The above article is continued after the item about Dr. Wagner.
Full page here to show entire headline
The news story shown at greater magnification.
A Blog For Thelma Todd Thelma Todd was a star of silent movies and later the talkies. She is remembered as much today for her mysterious death as she is for her films. In this blog, we take a look at Thelma Todd, her movies, and various commentaries.
Friday, December 21, 2012
Death Of Thelma Todd LA Times Pt 3
The investigation continues, as does the press coverage. But can anyone really explain everything?
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Death Of Thelma Todd LA Times Pt 2
More newspaper articles. More questions. And some answers. But not everything was entirely clear.
First page continued under the DiCicco item.
Schiffert was evidently the writers of the extortion letters to Thelma Todd: Schimanski seems to have been blamed by mistake.
Jewel Carmen had been a star. Pat DiCicco was one of the rats. Same letters, different meaning.
CORSAIR wasn't the first movie in which Thelma Todd had the feminine lead, but Jewel Carmen could have thought it was. She had separated from Roland West, but pretended otherwise.
A
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Death Of Thelma Todd: MYSTERIES AND SCANDALS Series
The death of Thelma Todd was discussed on an episode of the television series MYSTERIES AND SCANDALS.
Mysteries and Scandals (also known as Mysteries & Scandals) is an American television program hosted by A.J. Benza.[1] The series was originally broadcast on the E! network from March 1998 until February 2001.
The show was highly stylized and presented each episode in a noir fashion with backdrops set in various Hollywood locations and narrated in a deadpan fashion by Benza. His memorable catchphrase "Fame, ain't it a bitch," would later became the title of Benza's autobiography.[2]
The series aired for three seasons. Episodes were repeated on E! for a period of time after the series' initial run.
Thelma Todd was the subject of the seventh episode of this series. Andy Edmonds ( author of the book
HOT TODDY )
It's interesting to see Andy Edmonds and Marvin Wolf on camera, but neither proves anything and they weren't even the first ones to tell the stories that are often associated with them. About the same story that Andy Edmonds had can be found in John McCabe's MR. LAUREL AND MR. HARDY , and the story that Marvin Wolf presented ( and as "new" ) can be found in Laurie Jacobson's
HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK* - which he actually had listed in the bibliography of his book FALLEN ANGELS, where he previously written about Thelma Todd. FALLEN ANGELS also reused one of the same pictures of Thelma Todd that was in HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK.
William Donati also appeared in this show. More recently he came out with his own book, THE LIFE AND MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF THELMA TODD.**
Donati's book represents the accident theory as the more likely solution, just as he did on this show. But I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure.
* HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK also mentions Luciano in connection with Thelma Todd, but doesn't have the same story as in John McCabe's book - which didn't mention Luciano by name.
MYSTERIES AND SCANDALS Episodes:
http://epguides.com/MysteriesandScandals/
Mysteries and Scandals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Mysteries and Scandals | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Mysteries & Scandals |
| Genre | Infotainment |
| Created by | Michael Danahy |
| Directed by | Joel K. Rodgers Liz Flynn |
| Presented by | A.J. Benza |
| Narrated by | A.J. Benza |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 152 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Betsy Rott Gary Socol Michael Danahy |
| Producer(s) | Chip Bell Victoria Chapman Liz Flynn Karin Londgren Alison Martino Daniel Schwartz Lynne Morgan Colin Whelan Dan Abrams |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | E! |
| Original run | April 9, 1998 – February 19, 2001 |
Synopsis
The series detailed the lives of various celebrities, both well known and somewhat obscure. Most celebrities that were featured endured hardships or died untimely deaths. The series interviewed various celebrities who knew the subject along with still photographs accompanied by narrations, and dramatic reenactments.The show was highly stylized and presented each episode in a noir fashion with backdrops set in various Hollywood locations and narrated in a deadpan fashion by Benza. His memorable catchphrase "Fame, ain't it a bitch," would later became the title of Benza's autobiography.[2]
The series aired for three seasons. Episodes were repeated on E! for a period of time after the series' initial run.
References
- ^ "E! Mysteris & Scandals". The Internet Movie Database. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155428/. Retrieved March 10, 2012.
- ^ A.J. Benza book review
External links
- Mysteries and Scandals at the Internet Movie Database
- Mysteries and Scandals at TV.com ‹See Tfd›
- Mysteries and Scandals at epguides.com
and Marvin Wolf ( author of the magazine article THELMA TODD'S MURDER SOLVED ) both appear in this program.
It's interesting to see Andy Edmonds and Marvin Wolf on camera, but neither proves anything and they weren't even the first ones to tell the stories that are often associated with them. About the same story that Andy Edmonds had can be found in John McCabe's MR. LAUREL AND MR. HARDY , and the story that Marvin Wolf presented ( and as "new" ) can be found in Laurie Jacobson's
HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK* - which he actually had listed in the bibliography of his book FALLEN ANGELS, where he previously written about Thelma Todd. FALLEN ANGELS also reused one of the same pictures of Thelma Todd that was in HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK.
William Donati also appeared in this show. More recently he came out with his own book, THE LIFE AND MYSTERIOUS DEATH OF THELMA TODD.**
Donati's book represents the accident theory as the more likely solution, just as he did on this show. But I don't suppose we'll ever know for sure.
* HOLLYWOOD HEARTBREAK also mentions Luciano in connection with Thelma Todd, but doesn't have the same story as in John McCabe's book - which didn't mention Luciano by name.
MYSTERIES AND SCANDALS Episodes:
http://epguides.com/MysteriesandScandals/
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Death Of Thelma Todd: Los Angeles Times
Thelma Todd was found dead in the garage where her car was kept near the Sidewalk Cafe on December 16, 1935. We begin a series of articles from the Los Angeles Times which covered this story.
Here this page is shown intact at reduced magnification: portions are shown below at greater magnification.
We can look back at this story today, but nobody seems to be able to say absolutely for certain exactly how Thelma Todd came to die. Her death remains one of Hollywood's Unsolved Mysteries.
Death Of Thelma Todd:
Sunday, December 16, 2012
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
From
From
Thelma Todd
Thelma Todd, Doris Dawson and Jack Mulhall
Alice White
Louise Brooks
Joan Crawford
From the silent era
Jean Harlow
Iris Adrian
Around the time she worked with Laurel and Hardy.
Ida Lupino
Paulette Goddard
Christmas Carole
Carole Lombard
With Christmas stockings.
Christmas Carole
Carole Landis with a Christmas basket.
Marilyn Monroe
And her Christmas stocking
And here's her other Christmas stocking.
Bettie Page
Yvonne Craig ( Batgirl on television ).
Seems she has yet another secret identity that wasn't on the tv show.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Carole Landis Vs. Carole Lombard
Once upon a time, there were two little girls who both grew up to be bathing beauties.
One worked for Mack Sennett.
This magazine article makes a comparison. From SCREEN GUIDE, April 1941
One worked for Mack Sennett.
Carole Lombard as she looked when she worked for Sennett.
And one worked for Hal Roach
Carole Landis around the time she started working for Hal Roach.
In each case, they made considerable progress in their careers, and each made an effort to contribute to the war effort during the second World War. But both would continue to be associated with comedies in the eyes of the public.
This magazine article makes a comparison. From SCREEN GUIDE, April 1941
There were some similarities between Carole Landis and Carole Lombard. But was there some sort of rivalry between the two, as some stories would have it? Did they ever even meet?
Answer From Carole Landis' Niece*, Reblogged from http://carolelombard.org/landis-versus-lombard :
No, they never met. Carole Landis was a huge Lombard fan and had her picture plastered all over her bedroom wall when she was a child. That’s why she chose the stage name Carole. Some sources say she actually chose Carol out of a phone book and then added the “e” to be like Lombard. There is a quote Carole gave when a reporter told her they looked alike – “If I look like Miss Lombard – and I don’t – please spare her the humiliation.”
CAROLE LOMBARD GALLERY
RUN, GIRL, RUN
Carole Lombard with Dapne Pollard, center, in THE CAMPUS VAMP. Madalynne Fields is at left, and Sally Eilers is at right.
Carole sporting the Pathe Rooster, which was the symbol of Mack Sennett's distributor, Pathe.
Poster showing Mack Sennett's stars. Several of them went to Roach, including Harry Langdon and Ben Turpin. Mary Ann Jackson was in Our Gang comedies.
The coming of sound brought an influx of many stage people into Hollywood to work in the talkies. Here we see Carole Lombard with Marx Brothers Groucho and Harpo, with Jackie Cooper in between. It was in this period that the Marx Brothers worked with Thelma Todd. Jackie Cooper appeared in "Our Gang" comedies for Roach before he went to Paramount.
SINNERS IN THE SUN, 1932. Looks like Carole Lombard's still a bathing beauty in this one, even without Mack Sennett's involvement. Chester Morris, right, had made CORSAIR with Thelma Todd the year before.
BOLERO, 1934. George Raft had ties with the New York underworld, but he became famous as a dancer, even if he didn't usually dance in the movies. In this one he danced with Carole Lombard.
THE GAY BLADE, 1934. This was the year after the Zasu Pitts and Thelma Todd series ended. Zasu Pitts was much in demand at other studios at the time.
Carole Lombard used to be one of the negligee girls, but later publicity slapped the new label of two-fisted he-man girl on her. It wasn't really all that unique ( all the girls in comedies were alleged to be kind of rough ), but you were supposed to think it was. She wound up married to Clark Gable in any case.
Carole Lombard raises the flag at bond rally in Indianapolis as the Governor adresses the crowd.
Carole Lombard selling war bonds. This would be her last public appearence before she was killed in a plane crash.
CAROLE LANDIS GALLERY
ONE MILLION B.C.
Carole Landis was a "negligee girl" too.
TOPPER RETURNS - Carole Landis at right center, Joan Blonell left, Roland Young, center, Billie Burke at right.
MOON OVER MIAMI teamed Carole Landis with Betty Grable and Charlotte Greenwood in a film that foreshadowed HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE with Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall. Studio bosses considered the blondes to all be interchangeable.
Carole Landis sighs for the troops on the radio show COMMAND PERFORMANCE. They also filmed the event for posterity.
FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP was based on the real-life WWII trour of Carole Landis, Mitzi Mayfair, Kay Francis, and Martha Raye to entertain the troops.
The Four Jills In Their Jeep
The Four Jills entertaining the troops overseas.
Chow time for Carole Landis and Mitzi Mayfair.
On a later tour, Carole Landis signs autographs in the Pacific.
CAROLE LANDIS LIBRARY
FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP is Carole Landis' story of her famous WWII tour.
CAROLE LANDIS: A MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL was written by Eric Gans, who belongs to my yahoo group "The Carolers".
I have not read any books about Carole Lombard and so cannot reccomend any of them. She came from the state of Indiana, which is where I live, too, but I don't have any kind of association with her family.
*This niece is presumably Tammy, who I remember from the official site as well as the yahoo club I started for Carole Landis myself, called "The Carolers" after the original fan club for Carole Landis.
Carole Landis And Carole Lombard At Carole Lombard Site:
Carole Landis Official Site:
Carole Landis Project ( Eric Gans Site ):
The Carolers ( My Club On Yahoo ):
Last Photos Taken Of Carole Lombard ( Bond Rally In Indianapolis ):
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