Books like Tallulah! by Joel Lobenthal

Tallulah Bankhead (1903‑1968) dazzled audiences with her powerful stage presence and audacious personality, becoming a household name in both America and Britain. From New York to London’s West End, her career was marked by acclaimed performances amid a public persona defined by scandal, romance, and relentless flair. Lobenthal’s biography draws on exclusive interviews and rarely accessed records, including Scotland Yard and FBI files, to reveal Bankhead’s private life. He explores her family dynamics, yearning for motherhood, and the insecurities that fueled her circus of parties and notorious liaisons—both male and female. The work presents a nuanced portrait, showing how Bankhead’s bravado concealed vulnerability, and how her friendships with luminaries such as Tennessee Williams, Billie Holiday, and Marlene Dietrich shaped—and were shaped by—her enduring legacy in theater’s golden age.

First publish date: 2004