Thelma White (December 4, 1910 – January 11, 2005) was an
American radio and film actress. White is best known for her role in the 1936
exploitation film Reefer Madness.
Early life and career
Born
Thelma Wolpa in
Lincoln, Nebraska, White debuted in her family's circus show at age 2, acting as a "living doll" who would stand in place until she got a cue to begin cooing and wriggling. At the age of 10 she was dancing in
vaudeville as part of The White Sisters, leading to
jobs with the
Ziegfeld Follies and
Earl Carroll revue before she moved to
Hollywood in the late 1920s. Her first film was
A Night in a Dormitory (1930) co-starring
Ginger Rogers. That job led to a number of short films at
Pathé Exchange (later
RKO Pictures), where she played leading lady to some of the most familiar comic faces of the day, such as
Edgar Kennedy and
Leon Errol.
White's most famous role arrived in
Tell Your Children (1936) better known today as
Reefer Madness, a low-budget exploitation film to warn audiences of the dangers of
marijuana. White appeared as Mae, the tough mistress of dope-dealer Jack (
Carleton Young). Jack encourages high school students to take a toke of marijuana, after which they become involved in rape, prostitution, suicide, and various other traumas. The film was a flop and vanished into the vaults for over 30 years.
White continued to struggle through
B-movies and small roles for the next few years, and in Hollywood circles was more known for her private life than any on-camera abilities. She was married three times, first to radio star Claude Stroud (one of the Stroud twins) for five years, then a brief
marriage to Max Hoffman, Jr. Her final marriage, to actor and costume designer Tony Millard, lasted for several decades.
Tell Your Children was found in a vault in 1972 and rechristened
Reefer Madness by pro-marijuana activists and a young movie distributor who saw the movie as having great comedic appeal. The film gained a following on college campuses for its campy nature as well as its crazed depiction of marijuana use. White, who had starred with
W. C. Fields and
Jack Benny in her best years, was somewhat chagrined to be known for such a film. In 1987, she told the
Los Angeles Times, "I'm ashamed to say that it's the only one of my films that's become a classic."
[1]
Entertaining troops
During
World War II, White joined United Servicemen Overseas, a
government program which featured entertainment for troops serving overseas, and performed as the leader of an all female swing band called Thelma White and Her All Girl Orchestra. She and her band went to
Alaska on several occasions with
Rose Hobart and
Carmen Miranda. She continued to make appearances in B-movies such as
The Bowery Boys film series, but near the end of the war contracted a crippling disease while appearing in the
Aleutian Islands. White was bedridden for five years and told she would never walk again. Although she did partially recover and appeared in a few late 40's films, her acting career was essentially over.
White later worked as an agent, representing such actors as
Robert Blake and
James Coburn.
Death
White's third husband, Tony Millard, died in 1999. She had no children, and spent most of her time with her
Mexican Hairless Dogs. White died of
pneumonia in the
Motion Picture and Television Hospital on January 11, 2005 at age 94.
[2]
Filmography
| Notes |
|---|
| 1930 | A Night in a Dormitory | Thelma | |
| 1930 | Ride 'em Cowboy | | Alternative title: Pathé Folly Comedies: Ride 'em Cowboy |
| 1930 | Sixteen Sweeties | | Alternative title: Pathé Melody Comedies: Sixteen Sweeties |
| 1931 | One Way Out | Desperate for Permanent Wave | |
| 1931 | Hot Sands | Wife | |
| 1933 | Hey, Nanny Nanny | Mrs. Bond | |
| 1934 | What Price Jazz | | |
| 1934 | Susie's Affairs | Susie's Blonde Roommate | |
| 1935 | Never Too Late | Helen Lloyd | Alternative title: It's Never Too Late to Mend |
| 1936 | Reefer Madness | Mae | Alternative title: Tell Your Children |
| 1936 | Two in the Dark | Woman | Uncredited |
| 1936 | The Moon's Our Home | Salesgirl | |
| 1936 | Forgotten Faces | Nurse in park | |
| 1938 | Wanted by the Police | Lillian | |
| 1942 | Syncopation | Singer on Piano at Party | Uncredited |
| 1942 | A Man's World | Dancehall girl | Uncredited |
| 1942 | Pretty Dolly | Baby, Cigar Counter Clerk | |
| 1943 | Spy Train | Millie | |
| 1944 | Bowery Champs | Diane Gibson | |
| 1947 | Hectic Honeymoon | | |
| 1948 | Mary Lou | Eve Summers | |
References
External links
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