Mabel Todd

One of two daughters of Richard, a salesman (1877-1952) and Helen (1881-1928); Helen died of pneumonia in 1928 when Mabel was eleven years old.

Mabel Todd was born Mabel Dodds on August 13, 1907 in Los Angeles, California. Sadly her mother died when was very young. Mabel had a lovely singing voice and began her career in vaudeville. She and her sister Marcia often performed as a duo. Mabel started singing on the radio where she nicknamed "The Little Ray of Sunshine".

She married comedian Morey Amsterdam in 1933 and the couple worked together on The Laff and Swing Club radio show.

Mabel made her film debut in the 1937 musical Varsity Show.

She signed a contract with Warner Brothers and was given supporting roles in Hollywood Hotel (1937) and Gold Diggers in Paris (1938). With her blonde hair and high-pitched voice Mabel was typecast as a dumb comedienne. She was a popular personality on the Warner Brothers lot where she was often seen riding her scooter.

In April 1942 Mabel appeared in one of the first televised talent shows.

The following year she starred in The Ghost and the Guest (1943). Her husband, Morey Amsterdam, had written the script for her. During World War 2 she traveled across the country entertaining the troops in a USO show.

Todd and Amsterdam split up in 1945. Their divorce was so bitter that he refused to ever speak about her again. By this time her movie career had stalled and she could only get bit parts.

Her last role was an uncredited role as a florist in the comedy Wife Wanted (1946). She continued to work on radio and appeared in several stage shows.

She made headlines in 1950 when she divorced her second husband, Matthew A. Sontino. In court, she accused him of beating her with a shoe and giving her a black eye. Both of her marriages were childless. She retired from show business and lived a quiet life away from the spotlight.