Tuesday, July 31, 2018

SITTING PRETTY Photos





A couple of pictures from this movie that they had at the Internet Movie Database, which they had listed as Thelma Todd photos. I don't think she is in these photos, which show a bunch of dancers that they had in the movie. Ginger Rogers is in the top photo, but not the one at the bottom.






There is a publicity photo of Thelma Todd wearing the same spangly costume as the chorus girls in the fan dancer number at the end of the movie, but -



 I don't think Thelma Todd was actually among the fan dancers at the end of the movie. In SITTING PRETTY, she had about the same part she had in SPEAK EASILY, she was the vamp or other woman character who threatens the romance of the main girl in the story. She didn't share in the final triumph because she wasn't the heroine in the story.  


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SITTING PRETTY Photos




SITTING PRETTY was a 1933 Paramount production starring Jack Oakie and Ginger Rogers. Not long after it was made Ginger Rogers was teamed with Fred Astaire and became a big star. But we are more concerned with Thelma Todd here, so here are a few pictures of her from the movie.

























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SITTING PRETTY Lobby Card




Lobby card for SITTING PRETTY, with Thelma Todd and Jack Oakie.








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Monday, July 30, 2018

Allison Loyd Photo






A publicity photograph for the movie CORSAIR ( 1931 ), which was where she used the stage name of "Allison Loyd".







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Thelma Todd Letter

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Transcript of a letter Thelma Todd wrote to a fan in Ireland:

"Thelma Todd ( name on top of the page )
Oct. 30, 1931

Dear Mr. Cloney,
Received your delightful letter and am happy you carried out your threat. We are always pleased to hear from those interested in our success, especially from those across the "big pond".
I'm glad you enjoy my efforts on the silver screen. Some of the roles are not too pleasing, nor offer much opportunity, and yet we must do our best, because no matter what capacity you are in, you are quite necessary to make the wheel go round. Is it not so?
I should enjoy being able to correspond with you, but time in this business has wings, and there is much to do. Furthermore, I am a poor correspondent. However, should you have nothing better to do, on a rainy night, you might drop a line and tell me a bit about Ireland.
My father was born there, coming to this country at an early age. I hope some day to visit the Emerald Isle. I have a bit of the Irish sense of humor, and believe me, it has been a life-saver in many an instance, and tho I have a dash of Scotch too, I have yet to see any of the proverbial signs. I hope you will be able to see my latest

 ( here the word "picture" is crossed out, evidently because of a mistake in spelling )

( pardon the error ) you see I am writing this myself ) picture with Chester Morris, called "Corsair". Drop me note and tell me how you like it.
Thanking you once more for your interest, I remain,

Sincerely,

Thelma Todd
Alison Loyd "












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Thelma Todd Letter To Lee Heidorn





Thelma Todd wrote this letter to Lee Heidorn, who ran the fan club for Billie Dove, and said that she wanted to join the club. Thelma Todd also mentions in the letter that Billie Dove had retired from the movies.

From the Thelma Todd Fans group on facebook.







A letter I put on the blog on Dec. 30, 2013. I think it must have come from the site for Lee Heidorn.




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Sunday, July 29, 2018

Birthday Of Clara Bow






Clara Bow was also born on July 29, but it was the year before Thelma Todd, and not the same day as the publicity of the day had it.





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Birthday Of Thelma Todd





Thelma Todd was born on July 29, 1906 in Lawrence, Massachusetts. 





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Thelma Todd Scrapbook





From the Thelma Todd Fans group on facebook:

Scott Margolin:
In celebration of Thelma's birthday weekend, here are a few portraits from one of her scrapbooks. These are all original stills, some with the photographer's signature or embossing. Enjoy, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVE, THELMA!!!


































THE OLD BULL











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Friday, July 27, 2018

Thelma Todd"s Name Back In Lights






Thelma Todd's name is on a theater marque again, at least in her home town of Lawrence, Massachusetts.


Reblogged from www.eagletribune.com/news/lifestyles/thelma-todd-back-in-lights-lawrence-screen-legend-s-memory/article_a7c942e1-a3b1-55d8-8056-8ad78a6e5962.html


Thelma Todd back in lights; Lawrence screen legend's memory to grace state park theater


Lawrence screen legend's memory to grace state park theater




TERRY DATE/Staff photo Joe Bella hangs a Thelma Todd movie poster as part of an exhibit drawn from his vast collection of memorabilia related to the Lawrence-born actress. The exhibit will be part of Todd's 112th birthday celebration on Sunday at Lawrence Heritage State Park.




TERRY DATE/Staff photo Super fan Joe Bella turns on the lights for the new Thelma Todd theater marquee at Lawrence Heritage State Park. The movie theater will be dedicated to the Lawrence star of the early silver scree at her 112th birthday party this Sunday



The star was born more than a century ago and died mysteriously at just 29, but her name is back in lights — gracing the new marquee on Lawrence's last movie theater.  
The Thelma Todd Theater, a modest room behind red curtains at Lawrence Heritage State Park, will be dedicated this Sunday afternoon, July 29, at Todd's 112th birthday party.
Among the guests will be Todd relatives — generations removed — as well as history buffs, proud Lawrencians and at least one infatuated fan.
Super fan Joe Bella's voice catapults when he recounts coincidences that led to the Todd theater.
Last winter, Bella and staff at the Jackson Street state park were lamenting all the vanished movie theaters in Lawrence. The city was once singled out by Ripley's Believe It or Not! for having four cinemas in a row on Broadway. 
Around this same time, Bella, who belongs to an online fan club devoted to Thelma Todd, had read a post from a perplexed fan who wondered why Lawrence hadn't named something for its silver screen legend.
"A lightbulb went off," Bella said. 
He thought of the Heritage State Park theater. Todd movie shorts are shown there most every day. 
"We have one (a theater) here and no name for it," Bella recalled telling park staff, including supervisor Mike Mitchell.
The idea clicked, Mitchell said. The unnamed theater has been part of the state park since it opened in 1986.
Over the years, the park has hosted parties and film festivals in honor of Todd, director Jim Beauchesne said.
A half-dozen distant Todd family relatives attended last year's birthday party, including Julie Todd of Lawrence who shared cake-cutting honors with Bella.
Julie, a professor at Iliff School of Theology in Colorado, said her father, Jim Todd, lived in Lawrence and went to Lawrence High. His father, Bill Todd, was Thelma's first cousin.
Julie said her grandfather and her great Aunt Edna were proud to have been related to the star.
To this day people get excited when they make the connection between Julie and Thelma's shared last name: "Oh, you're related to Thelma Todd," they say.
For her part, Julie, a singer in the Lawrence in Harmony Adult Choir, said the marquee and theater dedication is a testament to the enduring power of art and culture in the city of Lawrence, which she believes is experiencing a revival.
"So I hope that people will draw on this event and Thelma's legacy as a Lawrencian to remain committed to supporting the arts and women in the arts in Lawrence," she said.
Sunday's celebration will include remarks, a movie poster and photo exhibit, birthday cake, popcorn and screenings of some of Todd's short films.
The marquee was made by Amesbury artist Jason Asselin, recommended by the Essex Art Center. Asselin, a visiting lecturer in the art department at Salem State University, was the lead artist on the Food for the World Pantry on Essex Street in 2016.
Bella said Asselin based the marquee representation of Todd on a painting by Lawrence-born artist John Petralia (Bella's cousin), who died at age 99 in 2013.
Petralia painted the Todd oil from a photograph shortly after her Dec. 16, 1935, death. He based it on a photograph of Thelma's mother hugging her, Bella said. 

Thelma Todd, Lawrence and beyond
— Born July 29, 1906, in Lawrence; one of two children.
— Father’s family was from Ireland; her mother’s from Canada, of French-Canadian descent.
— Witnessed her 7-year-old brother, William, killed in a farm accident while the Todds visited relatives in Vermont. 
— Her father served as Lawrence alderman of public health and charities, and her family lived in at least five different South Lawrence apartments.
— Attended Saunders School, Packard School and Lawrence High, Class of 1923, where she wrote a gossip column for the newspaper, the Lawrence Bulletin.
 — Modeled, attended teacher's college in Lowell, performed in movies by Lawrence-area filmmakers Rosario and Peter Contarino, and won Miss Massachusetts pageant title in 1925.
— Attended film school on Long Island, New York, where in 1926 the students released the silent film “Fascinating Youth." Todd and family were chauffeured to premier in Lawrence at the Palace Theater on Broadway. 
— Married Pat DiCicco in 1932 and divorced in ’34. He later married Gloria Vanderbilt.
— In Hollywood, the actress known as the "ice cream blond" had a knack for comedy. Producer Hal Roach paired her with ZaSu Pitts and then Patsy Kelly, seeking a female version of the wildly popular Laurel and Hardy tandem.
— Appeared in 119 films, including early Hollywood talkies, as well as full-length movies such The Marx Brothers' "Horse Feathers" and "Klondike."
— Died Dec. 16, 1935 of carbon monoxide poisoning in her southern California garage behind the wheel of her running car, apparently trying to stay warm after being locked out of a house at night.
— Cremated remains buried in family plot in Bellevue Cemetery Lawrence, a few miles from the theater that now bears her name.

IF YOU GO
What: Thelma Todd’s 112th Birthday Party, featuring a marquee unveiling and theater dedication
When: Sunday, July 29, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Lawrence Heritage State Park, 1 Jackson St.
How much: Free; courtesy of Friends of Lawrence Heritage State Park and Joseph Bella
More information: Contact Lawrence Heritage State Park at 978-794-1655.



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Minna Gombell Photos















Dorothy Coonan, Wellman, Frankie Darro, Minna Gombell, and Edwin-Phillips in WILD BOYS OF THE ROAD ( 1933 ).




James Dunn, Zasu Pitts, Terance Ray, and Minna Gombell in HELLO SISTER ( 1933 ).




Oliver Hardy, Billy Gilbert, Stan Laurel, Minna Gombell, and Patricia Ellis in a publicity photo for BLOCKHEADS.



POSTERS


Minna Gombell ( center ) WOMEN MUST DRESS ( 1935 )



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Thursday, July 26, 2018

Minna Gombell






Minna Gombell and Thelma Todd were friends and both worked for Hal Roach and appeared in Laurel and Hardy movies.

From the Thelma Todd Fans group on facebook.


Minna Gombell and Thelma Todd at the Domino Club, Coconut Grove, Ambassador Hotel 






Thelma Todd and Minna Gombell on the beach.





Adam Tunney:
Minna Gombell was also Thelma Todd's acting coach. Her name is listed next to #16 in this picture of Thelma Todd's business ledger from January of 1934. Her ex-husband, "P.J." DeCicco is also mentioned, two months before their divorce, as well as her maid, Mae Whitehead.



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Sunday, July 22, 2018

Release Of The Thelma Todd And Zasu Pitts Comedies







The Thelma Todd and Zasu Pitts comedies are now being released on DVD in addition to
 the Thelma Todd and Patsy Kelly comedies.


Reblogged from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DPFG4S6/?coliid=I2VK757XJI833B&colid=2ODEHUL8E573E&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it









Editorial Reviews

These sexy, pre-code two-reel comedies showcasing Thelma Todd's timeless beauty and impeccable comedic ability that wowed audiences during the Depression, tickling their funny bones as well. The vivacious, talented, and lovely Thelma Todd was Hal Roach's top female comedian, who in her short 29-year lifetime graced over 100 films. This collection brings together all of the films from her collaboration with Zasu Pitts, a veteran character actress with wonderful comedy timing and delightful comedic gestures who proves a fine comic foil for the blonde beauty. These two-reel short comedies also feature the wonderful Hal Roach stock company of comedians: Billy Gilbert, James C. Morton, Charlie Hall, Anita Garvin, Bud Jamison, and others, as well as special collaborations with other top Hal Roach stars like Laurel and Hardy and Charley Chase.
The shorts: 1931: Let's Do Things, Catch-As Catch-Can, The Pajama Party, War Mamas, On The Loose - 1932: Sealskins, Red Noses, Strictly Unreliable, The Old Bull, Show Business, Alum and Eve, The Soilers, Sneak Easily - 1933: Asleep In the Feet, Maids a La Mode, The Bargain of the Century, One Track Minds.

SPECIAL FEATURES:



  • Commentaries by Richard M. Roberts, Randy Skretvedt, Brent Walker and Robert Farr
  • Stills and poster gallery
  • Restored from the original negatives



  • Product details

        ASIN: B07DPFG4S6



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    Adrian Booth Photos





    Some photos of Adrian Booth.



    The photo that was used for one of the comics, autographed.



    With Buster Keaton in PEST FROM THE WEST ( 1940 ).



    With the Three Stooges in YOU NAZTY SPY.




    Dorothy Appleby, Jerome "Curly" Howard, Adrian Booth, Moe Howard, Larry Fine, and Dorothy Comingore in ROCKIN' THROUGH THE ROCKIES ( 1940 ).



    Candid photo of Adrian Booth with her husband David O'Brien.


    POSTERS


    THE LAST BANDIT, a Republic western.




    CAPTAIN AMERICA ( 1942 ), a Republic serial.


    Autographed card featuring scenes from serial posters.






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