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SPEAKER_00: Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Encyclopedia Wamanica. Today we're exploring the ups and downs of a classic actress from stage and screen. A self-described ambisextrous, she was outspoken, loved to shock and had a unique talent for acting. Her signature catchphrase, my darling, has been immortalized. Yet she never quite gained the fame of her contemporaries. Let's talk about Tallulah Bankhead. Tallulah was born on January 31st, 1902 in Alabama to a prominent political family. Her uncle and grandfather were US senators and her father was a congressman and eventually Speaker of the House. Tallulah's mother died soon after Tallulah was born from childbirth complications. As a kid, Tallulah was immersed in literature, theater and the Bible, all read and recited to her by her father. She always had a flair for the dramatic. She was amazed by contortionists, gymnasts and vaudeville. She practiced until she could perfectly imitate performers, much to the amusement of the adults around her. When Tallulah was about five years old, one of her aunts held a party full of local celebrities. Once things got going, the guests were asked to put on a competitive talent show. Tallulah performed an impression of her kindergarten teacher. She won over the judges Orville and Wilbur Wright just a few years after their famed flight at Kitty Hawk. In her autobiography, Tallulah wrote, I'd like to believe they detected in me an obscure talent, but I am afraid I won because I was the niece of the hostess. Tallulah's yearning for the stage continued throughout her childhood. One evening in 1917, while leafing through a picture play magazine, imagining the lives of movie stars, she paused. They were running a beauty contest for young women. Tallulah was just 15 years old, but she glanced at her reflection in the mirror and was emboldened. The only problem? She didn't have many photos of herself. Tallulah settled on one where she was wearing a high collar and a shovel-shaped hat, despite the fact that it concealed what she believed was her best feature, her hair. Then came the endless wait to see if she might be chosen for the prize, a paid acting contract in New York. Each month, Tallulah anxiously flipped through the magazine. Eventually, she grew impatient and wrote it off as an impossibility, until one day she decided to check out the latest issue in the drugstore. Again, Tallulah flipped through, seeing finally the winners were announced. On the last page, Tallulah spotted that photo with her shovel-shaped hat. Beneath it was the caption, who is she? Tallulah proved that she was the woman in the picture, claimed her winnings, and left Alabama to start her career on Broadway. In her first four years in New York, Tallulah bounced around. She ended up living at the Algonquin Hotel amongst some of the theatrical greats of the time, famously rubbing elbows with John Barrymore. Despite having no formal training in acting, she nabbed four roles, though none were a big success. At that point, she found herself adrift and unsure. In an effort to change the tides, Tallulah saw an astrologer, Evangeline Adams, who told Tallulah she needed to leave New York to find her future across the water. "'Go if you have to swim,' Evangeline told Tallulah." In 1923, Tallulah set sail for England. Her real success began in London theaters, where she worked for eight years before returning to the US to work in Hollywood. Tallulah was cast in a number of films, but none of them truly took off. Even so, she managed to have fun while in Hollywood. Rumors always seemed to swirl around Tallulah. That was partly because she was unashamed of her many vices. In fact, she has a whole chapter in her autobiography titled, Flirtation with Sin. She wrote, "'I was a hedonist long before I knew what a hedonist was. Let's not quibble. I'm the foe of moderation, the champion of excess.'" Tallulah was known for her lavish gatherings, and she loved to shock people. By her own account, she tried cocaine, heroin accidentally, opium and cannabis at least once. She was also a heavy drinker. At one party, she introduced herself to a stranger, saying, "'I'm a lesbian. What do you do?'" That said, she had relationships and sexual exploits with men and women, including affairs with Marlene Dietrich, Hattie McDaniel and Billie Holiday, all of whom we've talked about on this show.
SPEAKER_00: In 1949, Tallulah used her powers of seduction on J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI. Though this time it was to convince him to give Billie Holiday leniency after she was arrested for heroin. It worked. While Tallulah didn't gain the star power of Bette Davis, whom many say borrowed a lot from Tallulah, she did keep busy. Tallulah starred in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat. She played the lead in the original stage performance of The Little Foxes, and she hosted The Big Show, a weekly hit on the radio, and a fantastic showcase for her raspy, mezzo bass voice.
SPEAKER_02: And my name, darlings, is Tallulah Bankhead.
SPEAKER_00: ["The Big Show"] Tallulah also kept up her political legacy, campaigning for Democrats and testifying before Congress for causes she believed in. As she got older, Tallulah's vices began to take a larger, more destructive role in her life. For years, she declined both physically and psychologically. In 1968, Tallulah died of double pneumonia. She was 66 years old. Her last words were codeine, bourbon. ["The Big Show"] Tallulah has continued to intrigue and mystify years after her death. There have been several books and a play written about her, and her signature catchphrase lives on.
SPEAKER_04: ["The Big Show"] Hello, darling. Good to meet you. ["The Big Show"]
SPEAKER_01: Miss Bankhead?
SPEAKER_00: Yes. All month, we're celebrating Pride. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our newsletter, Wamanica Weekly. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at Encyclopaedia Wamanica. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow.
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