Her grandfather was a U.S. senator. Her uncle was a U.S. congressman. Her father was Speaker of the House. Although born to privilege in Alabama and groomed in a convent school, Tallulah Bankhead (1902-1968) resolved not to be just another Southern belle.<BR>Quickly she rose to the top and became an acclaimed actress of London's West End and on the Broadway stage. She originated the starring roles of Regina Giddens in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes and Sabina in Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth. Her Broadway performances brought her to the notice of Hollywood, and in 1944 she won a New York Film Critics Circle Award for her leading role in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat.<BR>Her flamboyant public personality may be the most fully realized and memorable character Bankhead ever played on stage, screen, radio, or television. Tallulah was famous for her snappy repartee, candid quotes, and scandalous lifestyle. Overfond of Kentucky bourbon and wild parties, she was a lady baritone who called everybody "Dahling."<BR>In Tallulah, first published in 1952 and a New York Times bestseller for twenty-six weeks, Bankhead's literary voice is as lively and forthright as her public persona. This is not only a memoir of an independent woman but also an insider look at American entertainment during a golden age.