History Creator / TallulahBankhead

[[Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire Blanche DuBois]] was said to have been inspired by her, as are [[WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Cruella DeVille]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ursula the sea witch]]. It is also commonly assumed that Margo Channing of ''Film/AllAboutEve'' [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed was essentially her]], and although the character was actually based on Elisabeth Bergner, inspiration was definitely taken from Bankhead's wardrobe. She's portrayed in ''Series/ZTheBeginningOfEverything'' (about Zelda Fitzgerald) by Christina Bennett Lind.

Bankhead married once and had no children, but debates regarding her sexuality have existed since her death. She was said to have had a reputation of being TheCasanova with men, but there have been many arguments that she also went with women as well. These rumors were helped along by Bankhead herelf, who reportedly once described herself as "ambi-sextrous". Much of her [[TheCasanova [=maneating=]]] reputation made her a public enemy with the [[UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode Hays Office]], which apparently had a list of actors that needed to either be censored or banned from acting, and Bankhead was at the top of it.

[[Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire Blanche DuBois]] was said to have been inspired by her, as are [[WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians Cruella DeVille]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid1989 Ursula the sea witch]]. It was assumed Margo Channing of ''Film/AllAboutEve'' was [[NoCelebritiesWereHarmed essentially her]] and, although the character was based on Elisabeth Bergner, inspiration was definitely taken with the character's wardrobe. She's portrayed in ''Series/ZTheBeginningOfEverything'' (about Zelda Fitzgerald) by Christina Bennett Lind.

Bankhead married once and had no children but debates on her sexuality have existed from since her death. She was said to have had a reputation of TheCasanova, but there have been many arguments that she also went with women as well. They didn't stop rumours when Bankhead reportedly said that she was "ambi-sextrous". Much of her [[TheCasanova [=maneating=]]] reputation made her a public enemy with UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, which apparently had a list of actors that needed to either be censored or banned from acting, and Bankhead was at the top of it.

** She was supposed to play the lead in the original stage run of ''Jezebel'', but she was hospitalized for severe gonorrhea and had to have a hysterectomy. While the production had hoped to wait for her to recover, they ultimately had to cast Miriam Hopkins to replace her.

** Hollywood also tried to lure her back with the offer to play Mildred in ''Literature/OfHumanBondage''. She was unconfident about her cockney accent, and worried about upsetting her English friends, so she turned the part down. It became the true breakout role for Bette Davis.

* AwesomeDearBoy:[[invoked]] She joked in an interview that she accepted her second role, in ''Devil and the Deep'', because she had the hots for Gary Cooper.
* FriendshipOnTheSet:[[invoked]] Although the press tried to promote a 'feuding stars' narrative surrounding ''Die! Die! My Darling!'', she and actress Stefanie Powers got on well and remained friends after filming.

* IAmNotLeonardNimoy:[[invoked]] Tallulah Bankhead was known as an acid-tongued HardDrinkingPartyGirl, glamorous and quite sexually forward for the time. Because her screen career was secondary to her theatre performances, whcih weren't recorded for posterity, her persona has endured more than her work. Her best known film role, ''{{Film/Lifeboat}}'', fully emphasises this.

* IAmNotLeonardNimoy:[[invoked]] Tallulah Bankhead was known as an acid-tongued HardDrinkingPartyGirl, glamorous and quite sexually forward for the time. As her stage performances aren't immortalized, her persona has endured more than her work. Her best known film role, ''{{Film/Lifeboat}}'', fully emphasises this.

** The six films she made under Paramount, where she was wildly miscast in roles that were later admitted to have been given to her because no one else wanted them, deflated the hype surrounding her arrival in Hollywood. Her outspokenness about sexuality and general preference for the stage led to her departing before her contract had ended.

** The six films she made under Paramount, where she was wildly miscast in roles that were later admitted to have been given to her because no one else wanted them, dented the hype surrounding her arrival in Hollywood. Her outspokenness about sexuality and general preference for the stage led to her departing before her contract had ended.
** While it looked like CareerResurrection was on the cards after the success of ''Lifeboat'', which was widely praised for utilising her abilities and persona at long last, the follow-up was ''A Royal Scandal'' - which received lacklustre reviews, even if her performance was praised. She went back to the stage, only making one more film and only appearing AsHerself on television.

[[Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire Blanche DuBois]] was said to have been inspired by her. She's portrayed in ''Series/ZTheBeginningOfEverything'' (about Zelda Fitzgerald) by Christina Bennett Lind.

** Hollywood also tried to lure her back with the offer to play Mildred in ''Literature/OfHumanBondage''. She was unconfident about her cockney accent, and worried about upsetting her English friends, so she turned the part down. It became the true breakout role for Bette Davis.

[[Theatre/AStreetcarNamedDesire Blanche DuBois]] was said to have been inspired by her.

----

While she made many appearances in films and on television during her career, Bankhead is mostly credited as a stage actress, one of the greatest of the 20th century. Her characters tended to be MsFanservice {{deadpan snarker}}s, and her persona has been imitated and parodied as much as Creator/MaeWest's. Most notably, Bankhead's family were prominent in American politics and Tallulah herself was often vocal about politics as well,[[note]]Bankhead's father, William, was a longtime Congressman from Alabama who was Speaker of the House from 1936 until his death in 1940[[/note]] being supportive of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement. Although she acted a lot during UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, her most successful screen role was in ''Film/{{Lifeboat}}''.

->''Acting is the laziest of the professions. A ballet dancer must limber up two or three hours a day, working or idle. The great musicians practice three or four hours a day, willy-nilly. Opera singers must go easy on cigarettes, learn half a dozen languages. The demands on an actress consist in learning the role, interpreting to the best of her ability the intent of the author as outlined by the director. When not on stage? She sits around chewing her nails, waiting for the telephone to ring.''

Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 -- December 12, 1968) was an American actress who made many film and television appearances, although she is mostly credited as being a stage actress, often as one of the greatest of the 20th century. Many of her characters were MsFanservice {{deadpan snarker}}s and is often parodied and imitated as much as Creator/MaeWest's. Most notably, Bankhead's family were prominent in American politics and Tallulah herself was often vocal about politics as well[[note]]Bankhead's father, William, was a longtime Congressman from Alabama who was Speaker of the House from 1936 until his death in 1940[[/note]], being supportive of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement. Although she acted a lot during UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, what's said to be Bankhead's most successful role was in ''Film/{{Lifeboat}}''.

Bankhead married once and had no children but debates on her sexuality have existed from since her death. She was said to have had a reputation of TheCasanova, but there have been many arguments that she also went with women as well. They didn't stop rumours when Bankhead reportedly said that she was "ambi-sextrous". Much of her {{maneat|er}}ing reputation made her a public enemy with UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, which apparently had a list of actors that needed to either be censored or banned from acting, and Bankhead was at the top of it.

-> ''"Codeine. Bourbon."''
-->-- '''Tallulah Bankhead's last words'''

Bankhead married once and had no children but debates on her sexuality have existed from since her death. She was said to have had a reputation of TheCasanova, but there have been many arguments that she also went with women as well. They didn't stop rumours when Bankhead reportedly said that she was "ambi-sextrous". Much of her maneating reputation made her a public enemy with UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, which apparently had a list of actors that needed to either be censored or banned from acting, and Bankhead was at the top of it.

Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 -- December 12, 1968) was an American actress who made many film and television appearances, although she is mostly credited as being a stage actress, often as one of the greatest of the 20th century. Many of her characters were MsFanservice {{deadpan snarker}}s and is often parodied and imitated as much as Creator/MaeWest's. Most notably, Bankhead's family were prominent in American politics and Tallulah herself was often vocal about politics as well, being supportive of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement. Although she acted a lot during UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, what's said to be Bankhead's most successful role was in ''Film/{{Lifeboat}}''.

Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 -- December 12, 1968) was an American actress who made many film and television appearances, although she is mostly credited as being a stage actress, often one of the greatest of the 20th century. Many of her characters were MsFanservice {{deadpan snarker}}s and is often parodied and imitated as much as Creator/MaeWest's. Most notably, Bankhead's family were prominent in American politics and Tallulah herself was often vocal about politics as well, being supportive of the UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement. Although she acted a lot during UsefulNotes/ThePreCodeEra and UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, what's said to be Bankhead's most successful role was in ''Film/{{Lifeboat}}''.

-> "Codeine. Bourbon."
-->-- Tallulah Bankhead's last words

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