Publicity photo of Thelma Todd:
" Thelma Todd reads a book on the set of the film "The Travelling Salesman" but is afraid of snakes so she has surrounded her chair with a rope so they will not enter."
( The idea was that a snake can't cross a horsehair rope, therefore she was supposed to be safe from snakes. This was an old superstition, one of many about snakes that may still be circulating today. )
Unfortunately, Thelma Todd was never to make this film, due to snakes of a different kind who had no concern for either horsehair ropes nor Thelma Todd, as Donati recounts in his book. Thelma recieved a call from the studio, asking her to come to what turned out to be a drunken party of the type for which Hollywood was notorious. She walked away, and suffered a career setback as a result of not cooperating with the studio executives responsible.
Gertrude Olmsted was chosen to replace Thelma Todd:
"In New Dix Film
Gertrude Olmsted, who had leading roles in a number of pictures, has just been given the leading role opposite Richard Dix in that star's latest Paramount Picture, "The Traveling Salesman". Thelma Todd originally was cast for that part."
- The Pittsburgh Press Dec. 4, 1927
Although called "The Traveling Salesman" during production, the film was eventually released as "Sporting Goods", with this tagline:
"Guaranteed all-wool comedy! Laughs a yard wide!"
And this one:
"Have you ever been financially embarrassed? Dix was---to the tune of $16.000! This salesman starts off in the Mojave Desert in a horrible hole and ends up a rich man! How does he do it? See---RICHARD DIX in 'SPORTING GOODS' "
Richard Dix was very popular in his day. He made many westerns and a series of movies based on the radio show "The Whistler", a mystery program hosted by the titular character, a man with a haunting whistle.
Richard Dix filmography from the imdb:
Actor|Soundtrack|Producer|Self|Archive Footage
http://www.richarddix.org/
Silent Hollywood Thelma Todd Page:
http://silenthollywood.com/thelmatodd.html
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