Thelma White

Sassy comedienne Thelma White became a rather reluctant entry into cult film history with her infamous role as blonde vixen "Mae Colman", who pushes marijuana ("demon weed") onto unsuspecting school-age youths in the classic 1930s turkey Reefer Madness (1936) (originally titled "Tell Your Children"). It was not how she would have liked to be remembered, but obviously the fates decided differently. In the long run, Thelma managed to become a fairly good sport about the whole thing, finally making peace with the cult embrace. She was born Thelma Wolpa in Lincoln, Nebraska in 1910, the daughter of itinerant carnival actors who traveled throughout the Midwest. She was barely two-years-old by the time she found herself part of the family circus act and received prime billing as "Baby Dimples". By age 10, she was old enough to join the popular singing and dancing team of "The White Sisters". Thelma peaked fairly early on the vaudeville circuit with both the Ziegfeld Follies and Earl Carrol