The Mysterious Death of Thelma Todd – Vintage Hollywood Crime

All of ihs that true

I love all of your visuals! From animated portraits to period photos, it's superb!

Her death was ruled an accident not a suicide.

She could have been tipsy ;a little noddy, perhaps… Crime back then was very surreal and, much under the technology of today. Murder— very likely.👨‍🎓

That poor woman was murdered. 😢

Definitely sounds like murder to me

Hollywood and glamours blondes,who die inexplicable deaths, have a long,lurid history together.

Could have been any number of things. Could have had something added to the drinks and no one would have been the wiser.

I was born in 1958, but I have read about Miss Todd, I love history. I always thought Lucky Luciano was behind her death because she refused to sell her club to him. Just because Lucky never met Miss Todd doesn't mean he didn't know how successful her restaurant was and he was trying to force her into selling it to him. We all know the mob knows how to make a murder look like an accident, or a suicide, without leaving any evidence behind.

🎬🎞📽

I drove by the house she lived in for year. A little bit ago.. ( years) they were renovating it I stoped my car and walked in and looked around. It was pretty cool. The original inside doors will laying on the floor. A few weeks later I researched where the garage and house were that she died, up the hill. Living in the Malibu Hollywood area it is fun to try and find these old story homes and do a drive by. I love your content. Keep up the good work.

I just think she passed out. Although if she had a broken nose well that another story.

Try the Ecoflow wave 2 for you room.

Holly, great photo!

Thelmas position in the car seems staged: it’s as if her limp body was placed there & propped against the door. When the door opened, the whole body tilted to the left, it was almost as if she was doing a headstand.
I don’t know enough about the case to work out whodunnit , but broken nose & split lip indicate a punch in the face, and when a scum bag delivers a boxing punch to a girls face, it’s always personal. Whoever killed her hated her, for daring to stand up , daring to be strong-willed.
It could be a “ business” murder of personal disagreement murder ; what makes sense that it was BOTH( west had personal motives AS WELL AS business motives ).
And anyhoo, how many died in Hollyweird FAR before their times & in STANGE ways? Hollyweird deaths are ALWAYS murders, never accidents.
What became of West after Thelmas death?
Also, was her life insured ( as it is always the case with major stars)—/ and if so, who was the beneficiary?

This case fascinated me! Thank you Oddie!

Hollywood, a cesspool then a cesspool now.

Love this story ❤ even if I’m late..from what I’m learning about Miss Todd, she was NOT suicidal! She was investing in her future, she knew she wouldn’t be acting in movies for a very long time. Everyone who believed her life was ended by someone Is definitely onto something. I don’t believe she did it herself either. Poor Thelma ❤ RIP

Ii think that it was an accidental death, but I can't say for sure.

This has always been a "who done it?" to me. I think she was snuffed out. One clue...if she got into her car and started it...wouldn't she have gotten in on the driver's side?
She was found slumped from the passenger side with her head behind the wheel. Didn't those cars have standard clutch setup in 1930s!?
Clue two...if she had her garage key/car key, would she not also have house keys?

All the questions and no answers. It wasn't suicide! Sloppy police work with a cover-up to boot! IMO

Compliments
To the producer of this Dynamic Work!
(My hunch is R. West, as culprit.)

Thelma Todd's costar Patsy Kelly went on to play "Laura Louise," in "Rosemary's Baby," the neighbor and fellow Satanist of Minnie Castavet (Ruth Gordon) who visited Rosemary (Mia Farrow).

Reportedly, Thelma's car was not out of gas---it had six gallons in is tank..

What’s so impressive is that her restaurant was doing extremely well during the Great Depression. Restaurants are extremely difficult to make successful, but this is such a testament to how savvy and resourceful she was. What an icon gone too soon.

It's sad how jealous and hateful ppl are in this country this girl worked her ass off just for ppl to bully her,i like she had that fighting spirit because that's what it takes make them work for it,creeps.

love your stuff and the extra photos were a treat!

I know one thing..ive been drunk many times ..if she could walk and talk properly as the driver said..I find it hard to believe she just fell asleep. I dont believe for sure it was suicide. Im leaning towards murder if indeed her nose was fractured and her lip split. They could have and should have done better!! 😢🙏💔

This came just when I needed it.
It's always a good day for an Obsolete Oddity video!!!
Esp on a Friday💃💃💃💃

She was definitely murdered, the broken nose and blood are the red flags. Poor Thelma, RIP lovely lady x

I think Roland is responsible. She might have turned the car on to get warm not realizing it sneaks up on you. I had a dryer fire years ago and my apartment filled with smoke, I opened the windows while waiting for the fire department I started trying to rescue things, the smoke took me out I collapsed and my neighbors dragged me out. Loved the vlog!

The broken nose — can you break your nose when you slump unconscious on the steering wheel of a car? — and the residue of food found in her stomach — according to the people present at the party, Thelma had no food that night — don't add up to the accidental suicide theory.

Columbo would have looked for blood on the steering wheel to explain her broken nose or nose bleed . Columbo also would have questioned , how even the smallest of purses would not hold two flat keys . Or was one key forcibly taken away from her leaving her stranded in a cold garage ? Why didn't Thelma use the car to force the door open or try at least. What way does the garage door open and how strong was it ?
Was Thelma being tortured a bit , like being sent to her room only it was a cold hard dark garage, to make her agree to something she did not want too ?
What time approximately did she die , how long was she dead , rigor mortis etc ?
Where was Columbo when we needed him ?

I was born and raised in Massachusetts.

It's pronounced
Massa-chew-sits
😊

Personally, my opinion is it was West. The biggest thing for me is the name change of the restaurant. Business dropping because of Thelma's name is just a fishy excuse to me. Then changing it to his name? He wanted sole ownership. His wife may have been in on it too, who knows?

Her being intoxicated is possible, but I just don't buy it. And the conflicting witness reports hint at witnesses either being threatened or bought off to lie.

I don't believe the Suicide story at all. If I recall, both Zasu Pitts(who had remained good friends with her) and Thelma's current film partner Patsy Kelly claimed Thelma was in good spirits and showed no signs of suicidal thoughts

Regardless of the truth, Thelma's death was a tragedy. I'm glad she's still remembered fondly today by us film buffs

Lovely and talented girl

Once again a very interesting documentary going back many years. Thanks Oddie for sharing. 👍👍👍

Thelma Todd's is now Paulist Productions.

I like your voice.

THE CHOICES ARE: Murder, Misadventure or Suicide. SUICIDE is the first to go. This is a woman who rolled with the punches. Show Biz was NOT EVERYTHING to her. The next choice depends on whether there was blood/bruising apparent on her body. If yes, then MURDER is a strong contender. If not, maybe she was sloshed (or not) and fell asleep. In those days CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning might not have been common knowledge.

I can't help but wonder about a relationship where an adult comes home late and is locked out of her own home on a cold December night. The one Hollywood weakness (strange/bad relationships) Thelma indulged in...killed her.

No,no, no she was murdered. Look at the broken nose! You don't COINCIDENTALLY break your nose AND accidentally gas yourself.

That clump could kind of be a ghost !

The Whaley house was home to a theatre troupe, a courthouse, and a general store. It is believed that boat thief Yankee Jim Robinson was hanged right on the grounds where the Whaley House now stands.

I don't understand. Her restaurant was lock and her house was locked. And she couldn't get in🤨???? What's wrong with that picture 🤔🤨👎

Far too many ' suicides ' were /are in actual fact murders !!!

Even the slutiest of women 100 years ago had more class than 99% of women today!

She died from carbon monoxide 🥲