Tallulah Bankhead

Tallulah Brockman Bankhead was an American screen and stage actress known for her husky voice, outrageous personality, and sharp wit.

Primarily an actress of the stage, Bankhead also starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s Lifeboat (1944) and had a brief but successful career on radio. She later made television appearances as well.

There is quite a bit of speculation about Bankhead’s many lovers. The list includes Billie Holiday, Marlene Dietrich, Hattie McDaniel, and Anthony De Bosdari.

She is quoted as saying, “I don’t know what I am, darling. I’ve tried several varieties of sex. Going down on a woman gives me a stiff neck, going down on a man gives me lockjaw, and conventional sex gives me claustrophobia.”^[1] Bankhead never publicly described herself as being bi. She did, however, describe herself as “ambisextrous”.