Hot Toddy: The True Story of Hollywood's Most Sensational Murder

by Andy Edmonds

Book by Edmonds, Andy

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Biography, Crime, Film, History, Media Tie In

304 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1989

Reviews

[Rama Rao · Rating 5 out of 5]

The fallen angel

Thelma Todd was a stylish blonde with an illustrious career in Hollywood. She worked with some of the best in showbusiness including Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, Gloria Swanson, and others. She was one of the rare breed of actors to successfully cross over from silent films to talkies. This biography traces Todd's life and career of a perky little girl from her hometown of Lawrence, Massachusetts. Under pressure from her mother, she became a reluctant beauty queen and then her rapid rise to become a star. She was a cross between Goldie Hawn and Farrah Fawcett. Despite this celebrity status, Todd was a very troubled; she had a difficult relationship with her husband Pat DiCicco, a self-described Hollywood agent with mob connections. She also had relationship with Mobster Lucky Luciano: Both the men were physically abusive to her. Her father was a distant, unloving man. Her on-screen life appeared to be a happy one and life seemed beautiful for this outspoken Hollywood rebel, but she was a deeply troubled who went out with several men and all of them were wrong for her.

Todd’s mysterious death at the age of 29 produced the same level of shock of other mysterious deaths like Marilyn Monroe and Sharon Tate. Her lifeless body was slumped over the wheel of her Lincoln convertible in her garage and the engine was still running. The coroner ruled her death a suicide due to carbon monoxide poisoning. The grand jury came up with same conclusion, but crime scene evidence and witness accounts contradicted this conclusion.

There are numerous suspects according to author Andy Edmonds that includes Todd`s ex-husband, Pat DiCicco; Roland West, a failed director and Todd`s lover; Roland’s wife Jewel Carmen. The Wests had financed the Sidewalk Café, overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Pacific Palisades, California. But it was owned by Thelma Todd. The three partners lived in a duplex together above the restaurant, it was an uncomfortable arrangement. While Roland West bitterly resented Todd`s numerous affairs with mobsters and studio bosses. But surprisingly, his wife Jewel Carmen didn`t object to his liaison with Todd. When the restaurant started to lose money, she threatened to kill her for squandering her investment. The most prominent name associated with her murder is the mob boss Lucky Luciano, a psychopath involved in gambling and extortion. Luciano was interested to control her restaurant to set up a gambling operation.

This biography reads like a textbook by Freud. The author has researched the relevant materials and interviewed people who were connected to her death. This is a highly intriguing murder mystery written in engaging style. A real page turner for readers interested in history of Hollywood, murder mystery in Tinseltown, and life of Thelma Todd. Based on the materials of this book, a TV movie entitled, ''White Hot” was aired in 1990 starring Loni Anderson as Thelma Todd. Anderson offered a passionate, flamboyant, and a touching performance. In an interview, she said that studio chief Hal Roach included a `potato clause` in Thelma Todd's contract, if she gained more than five pounds, she`d be fired. This led to weight control pill addictions, and excessive alcohol. Her death remains a mystery just like that of Marilyn Monroe.

[C!NDY L00 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Organized Crime, goes Hollywood in this captivating mystery of the unsolved murder (or was it murder?) of well known comedic actress Thelma Todd. Author Andy Edmonds, does another outstanding job on this biography and true life crime. I felt as though I'd been transported back to 1930's Hollywood with gangsters, glittering gowns, and wisecracking platinum blonds. It's Hollywood nonfiction crime noir at its best. Thelma Todd, was not only known for her comic work in movies (Hal Roach productions..etc) but she was also known for her association with the darker side of Hollywood - the mob. Although she had some personal ties to gangsters in Hollywood (allegedly with Charles 'Lucky' Luciano and others), no one could call her a gangster's moll. Todd was tough as nails, and was more like a modern woman of the 21st century than a woman of her times. Not only was she a success in the entertainment business, but she was also a successful Hollywood restaurant owner too - which might have its links to her mysterious death on December 16, 1935 at the age of only 29. The author not only gives the reader her biography and filmography, but he painstakingly takes the reader through documented eyewitness accounts of Thelma's last hours of her life. Including the police investigation as well.

Edmonds lends his own personal suspicions of Thelma's last days and the people she knew or might have known. Whether you agree or not with the author's conclusion on whodunit, it's still an intriguing and engrossing read. Highly recommended for true crime/mystery readers as well as those who love to read about the golden era of Hollywood.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an interesting story. I had read about it before but the books I read only included it as a blurb and pretty much said it was a suicide. Fascinating to read how the Mafia infiltrated Hollywood at that time and how back in the day you really could get away with murder. This murder would never have gone unsolved in our day of forensics etc...and of course there is that little thing of the DA being on the payroll of Lucky Luciano.

[Samantha Glasser · Rating 4 out of 5]

There isn't a lot of biographical information out there about Thelma Todd outside of a few mentions of her comedic talent and her untimely death. This book is the best resource to find out about how she came to Hollywood and became a popular comedienne before her tragic end. There is also a lot information about the underworld of Hollywood which led to Todd's demise. I found this book to be very informative.

[Mark Duggan · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a very unfortunate publication along with the ridiculous film that was produced from it. Without a doubt the most horrendous bio I have ever read and should be, along
with the film, considered nearly pure fiction. If you want to read the true details of the Thelma Todd tragedy read the well documented "Testimony of a Death: Thelma Todd: Mystery, Media and Myth in 1935 Los Angeles"

Sad that this author perpetuates such garbage.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was told by others that this bio/ crime investigation book was a bit gossipy but I did not get that while reading it. I loved the in depth background to her life and then a look into her murder. I learned a lot about Lucky L. and other gangsters. And while the author is pushing his take on the murder as being the truth, I think people need to always be open to other options.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finally bought this book after years of having it on my "to read" list. Definitely worth the wait. The author did a great job of balancing Thelma's story and LA's history. Great background on the mob, too. This book really broke my heart, though. The men she loved were always the ones trying to bring her down, or just bleeding her dry financially and emotionally. Even her father used her.

Back during this time period in Los Angeles, the LAPD was incredibly corrupt, so there was absolutely NO way Thelma Todd's death would have been investigated fairly... especially considering the people involved. Assuming this is what happened (and I think it makes a hell of a lot of sense) to her when she was senselessly murdered in 1935, I hope she can rest peacefully now.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

I went down a rabbit hole with this one and couldn’t trust what I was reading after I crawled out. Edmonds says that Thelma Todd was born in 1906 and that she had a brother who was 5 years younger. She then recounts the brother’s death in an horrific accident in 1925. Thelma would have been 19, but Edmonds states the brother was 10. In looking further into her family, I found his gravesite, with Thelma’s, which gives his birth year as 1903 and death year as 1910. Further research indicates that her brother was killed in an unspecified accident at the age of 7. What else did she get wrong if I could easily find this information?

[Andrew · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book, the author strayed from the subject matter to discuss the gangsters that and mobsters that Thelma was apparently associated with, these where discussed possibly because they where much easer to research and used as padding for the book, there are chapters in where Thelma Todd is barely mentioned.
This book was poorly written, and boring, biographies should discuss the subject manners every day life how she grew up, what her interests where, what she liked to do in her spare time, challenges, heartbreaks and victories, and get the reader emotionally involved in the her story.
I was hoping this biography was going to be like 'Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye - The Barbara Payton Story" by John O'Dowd, but I was disappointed.

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thelma Todd's death in 1935 was one the most enduring of Hollywood's mysteries. No one was ever charged and cause of death was labeled carbon monoxide poisoning. This author has done some deep investigation into the case and concludes that the murder was ordered by Lucky Luciano whom Thelma thwarted in his attempted takeover of her cafe.

I did not like the style of the book. The prose is full of hyperbole and she has recreated conversations that cannot be documented anywhere. Her main source is a mysterious Hollywood insider whose identity is not revealed. Nonetheless, she does tell an interesting and plausible story.

[Boris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Hollywood history and biography is always interesting as we watch the art form of cinema unfold and evolve, and for that reason alone the book deserves 3 stars.

I cannot rate it higher because of Edmond's writing style where I'm not sure if I'm reading actual quotes or a novel. However to her credit her subsequent biography of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle and his trials, "Frame Up", was superb. She did her research and presently it cleanly.

[G. Edweird Cheese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. I'm not too sure how accurate, Edmonds does not site sources and a lot of the dialog has to be guesswork. I'm not familiar with this murder at all, but Edmonds makes a good case for a mob hit, even if a lot of the "facts" are pure hunches.

[Maria Manvik · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book in order to “get the facts” on Thelma Todd’s death, but ended up just getting a completely made-up version of it. This book reads like a novel and not as a true crime book based on facts. I didn’t enjoy this book it at all, it was definitely not what I was looking for.

[Ana Aguilar · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a recount of a very short and sad life.

[Craig Owens · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable book.

[Maranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written account of the Thelma Todd murder case. Perfect for true crime lovers as well as old Hollywood fans!

[₵oincidental Ðandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Better than expected.

[Mike Dambra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read about old time Hollywood

[Tiffany Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

The subject material is interesting, but the execution is lacking. A lot of this reads as supposition and little is sourced, particularly the conclusion on who murdered her and how it went down. The first half, which first describes the murder, the grand jury testimony, and Thelma's rise from small town girl to star, is very good. Somewhere just past the middle it changes course, and several chapters are spent on the history of the mob (probably more details than were anywhere needed). Then it jumped back and forth between testimony and the author's allegations as to what happened - which was enjoyable, but again - not well sourced (and thus, more than a little challenging to believe at face value). The choppy style isn't my favorite, and it also seemed to leave some points unresolved. Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book. I'd have to give it a 2.5 as a serious biography/historical research piece and probably 4 stars for entertainment... so, I s'pose it's around a 3.5 that's been rounded up.

[Saskia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parts of this book are poorly-written and possibly largely fictitious, but I'm giving it a high rating because of the obvious passion for Thelma that the author conveys, and my own passion for Thelma that drove me to research more about her. Some aspects of the mystery are not fully explored in this book, which is a shame, and there are perhaps too many pages devoted to explaining the details of the underworld goings-on of the time, but the core issues surrounding Thelma's life and death are discussed. Valuable information on Thelma's life pre-Hollywood gives insight into her as a person; however some claims Edmonds asserts regarding Thelma's inner psyche and some dialogue come across as simplistic and unfounded. Despite its flaws, I enjoyed this book, as it tries to capture Thelma's essence and do justice to her. I feel profoundly for Thelma and her struggles.

[Bob Colleary · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's fiction disguised as non-fiction. The author decided what probably happened, then bent the narrative to support her theory. The book is unevenly written, but the worst part is that it's sold as a "true" story when it clearly is no such thing, page after page of guesswork and long detailed "conversations" from nearly 100 years ago that clearly took place only inside the author's head. The "sources" are never specified except for ONE -- whose identity is kept secret. Oh please.

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Andy Edmonds explores the still unsolved murder of Thelma Todd. Andy Edmonds is not a good writer; she is sloppy in her research and doesn't back up her theories, but the book is quite readable for all this. Just take the result with a grain of salt.

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

A supposed examination of the murder of Thelma Todd in the 1930s. The biographical aspect was interesting (her death is particularly tragic) but the book as a whole is fairly bad. Badly written, absolutely no sources cited, fabricated dialogue - bad all the way around. Todd deserved better.

[Meleya]

I really liked this. I don't know what has happened since this book was written as far as finding out if the suspected killer really is the killer. Kind of hard to know when most people involved are no longer on this earth.

[Nancy Loe · Rating 1 out of 5]

Almost unreadable. The real book about this murder has yet to be written.

[Roxanne]

very interesting book - it makes you think of who really was the culprit, and even today - decades after her death, you are still wondering

[Carol Lynn Scherling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Toddy is a great read that provides a plausible scenerio on the death of Hollywood's Ice-Cream Blonde.

[captain america · Rating 1 out of 5]

all i wanted to read about was her career, not this dumb muck-raking titillation-treatise

[Cherryl Northcutt Valdez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It took you back to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

[randy]

this book on the life of miss todd contains a lot of errors according to patrick jenning.