Mabel Todd
Mabel Todd was born on August 13, 1907, in Los Angeles,
California, to Richard and Helen Todd, and grew up in Glendale, California. Her
father worked as a salesman.
At an early age, Mabel and her sister, Marcia, performed as
a singing duo in vaudeville. Mabel later sang on the radio regularly and was
dubbed “The Little Ray of Sunshine.”
In 1933, she and comedian Morey Amsterdam married and worked
together on The Laff and Swing Club radio
show.
Todd made her film debut in Varsity Show (1933) and signed a contract with Warner Brothers. She
appeared in supporting roles in films such as Hollywood Hotel (1937) and Gold
Diggers in Paris (1938), typically in comedic roles that allowed her to
express a zany persona and a high-pitched voice. Off-screen, she could
typically be seen riding her scooter on the Warner Brothers lot.
Additionally, she provided the singing voice in the cartoon Katnip Kollege (1938).
In 1942, Todd made an appearance on television, performing
on one of the first televised talent shows of the day.
By 1943, she took on a starring role in The Ghost and the Guest (1943), written by Amsterdam. She also
traveled the country during World War II to perform as part of the USO and
boost troop morale.
In 1945, Todd and Amsterdam divorced. The end of their
relationship was particularly bitter, with Amsterdam refusing to speak about
her from that point on. At around the same time, her film career plateaued; she
was only able to secure small roles. Her final film role would occur as a
florist in Wife Wanted (1946).
Todd continued to work on radio and on the stage over the
years. She eventually married Matthew Santino, roughly 15 years her junior, in November
1947 and separated in February 1948. The relationship also ended in a highly
publicized divorce by 1950. In court, she testified that Santino was verbally
and physically abusive during their short marriage.
Soon after, she retired from the entertainment industry
altogether. She passed away on June 2, 1977, in Los Angeles. She was 69 years
old.
Todd was cremated and interred at Queen of Heaven Cemetery
in Los Angeles, California.
Today, some of Todd’s former residences remain. In 1910,
Todd and her family resided at 6510 Denver Ave., Los Angeles, California. The
home stands.
In 1920, Todd and her family lived at 1208 S. Glendale Ave.,
Glendale, California. This home no longer stands.
By 1930, Todd’s mother passed away. Todd lived with her
father and boarders at 416 N. Maryland Ave., Glendale, California. This home
remains.
In 1940, Todd and Amsterdam lived at 269 W. 72nd
St., New York, New York. Both were radio singers and this point. This building
stands.
They also rented an apartment at 801 Filmore St., San
Francisco, California, which stands.
Todd and Amsterdam also resided at 11616 Otsego St., Los
Angeles, California, which stands.
…
–Annette Bochenek for Classic Movie Hub
Annette Bochenek pens our monthly Classic Movie Travels column. You can read all of Annette’s Classic Movie Travel articles here.
Annette Bochenek of Chicago, Illinois, is a PhD student at Dominican University and an independent scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the Hometowns to Hollywood blog, in which she writes about her trips exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the “Hometowns to Hollywood” film series throughout the Chicago area. She has been featured on Turner Classic Movies and is the president of TCM Backlot’s Chicago chapter. In addition to writing for Classic Movie Hub, she also writes for Silent Film Quarterly, Nostalgia Digest, and Chicago Art Deco SocietyMagazine.
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