Sunday, July 27, 2014

Thelma Todd Signs With Roach









Thelma Todd in an early publicity picture for Roach, which states that she has just signed with the studio. This would have been 1929.

The caption for this photo gives you the impression that Thelma Todd had been working for MGM prior to signing with Roach. Actually she had been working for other studios, but not MGM. I believe the only film she made at MGM was SPEAK EASILY ( 1932 ) with Buster Keaton and Jimmy Durante.








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6 comments:

  1. UnknownJuly 28, 2014 at 6:23 AM

    Regarding Thelma's signing on at Roach studios, the book "100 Years Of Brodies" by Craig Calman lists her salary as being $750. a week in 1929, the same as Anita Garvin's at the time and Edna Marion's at the time of her release from Roach. Does this sound correct to you?

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  2. Benny DrinnonJuly 31, 2014 at 2:33 PM

    Hal Roach was supposed to be the source of the information in that book, so it must be right. I don't remember what Roach paid her to begin with.

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  3. UnknownAugust 1, 2014 at 8:47 AM

    My query on salaries stems from the following curiosity: If Edna Marion was earning $750. weekly as stated , it means she was earning almost as much as Ollie ($300. weekly) and Stan $500. weekly as an actor) combined in 1928.

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  4. Benny DrinnonAugust 3, 2014 at 3:24 PM

    THE LAUREL AND HARDY ENCYCLOPEDIA by Glenn Mitchell quotes Randy Skretvedt as saying that in 1928 Stan Laurel was getting $500.00 a week and Oliver Hardy was getting $400.00 a week. I don't have any information on Edna Marion's salary.

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  5. Benny DrinnonAugust 3, 2014 at 3:35 PM

    THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THELMA TODD by William Donati gives a salary of $300.00 a week for Thelma Todd in 1929, you can see it at http://books.google.com/books?id=LQsB66qPGmgC&pg=PA37&lpg=PA37&dq=Thelma+Todd's+salary+Hal+Roach+1929&source=bl&ots=arbwZCwZV5&sig=9uWdyW29F7gMecMgHuSM0g3n3W4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=NLjeU6OWAZCYyATo74KwDA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Thelma%20Todd's%20salary%20Hal%20Roach%201929&f=false

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  6. Benny DrinnonAugust 3, 2014 at 3:37 PM

    Donati did not give $300.00 a week as Thelma Todd's salary at the Roach studio. He mentioned that amount before she went to work for Roach. But Roach could have continued to pay her the same amount.

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