan Banks. Joan Crawford
and Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. entertained at the Ambassador
following the premier of Doug’s picture. Paul Bern, Joan Bennett, Gene
Markey, Heather Thatcher, Hollywood’s only woman monocle wearer,
Bebe Daniels and Ben Lyon and Clark
Gable were in the party. Mrs. Gable, who is in from New York, reported
as being much entertained.
And here's Ginger Rogers as "Annietime Annie" , with a monocle, in 42ND STREET.
Una Merkel, Ruby Keeler, and Ginger Rogers in a publicity phtoo for 42ND STREET. This 1933 movie was a smash hit.
_01.jpg)
.jpg)
