I'm not good at writing to people I love

Tallulah Bankhead was born into an important political Alabama family, the Brockham Bankheads. Her grandfather and her uncle were both U.S. Senators and her father William B. Bankhead was a member of Congress and served as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 1936 and 1940. Growing up, Tallulah and her elder sister Eugenia mostly lived with their grandparents —their mother died three weeks after Tallulah's birth— and they also spent a fair amount of time with their aunt Marie (who later became Head of the Alabama Department of Archives and History, succeeding her husband Thomas Owen upon his death in 1920). 

Although William Bankhead was an often-absent father, he was adored by both his daughters, especially Tallulah. She thought the world of him, valued his opinions and worried about hurting his political career whenever she got herself into trouble. In 1932, for instance, Tallulah caused quite a storm when in an interview with Motion Picture Magazine she had ranted about how much she wanted a man. She was very concerned about what the controversy would do to her father and vowed never to speak to the press again (read more in this post). 

Her father was someone Tallulah could turn to in her hour of need. In November 1936 she wrote him the following letter, seeking his assistance in an income tax matter. While asking for his help, she urged her father not to do anything that would jeopardise his career ("...if in my ignorance I am suggesting that you do anything that is unethical please forgive me, and if that is the case just forget this letter..."). 

The letter was written at a time when Tallulah was being considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind (1939). Tallulah told her father that hopefully in a few weeks time she would have some good news regarding the film. As we all know, however, the news she had hoped for never came.

To this Congressman Bankhead responded (in part): 

I am, of course, glad that you wrote to me about this matter and it will be no embarrassment whatever to me to undertake to be of every possible assistance…. It does seem to me that it is a very large claim for excess taxes for one year…. We have been most anxious to hear something definite about whether you would be engaged to play the part of Scarlett O’Hara in "Gone with the Wind." We have daily inquiries from everywhere from your friends, many of whom seem to think that the matter has already been settled, but I have told them that it had not….

Source: RR Auction

Above: Tallulah and her sister Eugenia (left photo) and the sisters photographed with their grandfather Alabama Senator John Hollis Bankhead in 1917 (r.) Below: 1937, Tallulah with her father William B. Bankhead and her stepmother Florence McGuire Bankhead, whom her father married in 1914.

Do I hear you muttering obscenities?

In the fall of 1936, Tallulah Bankhead began to prepare herself for landing the role of Scarlett O'Hara in David O. Selznick's production of Gone With the Wind (1939), being the first established actress to do so. A star on Broadway, Bankhead had made few films thus far (all of them unsuccessful) and was very eager to play Scarlett. Bankhead was originally from Alabama and while her Southern background was an advantage, her age was not. At 34 she was too old for the role, even though she did her best to appear younger in Scarlett's early scenes (i.e. she followed a diet, had some dental work done, underwent facial treatments and even stopped drinking). 

Tallulah Bankhead in her screentest for Gone With the Wind, late 1936.

Preparing for her screen tests, Bankhead worked closely with David Selznick's associate Katharine "Kay" Brown for three months. The screen tests were directed by Gone With the Wind's first director George Cukor who was Bankhead's friend and had directed her in the film Tarnished Lady (1931). Selznick was pleased with the actress playing the more mature Scarlett but thought her younger Scarlett unconvincing. On 24 December 1936 he sent her a telegram saying: "The tests are very promising indeed. Am still worried about the first part of the story, and frankly if I had to give you an answer now it would be no, but if we can leave it open I can say to you very honestly that I think there is a strong possibility." Bankhead answered the following day: "As I see it, your wire to me means one thing- that if no one better comes along, I'll do. Well, that would be all well and good if I were a beginner at my job. It would be a wonderful thing to hope and wait for, but as this is not the case, I cannot see it that way, and I feel it only fair to tell you that I will not make any more tests, either silent or dialogue, for Scarlett O'Hara, on probation."

Not willing to be second fiddle, Tallulah Bankhead withdrew from the race and the search for Scarlett continued. Then two years later, with the casting of Gone With the Wind still not completed, Selznick got the idea to ask Bankhead for a different role in the film, i.e. the role of Belle Watling, brothel owner and friend of Rhett Butler's. But instead of approaching Bankhead himself Selznick asked Kay Brown to do it for him (".. for God' s sake, don't mention my name in connection with it, simply saying that it is an idea of your own that you haven't yet taken up with me"). In the end, neither Brown nor Selznick made the offer to Bankhead, afraid that it would offend and infuriate her. The role of Belle Watling eventually went to Ona Munson.

Katharine "Kay" Brown and David Selznick

December 6, 1938  

To: Miss Katharine Brown  

Would you care to brave the lioness's den and inquire from Miss Tallulah Bankhead whether she would like to play Belle Watling? As a disappointed Scarlett she's likely to bite your head off - and for God's sake, don't mention my name in connection with it, simply saying that it is an idea of your own that you haven't yet taken up with me.  

My own feeling is that she would do wonders with this bit, making it stand out, and that she would be a perfect illicit mate for Rhett Butler. However, if she betrays any interest you had better explain that it is an extremely small part, having only about three of four appearances.  

The reason I think she might go for it is simply as a stunt, just as it has been suggested that Mae West (who is out of the question, of course) might be glad to do it as a stunt.   

Do I hear you muttering obscenities?  

DOS

Source: Memo from David O. Selznick (1972); selected and edited by Rudy Behlmer.

Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Ona Munson as Belle Watling in Gone With the Wind.

Book Review: Letters from Hollywood

Letters from Hollywood: Inside the Private World of Classic American Moviemaking is a gem of a book. Compiled and edited by author/producer Rocky Lang and film historian/archivist Barbara Hall, this beautiful-looking hardcover volume contains 137 pieces of classic Hollywood correspondence (letters, notes and telegrams), spanning five decades from the early 1920s through the 1970s. The correspondence not only comes from famous Hollywood stars like Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Greta Garbo or Joan Crawford, but also from people less known to the general public yet important to Hollywood history, e.g. Irving Thalberg, Will Hays and Joseph Breen. (And there are also letter writers and recipients I had never heard of, among them screenwriters and agents.) Introducing the letters, authors Lang and Hall provide ample background information so the reader understands the context in which they were written.

Below: Rocky Lang grew up in the film business having agent-turned-producer Jennings Lang and singer/actress Monica Lewis as parents (here they are photographed in 1968). When a letter from his father to agent H.N. Swanson was discovered, Rocky got the idea for Letters from Hollywood and also included his father's letter in the book.

For three years, Lang and Hall worked on the project, first searching archives and libraries for interesting correspondence and then trying to track down the copyright owners, which proved to be more difficult than they thought. Their hard work eventually resulted in a book that is beautifully designed (lovely book cover, great lay-out and beautiful hi-res images of the original correspondence), with the letters providing chronological snippets of Hollywood history as well as fascinating peeks into the private thoughts of some of Hollywood's biggest stars, directors, producers etc.. Perhaps not surprisingly, I am very excited about this book -- it's basically what I do on the web, but then presented in glorious book form -- feeling it's a must-have for classic Hollywood fans and a great addition to any film book collection.

Some of the letters in the book I was already familiar with, having posted them earlier on this blog. However, most of the correspondence was unknown to me as it was obtained from archives, libraries and private collections and thus hidden from the general public - until now. Not all the letters are equally interesting of course, but there are a lot of gems and to give you an idea, below are excerpts from some of my personal faves.

________

Ronald Colman to studio executive Abe Lehr about the transition to the talkies (August 1928):

With reference to the additional clause to the contract, - I would rather not sign this, at any rate just at present. Except as a scientific achievement, I am not sympathetic to this "sound" business. I feel, as so many do, that it is a mechanical resource, that it is a retrogressive and temporary digression in so far as it affects the art of motion picture acting, - in short that it does not properly belong to my particular work (of which naturally I must be the best judge).

Tallulah Bankhead to David Selznick about the Scarlett O'Hara role in Gone with the Wind (December 1936):

I want you to believe me when I say this letter is not written in any spirit of hurt, arrogance, or bad temper, and if these elements should creep in, it is only because I haven't a sufficient gift of words to express myself clearly. [...] As I see it, your wire to me means one thing- that if no one better comes along, I'll do. Well, that would be all well and good if I were a beginner at my job. It would be a wonderful thing to hope and wait for, but as this is not the case, I cannot see it that way, and I feel it only fair to tell you that I will not make any more tests, either silent or dialogue, for Scarlett O'Hara, on probation.

Hedda Hopper to friend Aileen Pringle about Citizen Kane (January 1941):

I've seen the picture, and it's foul. It doesn't leave Mr. Hearst with one redeeming feature. Nobody but Orson would have dared do a thing like that, and I personally hope it will never be shown on the screen, although they're going right ahead making plans for its release in February. 

Robert Sherwood to Samuel Goldwyn about writing the script for Glory for Me, later renamed The Best Years of Our Lives (August 1945):

I have been thinking a great deal about "Glory for Me" and have come to the conclusion that, in all fairness, I should recommend to you that we drop it. This is entirely due to the conviction that, by next Spring or next Fall, this subject will be terribly out of date. [...] I do not believe that more than a small minority of these men will still be afflicted with the war neuroses which are essential parts of all of the three characters in "Glory for Me", and I, therefore, think that this picture would arouse considerable resentment by suggesting that these three characters are designed to be typical of all returned servicemen.

Gilbert Roland to Clara Bow to whom he was once engaged (December 1949):

How is your Dad? I would like to see him. I always had a warm spot in my heart for him, even though many years ago he refused to let me marry you because I was making seventy-five dollars a week, and you three hundred -- and when I made three hundred, you made a Thousand, and when I made a thousand you made more. ad finitum, and so it goes, and that's the way it is...

Joan Crawford to friend Jane Kesner Ardmore about her meeting Queen Elizabeth and Princess Margaret in the company of Marilyn Monroe and Anita Ekberg (October 1956):

It was one of the most exciting moments I have ever had. Of course, I was not too happy about being presented with that group of people representing the Motion Picture Industry, such as Marilyn you-know-who, and Anita Ekberg. Incidentally, Marilyn and Anita were howled at because of their tight dresses - they could not walk off the stage. It was most embarrassing.

Paul Newman to William Wyler & Ray Stark after having been offered the male lead in Funny Girl (May 1967):

I am grateful for the offer and the interest, and I hope it doesn't seem like an act of arrogance to turn all that affection down, but the truth of the matter is that I can't sing a note, and as for that monster, the dance, suffice it to say that I have no flexibility below the ass at all -- I even have difficulty proving the paternity of my six children.

If you would like to read the entire letters and many more (in their original form) -- you can order a copy of Letters from Hollywood here or here.

Note

Rocky Lang contacted me in January 2018, asking if I knew of any letters that he and Barbara Hall might be able to use for their project. I made several suggestions and some of it ended up in the book. While my input is quite small, I am proud to have contributed to this great, unique book -- and seeing my name in the Acknowledgment section is pretty cool! 

Tallulah & Billie

Tallulah Bankhead was perhaps more famous for her eccentric personality and stormy personal life than her acting career. She had lots of affairs with both men and women, one of the women being jazz singer Billie Holiday. Tallulah and Billie probably first met in Harlem in the early 1930s but didn't get together until the late 1940s when they were both performing on Broadway (Billie at the Strand Theatre while Tallulah was doing a play at a theatre nearby). The two women became close and had an intense relationship for a few years. 

The only photo I could find of Tallulah Bankhead and Billie Holiday together. December 1951, here the two women are photographed with jazz trombonist Dickie Wells.

In early 1949, Billie was charged with possession of opium. Tallulah tried to help her and got in touch with FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, who was a close friend of her father's (wealthy politician Will Bankhead). In a telephone call with Hoover, Tallulah begged him to exonerate Billie of the charges, but Hoover told her that the case had been handed over to the state authorities, that it was out of his hands. Following their telephone conversation, Tallulah contacted Hoover again on 9 February 1949. Pleading Billie's case once more, this time she wrote him a letter.

Source: Groove Notes

Transcript:

Hotel Elysee

60 East 54th Street

New York, N.Y. 

February 9, 1949

J. Edgar Hoover

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Washington, D.C.

Dear Mr. Hoover:

I am ashamed of my unpardonable delay in writing to thank you a thousand times for the kindness, consideration and courtesy, in fact all the nicest adjectives in the book, for the trouble you took re our telephone conversation in connection with Billie Holiday.

I tremble when I think of my audacity in approaching you at all with so little to recommend me, except the esteem, admiration and high regard my father held for you. I would never have dared to ask him or you a favor for myself but knowing your true humanitarian spirit it seemed quite natural at the time to go to the top man. As my Negro mammy used to say - "When you pray you pray to God don't you?".

I have met Billie Holiday but twice in my life but admire her immensely as an artist and feel the most profound compassion for her knowing as I do the unfortunate circumstances of her background. Although my intention is not to condone her weaknesses I certainly understand the eccentricities of her behaviour because she is essentially a child at heart whose troubles has made her psychologically unable to cope with the world in which she finds herself. Her vital need is more medical than the confinement of four walls.

However guilty she may be, whatever penalty she may be required to pay for her frailties, poor thing, you I know did everything within the law to lighten her burden. Bless you for this,

Kindest regards,

(signed)

Tallulah Bankhead

Sometime between 1949 and 1952, Tallulah began to distance herself from Billie. Afraid that her career would be destroyed if people knew about their relationship, Tallulah didn't mention Billie once in her 1952 autobiography. A few years later when Billie was working on her own autobiography Lady Sings the Blues, a copy of the manuscript was sent to Tallulah who threatened to file a lawsuit if she wasn't kept out of the book. On 12 January 1955, Billie responded with an embittered letter (shown below in transcript). Billie never received a reply to her letter, and in the end Tallulah was only mentioned as "just a friend who sometimes came around to the house to eat spaghetti."

Dear Miss Bankhead:

I thought I was a friend of yours. That's why there's nothing in my book that was unfriendly to you, unkind or libelous. Because I didn't want to drag you, I tried six times last month to talk to you on the damn phone, and tell you about the book just as a matter of courtesy. That bitch you have who impersonates you kept telling me to call back and when I did, it was the same deal until I gave up. But while I was working out of town, you didn't mind talking to Doubleday and suggesting behind my damned back that I had flipped and/or made up those little mentions of you in my book. Baby, Cliff Allen and Billy Heywood are still around. My maid who was with me at the Strand isn't dead either. There are plenty of others around who remember how you carried on so you almost got me fired out of the place.  And if you want to get shitty, we can make it a big shitty party. We can all get funky together!

I don't know whether you've got one of those damn lawyers telling you what to do or not. But I'm writing this to give you a chance to answer back quick and apologize to me and to Doubleday. Read my book over again. I understand they sent you a duplicate manuscript. There's nothing in it to hurt you. If you think so, let's talk about it like I wanted to last month. It's going to press right now so there is no time for monkeying around. Straighten up and fly right, Banky. Nobody's trying to drag you.

Billie Holiday 

[via] 

A tissue of lies and misquotations

Recently I saw Tallulah Bankhead in Royal Scandal (1945) and Devil and the Deep (1932), which are the first films I've seen her in. Knowing very little about her, I read up on her a bit and learnt that she had actually made very few films (she apparently thought cinema was very boring). Bankhead had been quite active on the stage though, her most critically acclaimed performances being in Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes —in the role Bette Davis would later play in William Wyler's 1941 film adaptation— and Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth. Apart from being famous as an actress, Bankhead was also known —and perhaps more so— for her flamboyant personality, her mannerisms (often the subject of parodies), her uninhibited sex life, her drug and alcohol problems, and also her outrageous remarks. (About sex she once said: "I've tried everything. Going down on a woman gives me a stiff neck. Going down on a man gives me lockjaw. Conventional sex gives me claustrophobia." (source))

Marie Bankhead Owen

Tallulah Bankhead came from a very prominent political family in Alabama, the Brockham Bankheads. Her grandfather and her uncle were both U.S. Senators, and her father was Speaker of the House of Representatives (from 1936 to 1940). In 1932, Bankhead caused quite a commotion when she gave an interview to Gladys Hall of Motion Picture Magazine, in which she ranted about the state of her life, about how she hadn't had an affair for six months and how she desperately wanted a man. Bankhead's bosses in Hollywood were very upset about the article, and so was her family back home. 

On 6 August 1932, Marie Bankhead Owen wrote a letter to her niece reprimanding her for her interview with Gladys Hall. Five days later, Tallulah replied by telegram (shown below) stating that the article was "a tissue of lies and misquotations". Tallulah was very concerned about what her father's reaction would be and promised to refuse all magazine interviews from then on. As you can see, the telegram was addressed to Mrs. Bankhead Owen at the Department of Archives and History of Montgomery Alabama; Tallulah's aunt Marie was head of the department and, after succeeding her husband Thomas Owen on his death in 1920, was the first woman in Alabama to hold such a position.

Via: telegrams from last century

Transcript: (for your convenience I added some punctuation)

1932 Aug 11 AM 6 06

BMA17  172 NL Los Angeles Calif 10

Mrs. Bankhead Owen

Dept Of Archives And History Montgomery Ala[bama]

Darling Aunt Marie,

I entirely agree with every word you say. The article is a tissue of lies and misquotations from beginning to end. If you don't give interviews, they get annoyed and make up any malicious and untrue thing they can, protecting themselves from libel by prestacing every remark with an 'I hear' or 'It is rumored'. 

My only reference to love or men in the entire interview was quote I am bored when I am not in love. This sole remark is a substance of the distorted article. If daddy has read it, please send him this wire. I don't know where he is. If he has not, don't worry him about it. Hereafter I shall refuse all magazine interviewers. I am so sorry you being so upset, but please believe me, I could not and would not say or do one tenth of the things accredited to me. It is one of the many disadvantages of being in the public eye in any capacity.

Love and bless you

Tallulah.