She came from a prominent Alabama political family--her grandfather and uncle were U.S. Senators; her father, William Brockman Bankhead, served as Speaker of the House. After winning a beauty contest at age 15, Tallulah Bankhead moved to New York City, where she became an actress, as well as an attractive side dish at the Algonquin Round Table. She created some legendary stage roles--Regina in The Little Foxes, Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth--though Hollywood never really took to her (Hitchcock used her best in Lifeboat).
Most people today remember her, if they remember her at all, for that husky,...
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