Tallulah Bankhead
American stage and film actress with a distinctive husky voice and a career spanning nearly 300 roles.
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Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (January 31, 1902 – December 12, 1968) built a career spanning nearly 300 roles across film, stage, radio, and television. Though best known as a stage actress, she won acclaim for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s *Lifeboat* (1944). She also enjoyed a short but notable run on radio and made television appearances. In 1972 she was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame, and in 1981 into the Alabama Women’s Hall of Fame. Politically, she backed liberal causes, notably the early civil rights movement, and aided foster children as well as families fleeing the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Bankhead was open about her heavy drinking, drug use, and habit of smoking 120 cigarettes a day, and she had relationships with both men and women.
Born in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 31, 1902, she was the second child of William Brockman Bankhead and Adelaide Eugenia “Ada” Bankhead (née Sledge). Her father, a lawyer, later became Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1936–1940); her uncle and grandfather both served as U.S. senators. The family was deeply involved in Southern Democratic politics. Her mother died of sepsis three weeks after Tallulah’s birth, reportedly telling a sister-in-law, “Take care of Eugenia, Tallulah will always be able to take care of herself.” Bankhead was baptized beside her mother’s coffin. Her father, devastated, struggled with depression and alcoholism, so Tallulah and her older sister Evelyn were raised largely by their paternal grandmother, Tallulah James Brockman Bankhead, at the family estate Sunset in Jasper, Alabama.
As a child, Bankhead was considered homely and overweight compared to her slimmer sister, and she craved attention. She taught herself to cartwheel after seeing a circus, performed memorized poems and songs, and threw tantrums that sometimes involved holding her breath until she turned blue—stopped only when her grandmother doused her with water. A husky voice, which she called “mezzo-basso,” resulted from chronic bronchitis. She discovered early that theatrics won her notice, and she entertained classmates by mimicking teachers. She later claimed her “first performance” was judged by Orville and Wilbur Wright at a party hosted by her Aunt Marie in Montgomery, Alabama; Bankhead won by imitating her kindergarten teacher. She also had a prodigious memory for literature.
In 1912, she and her sister were enrolled in the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattanville, New York. After their father remarried in 1915 and moved to Washington for his political career, the girls attended several schools. At 15, encouraged by an aunt to diet and improve her appearance, Bankhead quickly became a southern belle. She was childhood friends with Zelda Sayre, later the novelist who married F. Scott Fitzgerald.
At 15, Bankhead entered a *Picture Play* magazine contest offering a trip to New York and a movie role to twelve winners based on photographs. She submitted her photo but forgot to include her name or address. While browsing the magazine at a drugstore, she discovered she was a winner—her picture appeared with the caption “Who Is She?” urging the mystery girl to come forward.
- born
- January 31, 1902, Huntsville, Alabama
- died
- December 12, 1968
- field
- Actress
- nationality
- American
- known_for
- Stage and film acting, including Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944)
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Tallulah Bankhead was born on January 31, 1902, in Huntsville, Alabama, to William Brockman Bankhead and Adelaide Eugenia 'Ada' Bankhead. Her father was Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1936 to his death in 1940; her uncle and grandfather were U.S. senators. Three weeks after Bankhead's birth, her mother died of blood poisoning (sepsis) on February 23, 1902. On her deathbed, Ada told her sister-in-law to 'take care of Eugenia, Tallulah will always be able to take care of herself.' Bankhead was baptized next to her mother's coffin. She and her sister Evelyn were mostly reared by their paternal grandmother at the family estate called Sunset in Jasper, Alabama. As a child, Bankhead was described as 'extremely homely' and overweight, and she sought attention by cartwheeling about the house, singing, and reciting literature. Her husky voice (which she described as 'mezzo-basso') was the result of chronic bronchitis due to childhood illness. At 15, Bankhead submitted her photo to Picture Play magazine and won a contest awarding a trip to New York and a movie part. Arriving in New York, she was paid $75 for three weeks' work on Who Loved Him Best. She moved into the Algonquin Hotel and charmed her way into the Algonquin Round Table, becoming one of the 'Four Riders of the Algonquin' alongside Estelle Winwood, Eva Le Gallienne, and Blyth Daly. Bankhead made her stage debut in 1919 in The Squab Farm at the Bijou Theatre. After five years in New York without a significant hit, she moved to London in 1922. There she achieved fame over eight years, most famously in The Dancers and as Jerry Lamar in The Gold Diggers, and in Sidney Howard's They Knew What They Wanted, which won the 1925 Pulitzer Prize. Bankhead returned to the United States in 1931 and later earned an award-winning performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944). Bankhead was an alcohol and drug user; she reportedly smoked 120 cigarettes a day and talked candidly about her vices. She had a series of sexual relationships with both men and women. She supported liberal causes, including the budding civil rights movement, and helped foster children and families escape the Spanish Civil War and World War II. She was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1981.
Reader's Guide
Tallulah Bankhead's significance comes from her prolific career across stage, film, radio, and television, amassing nearly 300 roles. Her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat (1944) brought her an award-winning performance, but her primary legacy is as a stage actress, particularly during her eight-year tenure in London, where she became famous for making the most out of inferior material. For example, during the opening night of a play called Conchita, a monkey snatched her wig and scampered to the footlights; Bankhead turned a cartwheel, and the audience roared—she received an ovation. Bankhead's personal life—marked by open discussion of her vices, bisexuality, and support for liberal causes—made her a distinctive public figure. Her induction into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1981 underscores her lasting impact on American theater.
Did You Know?
- Bankhead was named after her paternal grandmother, who was named after Tallulah Falls, Georgia.
- Her mother died of blood poisoning (sepsis) three weeks after Bankhead's birth, and Bankhead was baptized next to her mother's coffin.
- Bankhead reportedly smoked 120 cigarettes a day and talked candidly about her vices.
- She was one of the 'Four Riders of the Algonquin' at the Algonquin Hotel, alongside Estelle Winwood, Eva Le Gallienne, and Blyth Daly.
- Bankhead's father warned her to avoid alcohol and men in New York; she later quipped, 'He didn't say anything about women and cocaine.'
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tallulah Bankhead?
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead (1902–1968) was an American actress born in Huntsville, Alabama, renowned for her commanding stage presence and unmistakable voice. She built a career spanning nearly three hundred roles across theater, film, television, and radio.
What is Tallulah Bankhead most famous for?
She is best remembered as a bold, larger-than-life stage performer whose sharp wit and powerful delivery defined her era. On screen, her most celebrated appearance is in Alfred Hitchcock's 1944 thriller Lifeboat.
What honors did Tallulah Bankhead receive?
She was posthumously inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1981. These recognitions solidified her standing as one of the great American stage artists.
How extensive was Tallulah Bankhead's acting career?
She performed in close to three hundred roles across multiple mediums, including stage, film, television, and radio. That extraordinary range made her one of the most prolific performers of her generation.
What was Tallulah Bankhead known for outside of acting?
She was a outspoken advocate for liberal causes, notably the civil rights movement, and leveraged her public profile to champion social justice. She also took in foster children and helped families fleeing the Spanish Civil War and World War II.
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