What Tallulah Bankhead Taught Me.

Maybe you know her name, or maybe you are into movies or old Hollywood and you'd heard her name and some salacious gossip...even today 45 years after her death.

I first became intrigued with Miss Bankhead while reading Milking The Moon, a bio of Eugene Walter. Here's the story of their first meeting recounted by Paste Magazine writer Charles McNair:

"He claimed as a friend Tallulah Bankhead. Ms. Bankhead bestowed her friendship on Eugene after he suggested a stage prop in one of her shows be given to “the state of Alabama because we ought to make a shrine over that like they made over Buddha’s tooth in Ceylon.” According to Eugene, Ms. Bankhead rewarded him with three of her pubic hairs for his suggestion … two of which he swapped for books or other treasures, and one of which he kept in a Chinese porcelain box until the day he died."

When I read a book I use a 4x11" folded piece of paper as a bookmark. I use that to make note of things I know nothing about, and things I want to know more about.

Here's what I learned from Tallulah Bankhead.

Via Tallulah - My Autobiography
062015 - Updated via Tallulah Bankhead - A Scandalous Life

Andre Ratoucheff

Princess Patricia regiment

Tamara Geva

Ammonia Coke

Estelle Winwood

Canada Lee

Caresse Crosby

Barnaby comic strip

film:: The House On 92nd Street
film:: A Royal Scandal

Traducer

Stark Young

Texas Guinan

The Talmadge Sisters

Laurette Taylor

David Belasco

Jobyna Howland

Margaret Case Harriman & The Vicious Circle

Beardley Rumi

Ninon D' Enclos

Lola Montez

Willie Collier

The Hottentot

Ethel Barrymore 

Declasse

Rachel Crothers

Willard Mack

Toper or Tosspot

Costermonger

Madam Blavatsky

Dastard

Poltroon

Gilda Gray

Chic Sale

Dick Wittington

Tenterhooks

Surcease

Welkin

Toffs

Lohengrin

Bricktop

Sadie Thompson

Chemin de fir

Tom Tiddler's Ground

Augustus John (painting of Tallulah)

sculpter Dobson

Gainesborough - Perdita

Ambrose McEvoy (Portraint of Tallulah)

Common Weal

James Thurber cartoon that Tallulah owned

Planter's Punch

Francois Villon: "Ou' sant les neiges d'antan?"

Sgt. Eugene List

Addlepate

Haridan

Estelle Winwood

Burris Jenkins

Bugs Baer