Newspaper Article - Thelma Todd - Fire At Brown Derby

G. D. Hamann sent me this item a number of years ago.






From: "G. d. hamann"

Date: Wed, 19 Sep 2001 13:16:21 -0700

  

One of the more interesting TT items I've run into recently.

 

8/28/1932 LAX FILM CELEBRITIES, EXECUTIVES FLEE BROWN DERBY FIRE

 Several score film celebrities, studio executives and scenarists were

driven from the Brown Derby Café, 1628 North Vine Street, by fire during   

the noon hour yesterday.   

 The flames started in the kitchen from an overheated flue and quickly

filled the famous restaurant with smoke, sending its patrons running into   

the street. More than 200 men and women were routed.   

 Those who fled included Tom Mix, Estelle Taylor, June Collyer, Carl

Laemmle Jr., Wallace Beery, Thelma Todd, Lew Cody, Ivan Lebedeff and   

Vivian Osborne.   

 The sudden outpouring of notables caused a large crowd to gather on the

sidewalk in a few minutes and tied up automobile traffic. Several squads   

of policemen were required to regulate the throng.   

                                      *                      *                      *

The Brown Derby was a famous restaurant in Hollywood, we have pictures of Thelma Todd that were taken there. Ivan Lebedeff was an actor whose name was linked to Thelma Todd's. Lew Cody was Buster Keaton's best friend, who had been married to Mabel Normand. He was in the movie SITTING PRETTY with Thelma Todd and Ginger Rogers. Wallace Beery was a famous actor who worked with Jean Harlow and Ted Healy, who was also alleged to have been one of the men who beat Ted Healy up shortly before his death. Tom Mix was a movie cowboy who was said to have been involved with Lupe Velez in private life. Carl Laemmle Jr. was the son of the founder of Universal Pictures. At the time that this article was written he was in charge of production there.


Wallace Beery:
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/12710%7C152971/Wallace-Beery/

Lew Cody:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lew_Cody

Carl Laemmle Jr.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Laemmle,_Jr.

Ivan Lebedeff:
http://benny-drinnon.blogspot.com/2012/08/ivan-lebedeff.html

Tom Mix:
http://www.b-westerns.com/tommix.htm



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