Michelle Morgan - The Ice Cream Blonde: The Whirlwind Life and Mysterious Death of Screwball Comedienne Thelma Todd

A beloved film comedienne who worked alongside the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and dozens of others, Thelma Todd was a rare Golden Age star who successfully crossed over from silent films to talkies. This authoritative new biography traces Todds life from a vivacious little girl who tried to assuage her parents grief over her brothers death, to an aspiring teacher turned reluctant beauty queen, to an outspoken movie star and restaurateur.

Increasingly disenchanted with Hollywood, in 1934 Todd opened Thelma Todds Sidewalk Caf, a hot spot that attracted fans, tourists, and celebrities. Despite success in film and business, privately the beautiful actress was having a difficult yearreceiving disturbing threats from a stranger known as the Ace and having her home ransackedwhen she was found dead in a garage near her caf. An inquest concluded that her death, at age just twenty-nine, was accidental, but in a thorough new investigation that draws on interviews, photographs, documents, and extortion notesmuch of these not previously available to the publicMichelle Morgan offers a compelling new theory, suggesting the sequence of events on the night of her death and arguing what many people have long suspected: that Thelma was murdered.

But by whom?

The suspects include Thelmas moviedirector lover, her would-be-gangster ex-husband, and the thugs who were pressuring her to install gaming tables in her popular cafincluding a new, never-before-named mobster. This fresh examination on the eightieth anniversary of the stars death is sure to interest any fan of Thelma Todd, of Hollywoods Golden Age, or of gripping real-life murder mysteries.

Copyright 2016 by Michelle Morgan

All rights reserved

Published by Chicago Review Press Incorporated

814 North Franklin Street

Chicago, Illinois 60610

ISBN 978-1-61373-038-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Morgan, Michelle, 1970

The ice cream blonde : the whirlwind life and mysterious death of screwball comedienne Thelma Todd / Michelle Morgan.

pages cm

Summary: This authoritative biography traces the life of beloved film comedienne Thelma Todd, who worked alongside the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, and dozens of others, and offers fresh evidence regarding Todds mysterious death at age twenty-nine, arguing what many people have long suspected: that Thelma was murdered Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61373-038-6 (hardback)

1. Todd, Thelma, 19051935. 2. ActorsUnited StatesBiography. I. Title.

PN2287.T575M68 2015

791.43028092dc23

[B]

2015029269

Interior design: Jonathan Hahn

Printed in the United States of America

5 4 3 2 1

For my husband, Richard. He has been there since the very beginning of my writing journey and has always believed in me, even when I didnt believe in myself.

And to the memory of Joyce and James Brubaker, who inspired me so much at the beginning of this project.

Index

T his biography has taken nearly five years to research and write, and during that time I have been helped by a great many people who have provided information, given advice, and generally kept my spirits up. I would like to thank each and every person who has been involved in the projectparticularly the following:

Christina Rice, a wonderful author and dear friend. She provided me with a great many articles and has continued to be a source of help and inspiration. This book could not have been written without her.

The staff of the following have all been wonderful: the Santa Monica Public Library (Kathy Lo), the Glasgow Library (Olga MacGregor), the Boston Library (Diane Parks), the Lawrence Library (Louise Sandberg), the Lawrence History Center (Amita Kiley and Jenn Williams), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Faye Thompson), Arizona State University, and the Library of Congress (Arlene Balkansky). Arlene, it should be said, has been absolutely incredible. I am very grateful for the research she carried out for me.

Leland Petty provided me with some interesting television programs about Thelma. Mortician Katy King answered some questions about Thelmas death. Bruce McAlpine allowed me the use of his excellent Thelma Todd home movie. Benny Drinnon provided me with some very important papers from the FBI files and allowed me access to his private correspondence with Rudy Schafer Jr. Michael G. Ankerich provided me with some fantastic photos and shared an interview he did with Lee Heidorn. Phil S. Dockter sent me some beautiful photos and newspaper articles. Adam Tunney shared his memories of touring the Sidewalk Caf building.

Thanks must also go to Tegan Summer, Ellen Poulsen, Laurie Jacobson, Marvin Wolf, Katherine Mader, Michael Williams, Martin Turnbull, Dave Stevenson, and Craig Calman, who either answered some specific questions or provided information.

Joyce and Jim Brubaker were supportive of this project from the very beginning and graciously shared some photographs from their collection, along with thoughts on Thelmas death. I am so sad that they are not here to see the fruits of my labor. Don Gallery and his lovely wife, Patricia, were very gracious and gave me a long, thoughtful interview. The family of Mae Whitehead gave me some very interesting pieces of information about Thelma and Mae. Jill and Kip Adams were extremely kind and trekked up the hillside to the garage where Thelma passed away. They and their family provided me with photos for my research and answered many questions.

Paulist Productions has been wonderful and very patient with my questions. I would like to particularly thank Joseph Kim and Mark Ortiz for their generosity and time.

My agent, Robert Smith, never gave up on this project, even when the going got tough. Thanks also to Lisa Reardon and Devon Freeny, my editors at Chicago Review Press, and copyeditor Cathy Bernardy Jones.

I would like to thank my friends and familyespecially Mum, Dad, Paul, Wendy, and Angelinafor always being there for me.

Finally, my husband, Richard, and daughter, Daisy, have been (as always) fantastic. Without their love and support, I would never be able to do the job I do. I am forever grateful and lucky to have them both in my life.

I t had been a cold weekend in Los Angeles, with temperatures dipping to twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit and winds sweeping across the region. Weathermen warned of possible early morning frost the following Monday, December 16, 1935. By 10 AM that day the gales had calmed, but as Mae Whitehead left her home on West Thirty-Sixth Place, there was still a nip in the air.

Mae had been Thelma Todds maid and right-hand woman since 1931. She would always insist that the world-famous actress was wonderful to work for. Mae had seen her employer go through some turbulent times, including the breakup of her marriage and various other dramas. The past year, in particular, had brought a long string of stressful events, and as Mae drove across town toward the Pacific Ocean, she was well aware that 1935 was one year Thelma would be anxious to put behind her.

The housekeeper turned onto the quiet residential streets that led to number 17531 Posetano Road, where Thelmas garage was located. Actually, although the actress had full access to the building, it belonged not to her but to her business partner, film director Roland West, and his estranged wife, Jewel Carmen. The couple owned the home nestled in the hill above the garage, though in recent times part of the sprawling mansion was occupied by caf manager Rudy Schafer and his wife, Alberta (Jewel Carmens sister). Jewel was now living elsewhere, and Roland spent more than the odd night in the apartment above the Sidewalk Cafthe business he and Thelma operated down the hill.