Palisades-News-June-3-2015-

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Page 20 Palisades News June 3, 2015Murder Saga in the PalisadesBy SUE PASCOEEditorIt was a cool, cloudy May night in the town nestledbetween the Santa Monica Mountains and the PacificOcean. Suddenly, the topic turned to murder.At the Pacific Palisades Historical Society’s recentannual meeting, almost 100 people filed into PiersonPlayhouse to hear the debauchery surrounding ThelmaTodd’s 1935 murder and the notorious serial killingsby former Palisadian Louise Peete.Utilizing historical photos, movie clips and radiobroadcasts, emcees Randy Young and Roger McGrathpresented an informative and entertaining evening.Palisadian Thelma Todd was one of the biggestHollywood stars of the late 1920s and early ‘30s, yet herdeath remains a mystery 80 years later.The 30-year-old actress, nicknamed “Hot Toddy,” wasknown for her comedy roles and had appeared in about 120films, including the Marx Brothers films Monkey Businessand Horse Feathers. She co-starred with Buster Keaton andJimmy Durante in Speak Easily, and was working on a Laureland Hardy film, The Bohemian Girl, at the time of her death.Todd, famous director Roland West and his wife, JewelCarmen, lived in Castellammare, above the building theyoperated: Thelma Todd’s Sidewalk Café on the lowerlevel, and a private club, the Joyas Café, on the secondfloor at Porto Marino Way and Pacific Coast Highway.The 1927 building, which until recently was ownedby Paulist Productions, is largely unchanged; RaymondChandler, who also lived in the Palisades, later describedthe café in his book, Farewell My Lovely.“Thelma loved fast cars and fast men,” Young said,noting that the characters surrounding Todd’s deathwere “straight out of central casting.”She had been married to Pat DiCicco for a short time,but had divorced him. It was unspoken but acknowledgedthat he beat her. (Later, DiCicco married 17-year-oldGloria Vanderbilt, who also accused him of abuse.)After her marriage ended, Todd had an affair with RolandWest, who was still married to actress Jewel Carmen.On the night of her death, Todd, dressed in a mauveAMAZING MUSIC STORE.COMALL AGES, ALL STYLES!Group & Private Lessons • Instrument Rentals & Sales Thelma Todd was one of the top stars in Hollywood whenshe was allegedly murdered in Pacific Palisades in 1935.Photo: Photo: Courtesy of Pacific Palisades Historical Societyand silver evening gown, mink coat and wearing a smallfortune in jewelry, attended a party hosted by Stan andIda Lupino at the Trocadero. West, who did not attendthe party, told Todd she had to be home by 2 a.m.At the party, Todd fought with her ex DiCicco, butlater a chauffeur drove her to her apartment, arrivingaround 3:45 a.m. He left her by the door.The next morning, December 16, 1935, Todd wasfound dead by her maid in the car inside the garageowned by Jewel Carmen and West, which was a blockfrom the restaurant. According to Young, Todd wasinitially found on the passenger side slumped over tothe driver side, but by the time the police arrived, shehad been moved into the driver’s seat.Jack Sauer, who operated a gas station in PacificPalisades, and who worked on Todd’s cars, was calledby West to come to the hillside garage. Young, a localhistorian, recalls Sauer later telling him, “How did sheget a gash on her face?”Another Palisadian at the scene, Ysidro Reyes, thought itwas odd that the police called the funeral home before thecoroner. Reyes also saw Todd and said, “She was hit hard.”One report said Todd had suffered a broken nose,broken ribs and bruises, which would seem to rule outsuicide. At an inquest held two days later, the surgeontestified that there were no marks of violence, butrecommended a further investigation.Subsequently, a grand jury closed the case, determiningthat it was carbon monoxide poisoning thathad killed her.At one point Lucky Luciano, a mutual friend of Benjamin(Bugsy) Siegel, was named as a suspect in themurder because he had supposedly asked Todd to turnthe upstairs into a gambling joint, and she had refused.Young said that all of the testimony before the grandjury was straightforward, except that of West. “He didn’tanswer the questions he was asked,” Young said.According to Young, Todd had a key to her apartment,but speculated that West locked the inside dead bolt,which meant Todd couldn’t get in. An examination ofher shoes and the doors seemed to suggest that she hadkicked the door, trying to get in.“He could have easily knocked her out and put herin the car,” Young said, noting that maybe the car wasstarted up to keep her warm, but had unintended consequenceswhen she died of carbon monoxide.One thing is certain all these years later: no one hasever been found responsible for Todd’s death.Peete, a Palisades resident, was executed in April1947, making her one of only four women to die in theCalifornia gas chamber. Peete’s life was also examined inepisode six, season five (2011-2012) of Deadly Women,“To Love and to Murder.” Over her lifetime, she was ontrial for the death of two men and a woman. Four“suicides” were linked to her, as well as robbery.MICHÉLEBlow Dry Bar + Beauty SupplyBlow Drys $40+1030 Swarthmore Avenue • (310) 454-8022Actual Client
June 3, 2015 Palisades News Page 21Band(Continued from Page 1)on drums plus a horn player, an electricguitar player and an electric bass player. Theband will play a combination of tunes fromtheir separate musical endeavors and speciallyselected covers.They don’t want to give away the surpriseof the covers they might do, but Freundsaid, “There’s been talk of The Beatles’‘Revolution’ going down. It’s got a niceFourth of July ring to it.”Freund, who has recorded 10 solo CDs,including his most recent recording, TwoMoons, met Topol in 2000 soon after movingto Los Angeles. At that time, Freund,who has been profiled by NPR and playedwith Mandy Moore, Jackson Browne andJosh Kelley among many others, soughtTopol out, because he so admired hisdrumming.“Luckily he was nice,” said Freund, whomost recently played the Claremont FolkFestival. “You never know. We shared a burrito,exchanged CDs, and I think we wereplaying a concert within a week.”Topol, the drummer for Jack Johnsonsince 1999 and the leader of Culver CityDub Collective, also has played drums onJUMBLE SOLUTIONSinger NeededFor Race StartAre you a professional singer orwant to be a professional singer? If so,the Will Rog ers 5/10K race organizersare looking for someone to sing theNational Anthem before the annualrun starts on July 4 at 8 a.m.Please send your name and informationto Bob Benton at bentons@earthlink.net. Additionally, if youknow someone you think is tremendoussinger, please email a name andrelevant information. For the firsttime in the race’s 38-year history, auditionswill be held.tour or in recordings with Joey Santiago ofThe Pixies, Dave Gilmore of Pink Floyd,Mason Jennings and Zee Avi, including gigsat the Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theatre.Like Freund, he was a Berklee College ofMusic student for part of his education,but he also studied in Cuba at the ENA—Escuela Nacional de Arte.In Cuba, “I was so inspired by peoplewho played so beautifully,” said Topol, whocredited the experience with reinvigoratinghis desire to play music. “It was just a thingthey did. There weren’t the commercialtrappings of here . . . You could learn somethingfrom everybody, because the streetswere so interesting and alive.”Musicians Sought forJuly 4 Opening BandThe opening band on the main stage atthe Fourth of July concert/fireworks showwill be “Palisades-centric.”Concert organizer Keith Turner said thatinstead of having just one local band play,the idea is to be inclusive and use Palisadeskids and adults in an all-star-type group.“The band will play four to five songs,”Turner said. “Because there are some gooddrummers and bass players in town, individualdrummers and bass players mayonly play one song or two.”APT FOR RENT1BD/1BA – $2595/MOUnique Upper Aerie w/ small Patio,Amazing Ocean, Mntns, & Sunset Views,& Privacy! Quiet 50s Building with solarheatedSwimming Pool, on-site Laundry,on-site Manager, Parking space, lovelyCommon Area, and close walking distanceto Gelson’s Market. Safe, Convenient,great Ambiance. Pet Friendly.THIRD MONTH FREE OFFER!Call Jeff for details : (310) 573-0150Amazing Music’s Patrick Hildebrand,who plays tenor and baritone uke in theOoks of Hazard and is also a teacher at thestore, has agreed to organize the local talent.Again, this year again, the B stage in theupper parking lot will feature music from3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Turner said the stage isideal for solo and acoustic acts, but that aregular-sized band might also work.If you are interested in playing in theAll Stars or playing on the B stage, pleasecontact Turner at kjt@turnerlawapc.com.Topol has also found Freund inspiring.“First time I heard this guy, it blew me away. . . It was amazing. I had never heard anythinglike it.” He immediately thought of hispal when approached by Keith Turner aboutthe Fourth of July concert in the PalisadesHigh Stadium, prior to the fireworks show.“They wanted an American kind ofmusic,” said Topol, who recorded a soloinstrumental CD, Blue Painted Walls In FarAway Places, last year. “Tom knows a lotabout guys like Woody Guthrie—a lineageTom was connected with. I wanted to seeif he was available.”The two have been friends since their firstmeeting. They are also both pals of threetimeGrammy winner Ben Harper, whorecorded his first CD in 1992 with Freund.Freund also has another friend, AlastarMcKevitt, who first introduced him to PacificPalisades. McKevitt, who grew up in thePalisades, used to spend summers on FireIsland, New York, where he met Freund.Freund also visited McKevitt to spendtime in the Palisades as a kid, and since thenhe has repeatedly hung out in the area.“I’ve been to the Fourth of July parademany times with friends who stake out thelawn and hang out in trees.” His daughterDelilah, 12, has performed in the paradewith the Adderley School.“I’m honored to be playing for the Pali -sades, which is such a special part of theSouthern California experience,” Freundsaid. “It is the California Dreamin’ spot ofSouthern California, and I hope we can givea California Dreamin’ kind of performance.”Tickets to the concert and fireworks areonly $10 for adults and can be reserved byvisiting palisadesparade.com.BOOST YOUR SCOREBecome a Better StudentStrengthen Weak AreasAcquire Test Taking SkillsLove Learning!TUTORING (K-12) • TEST PREP • READING • HOMESCHOOL881 ALMA REAL #115PACIFIC PALISADES310/454.3731GrozaLearningCenter.comELEMENTARYREADING& MATHERBPREPCOMMONCOREASSESSMENTS
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