Thelma Todd

She started in comedy shorts, where her sharp timing and physical humor shone, and in 1927 she was signed by Paramount. Her first feature role was in Fascinating Youth (1926), and she went on to appear in dozens of films, including Nevada (1927) with Gary Cooper, Monkey Business (1931) and Horse Feathers (1932) with the Marx Brothers, and This Is the Night (1932), which featured Cary Grant in his first major role. She easily made the transition to sound films, keeping her bright, clear voice with a light New England accent.

Beyond acting, Thelma opened Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Café, a nightclub that attracted show-business people but also some shady characters. Rumors at the time said gangsters wanted to take over the club for gambling, and that she and her boyfriend, director Roland West, refused to sell. In December 1935, at age 29, she was found dead in her car in her garage. The death was ruled suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning, but many believed she was murdered, a theory that still circulates today. She made around 115 films in a career that lasted only nine years. Three movies she made before her death were released after she died, including The Bohemian Girl (1936).