Tallulah Bankhead
A Classic 60’s Actor at the Ogunquit Playhouse
The outspoken actress was infamous for her promiscuous manners and her bossy demeanor. Many noted that her personality was often difficult to work with because of her demanding attitude. Known for her quick wit, Tallulah was never at a loss for something to say, even if it wasn’t true. She famously called everyone "dahling” and when asked why, Tallulah replied, “Because all my life I've been terrible at remembering people's names. I once introduced a friend of mine as Martini. Her name was actually Olive.” Possessed of a tremendous energy level, very few people could keep up with her. Despite this, Bankhead was praised for her talent and undeniable beauty.
At the age of 15 Bankhead sent in her picture to a movie magazine, and based solely on her looks she was selected as the winner with a ticket to New York City and $75. It was not long before Bankhead quickly became accustomed to the crazy life of New York City. Tallulah’s Broadway credentials include Rose de Brissac in the original cast of Footloose (1920), Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (1937), Regina Giddens in The Little Foxes (1939-1940), Sabina in The Skin of Our Teeth (1942-1943), Amanda Prynne in Private Lives (1948-1949), Dolores in Dear Charles (1954-1955) and Blanche De Bois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1956). She was nominated for the 1961 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as Midgie Purvis in Midgie Purvis (1961).
She remained in New York for five years, but unsatisfied with her work, she took a job in London in a play called The Dancers. Shortly after moving Tallulah appeared in several well-received played in London’s famed West End, the British equivalent of Broadway. Her work in London got the attention of Paramount Pictures executives, who cast her in “Woman’s Law” (1927) and “His House in Order” (1928). She appeared in a number of other films throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s, including “Devil and the Deep” (1932) with co-stars Gary Cooper, Charles Laughton and Cary Grant, before deciding to return to Broadway and tour nationally.
Tallulah conquered the lights of Broadway, the West End and the sets of Hollywood. Her legacy was found not only in her abilities as an actress, but also in her outrageous lifestyle. Bankhead was known to smoke over one hundred cigarettes per day and drank gin and bourbon like they were water. She reportedly engaged in hundreds of affairs with both men and women. Her behavior was a shock to many, but she embraced her lifestyle. Bankhead stated, “If I had to live my life again, I'd make the same mistakes, only sooner.”
At the Ogunquit Playhouse she starred in Her Cardboard Lover by Jacques Deval and P.J. Wodehouse (1941), Dear Charles by Alan Melville (1954) and Here Today by George Oppenheimer (1962).