Tallulah Bankhead - Film & Theater Personalities, Birthday and Childhood
Tallulah Bankhead's Personal Details
Tallulah Bankhead was an American stage and screen actress
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | January 31, 1902 |
| Died on | December 12, 1968 |
| Nationality | American |
| Famous | Film & Theater Personalities, Actresses |
| City/State | Alabama |
| Spouses | John Emery (m. 1937–1941) |
| Siblings | Evelyn Eugenia Bankhead |
| Known as | Tallulah Brockman Bankhead |
| Universities |
|
| Birth Place | Huntsville, Alabama |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Height | 160 |
| Gender | Female |
| Father | William B. Bankhead |
| Mother | Adelaide Eugenia Bankhead |
| Sun Sign | Aquarius |
| Born in | Huntsville, Alabama |
| Famous as | Actress |
| Died at Age | 66 |
// Famous Film & Theater Personalities
Jacob Elordi
Jacob Elordi is an Australian actor. Let’s take a look at his childhood, family, personal life, career, etc.
Wentworth Miller
Wentworth Miller is an American actor and screenwriter who achieved recognition for his role in the TV series ‘Prison Break’.
Skai Jackson
Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.
Tallulah Bankhead's photo
Who is Tallulah Bankhead?
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an American actress who was regarded as one of the most popular leading actresses of the 20th century theatre. Well-known for her husky voice, unique mannerisms, and overwhelming wit, she had worked in about 300 stage, film, television and radio projects. She had some prominent theater productions to her credit like ‘They Knew What They Wanted’ and ‘The Little Foxes’. She had contributed immensely in making Noël Coward's ‘Private Lives’ a smashing hit, taking it on tour and then to Broadway. She had a short yet successful career on radio, and gained acclaim for her strong performance in Alfred Hitchcock's film ‘Lifeboat’. She appeared in some classic TV series including ‘The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show’ and ‘Batman’, where she played the villain. Although Bankhead was infamous for her alcoholism, drug addiction, and scandalous sex life, she was known for her kindness and generosity as well. She supported orphaned kids and helped several families escape the Spanish Civil War and the World War II. She was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1972 and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame in 1981.
// Famous Actresses
Skai Jackson
Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.
Riele Downs
Riele Downs is a Canadian-American actress & Musical.ly star. Let’s take a look at her family and personal life including age, birthday, net worth, boyfriends and fun facts.
Kaylee Quinn
Kaylee Quinn is an American dancer, model, and actress. Let’s have a look at her family and personal life including age, date of birth, net worth, relationships, and fun facts.
Childhood & Early Life
Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was born in Huntsville, Alabama, on January 31, 1902. Her parents were William Brockman Bankhead and Adelaide Eugenia ‘Ada’ Bankhead. She had an elder sister, Eugenia. Her father belonged to the Bankhead-and-Brockman political family and was the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1936 to 1940.
Her mother died of blood poisoning just three weeks after Tallulah’s birth. After her mother’s death, her father suffered from depression and alcoholism. As a result, her paternal grandmother took care of her and her sister.
As the girls grew up, her grandmother found it difficult to handle them. They were then sent to the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattanville, New York, in 1912. The girls were frequently moved from one school to another, as their father’s political career required him to move from place to place.
Career
When Tallulah Bankhead was 15, she sent her photo to a ‘Picture Play’ contest, which promised a trip to New York and a role in a movie to the winners. Although she forgot to send her name and address with her photo, later she came to know that she was one of the winners.
She contacted the magazine and soon arrived in New York. She was given a minor role in ‘Who Loved Him Best’. Not satisfied with the role, she started looking for other ways to venture into the entertainment industry in New York.
Soon she found her way to the Algonquin Hotel and used her charm to enter The Algonquin Round Table, a group of New York City writers, actors, and critics. She also started attending Algonquin's wild parties, which introduced her to drugs.
At the Algonquin group, she befriended some actresses and got offers for three silent films—‘When Men Betray’ and ‘Thirty a Week’ in 1918 and ‘The Trap’ in 1919.
Around this time, she made her stage debut in ‘The Squab Farm’ at the Bijou Theatre. In 1919, she appeared in two more plays, ‘39 East’ and ‘Footloose’.
She preferred stage performance to screen, as she did not have the patience to shoot for films and TV series for months. So she took up more stage projects. In 1921, she performed in two more plays, ‘Nice People’ and ‘Everyday’.
In 1922, she performed in three plays—‘Danger’, ‘Her Temporary Husband’ and ‘The Exciters’. Although her performances were critically praised, none of the plays were successful.
Frustrated by her unsuccessful career in New York, she moved to London after her five-year stay in the city. In London, she made her debut on the stage at Wyndham's Theatre in 1923. During her eight-year stay there, she performed in over 12 plays including ‘The Dancers’, which was a hit.
She came to prominence in 1924 with her performance in the play ‘They Knew What They Wanted’, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
In 1931, she moved to Hollywood and appeared in the film ‘Tarnished Lady’. Although she found filmmaking to be boring, she could not ignore it as she was making $50,000 per film.
She was cast in two films, ‘Devil and the Deep’ and ‘Faithless’ in 1932. However, neither of the films helped in promoting her career.
She returned to the New York stage in 1934 and performed in some unmemorable plays like ‘Dark Victory’, ‘Rain’, ‘Something Gay’, ‘Reflected Glory’ and ‘Antony and Cleopatra’.
In 1938, she was featured in the play ‘The Circle’ which gained good reviews. This was followed by her breakthrough role in Lillian Hellman's play ‘The Little Foxes’, in which she portrayed Regina Giddens.
On the big screen, she found success in 1944 when she was cast in Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘Lifeboat’ as journalist Constance Porter.
In 1950, NBC hired her as the host of ‘The Big Show’ and spent millions on the show over two seasons. However, the show failed to meet the expectations of the producers.
Her most famous television role came in ‘The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show’ in December 1957. She played herself in the episode ‘The Celebrity Next Door’.
Bankhead's career and her popularity started fading in the mid-1950s mainly due to her drug abuse, alcoholism, and her scandalous personal life. Despite being a heavy smoker and drinker and a regular consumer of sleeping pills, she continued to perform on the stage, radio, television and films till the1960s.
Major Works
Critics highly praised Tallulah Bankhead’s brilliant portrayal of the ruthless Regina Giddens in the play ‘The Little Foxes’, which was considered as one of the strongest performances in American theater’s history. She was also featured on the cover of ‘Life’ during the play’s run.
Her superb performance as journalist Constance Porter in the film ‘Lifeboat’ was critically applauded. The film was commercially a hit. She won the New York Film Critics Circle award for best actress of the year for her outstanding performance.
Personal Life
Tallulah Bankhead was romantically and sexually linked with many notable female personalities including actresses Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo, writers like Mercedes de Acosta and Eva Le Gallienne, and singer Billie Holiday.
Actress Patsy Kelly also confirmed that when she worked as her personal assistant, she had a sexual relationship with Bankhead.
In 1933, Bankhead had a critical five-hour long emergency hysterectomy due to venereal disease.
She married actor John Emery on August 31, 1937. They divorced in 1941. She had no children, but she had gone through four abortions before she was 30.
During the early 1950s, she not only struggled with drug addiction and alcoholism, but also started taking drugs due to her sleeplessness. She also suffered from psychotic symptoms and depression due to loneliness.
She suffered from double pneumonia and died on December 12, 1968, at the age of 66.
// Famous Aquarius Celebrities peoples
Jessii Vee
Check out all that you wanted to know about Jessii Vee, the famous Canadian Vlogger & YouTube Personality; her birthday, her family and personal life, her boyfriends, fun trivia facts and more.
Luara Fonseca
Luara Fonseca, known on the web as “luaraff,” is a musical.ly star. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.
Shane Blanchard
Shane Blanchard is an American TV actor. Let’s take a look at his family and personal life including age, birthday, net worth, family life and some fun facts.
Tallulah Bankhead's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Other | ||
| 0 | Alabama Women's Hall of Fame | |
Tallulah Bankhead biography timelines
- // 1912As the girls grew up, her grandmother found it difficult to handle them. They were then sent to the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Manhattanville, New York, in 1912. The girls were frequently moved from one school to another, as their father’s political career required him to move from place to place.
- // 1918 To 1919At the Algonquin group, she befriended some actresses and got offers for three silent films—‘When Men Betray’ and ‘Thirty a Week’ in 1918 and ‘The Trap’ in 1919.
- // 1919Around this time, she made her stage debut in ‘The Squab Farm’ at the Bijou Theatre. In 1919, she appeared in two more plays, ‘39 East’ and ‘Footloose’.
- // 1921She preferred stage performance to screen, as she did not have the patience to shoot for films and TV series for months. So she took up more stage projects. In 1921, she performed in two more plays, ‘Nice People’ and ‘Everyday’.
- // 1922In 1922, she performed in three plays—‘Danger’, ‘Her Temporary Husband’ and ‘The Exciters’. Although her performances were critically praised, none of the plays were successful.
- // 1923Frustrated by her unsuccessful career in New York, she moved to London after her five-year stay in the city. In London, she made her debut on the stage at Wyndham's Theatre in 1923. During her eight-year stay there, she performed in over 12 plays including ‘The Dancers’, which was a hit.
- // 1924She came to prominence in 1924 with her performance in the play ‘They Knew What They Wanted’, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
- // 1931In 1931, she moved to Hollywood and appeared in the film ‘Tarnished Lady’. Although she found filmmaking to be boring, she could not ignore it as she was making $50,000 per film.
- // 1932She was cast in two films, ‘Devil and the Deep’ and ‘Faithless’ in 1932. However, neither of the films helped in promoting her career.
- // 1933In 1933, Bankhead had a critical five-hour long emergency hysterectomy due to venereal disease.
- // 1934She returned to the New York stage in 1934 and performed in some unmemorable plays like ‘Dark Victory’, ‘Rain’, ‘Something Gay’, ‘Reflected Glory’ and ‘Antony and Cleopatra’.
- // 31st Aug 1937 To 1941She married actor John Emery on August 31, 1937. They divorced in 1941. She had no children, but she had gone through four abortions before she was 30.
- // 1938In 1938, she was featured in the play ‘The Circle’ which gained good reviews. This was followed by her breakthrough role in Lillian Hellman's play ‘The Little Foxes’, in which she portrayed Regina Giddens.
- // 1944On the big screen, she found success in 1944 when she was cast in Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘Lifeboat’ as journalist Constance Porter.
- // 1950In 1950, NBC hired her as the host of ‘The Big Show’ and spent millions on the show over two seasons. However, the show failed to meet the expectations of the producers.
- // Dec 1957Her most famous television role came in ‘The Ford Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show’ in December 1957. She played herself in the episode ‘The Celebrity Next Door’.
- // 12th Dec 1968She suffered from double pneumonia and died on December 12, 1968, at the age of 66.
// Famous Alabama peoples
Mae Jemison
Mae Carol Jemison is a famous American astronaut who became the first African American astronaut to travel to space. To know more about her childhood, career, profile and timeline read on
Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks, also known as ‘the first lady of civil rights’ and ‘the mother of the freedom movement’, was a famous African-American civil rights activist. This biography profiles her childhood, life, career, works, achievements and timeline.
Candi Fisher
Candi Fisher is best known as the ex-wife of American college football coach and former player Jimbo Fisher. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, and fun facts about her.
Nannie Doss
Nannie Doss was an American serial killer who killed 11 people. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, crimes, and other facts about her.
Neal Carter
Check out all that you wanted to know about rapper Lil Wayne’s son, Neal Carter; his birthday, his family and personal life, fun trivia facts and more.
Kaitlan Collins
Kaitlan Collins is an American journalist working for the popular news channel CNN. Check out this biography to know about her birthday, childhood, family life, achievements and fun facts about her.
Tallulah Bankhead's FAQ
What is Tallulah Bankhead birthday?
Tallulah Bankhead was born at 1902-01-31
When was Tallulah Bankhead died?
Tallulah Bankhead was died at 1968-12-12
Where was Tallulah Bankhead died?
Tallulah Bankhead was died in Mount Sinai St. Luke's and Mount Sinai Roosevelt, New York City, New York
Which age was Tallulah Bankhead died?
Tallulah Bankhead was died at age 66
Where is Tallulah Bankhead's birth place?
Tallulah Bankhead was born in Huntsville, Alabama
What is Tallulah Bankhead nationalities?
Tallulah Bankhead's nationalities is American
Who is Tallulah Bankhead spouses?
Tallulah Bankhead's spouses is John Emery (m. 1937–1941)
Who is Tallulah Bankhead siblings?
Tallulah Bankhead's siblings is Evelyn Eugenia Bankhead
What was Tallulah Bankhead universities?
Tallulah Bankhead studied at Mary Baldwin College
What is Tallulah Bankhead's religion?
Tallulah Bankhead's religion is Methodist
How tall is Tallulah Bankhead?
Tallulah Bankhead's height is 160
Who is Tallulah Bankhead's father?
Tallulah Bankhead's father is William B. Bankhead
Who is Tallulah Bankhead's mother?
Tallulah Bankhead's mother is Adelaide Eugenia Bankhead
What is Tallulah Bankhead's sun sign?
Tallulah Bankhead is Aquarius
How famous is Tallulah Bankhead?
Tallulah Bankhead is famouse as Actress