The Ice Cream Blonde: The Whirlwind Life and Mysterious Death of Screwball Comedienne Thelma Todd by Michelle MorganMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is an interesting, quick read of the early Hollywood's star's life and mysterious death. I don't think the author dug up anything new and if the death was not purely accidental, a misadventure of warming up the car in confinement as the author documents was common then, then suspicion falls naturally on Todd's lover, rough character, and business partner, Roland West. He is quoted in a contemporary newspaper account of having locked her out that night punitively. Intriguingly, the book gives detail on more damage to her body than is in the official coroner's inquest. If she was beaten and then placed fainted in the car, that is one thing. It appears proven that alive in the car, she died of carbon monoxide poisoning. I am surprised more is not explored of her chauffeur, Ernest O. Peters, beyond his own reports of her odd behavior and fear of "gangsters" which mere adds weight to the most dramatic and unproven of theories: gangland murder. The book has plenty of pictures including images of extortion letters.
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