Tallulah Bankhead: A Scandalous Life (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Marlene Dietrich called her 'The most immoral woman who ever lived', Cecil Beaton described her as a 'wicked archangel' . Born in Alabama in 1903, she became a big star in London in the early 1920's. Branded 'an unsafe and unsavory person' by the Hays commission in the early 1930's. In this highly entertaining book David Bret tells Tallulah's story in the only way it could be told: with shocking honesty and wit. What emerges is a vivid portrait of an immoral and wicked woman who was every inch a star and remains one of the greatest legends this century has ever seen. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Robson Books (June 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1861051905
• ISBN-13: 978-1861051905
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,053,792 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scandalous doesn't begin to cover this legend's life, January 8, 1999

By A Customer

It is hard to imagine anyone leading a fuller life than Tallulah Bankhead. She did it all -- twice. The book jacket points out that she had 500 lovers of both sexes. She smoked 150 cigarettes a day and drank even while performing on the Broadway stage. The author has written a well researched book that points out the enigma that was Bankhead. She could be willful and spoiled as a child and yet keep people on her payroll years after firing them. Through all the tumult and excesses of her personal life, she still managed to give many engaging performances. In the end, her lust for life caught up with her and her lifestlye killed her at a relatively young age. Tallulah Bankhead is still a fascinating character and this book is a fascinating read.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars All Hail the Ed Wood of Biographers!, October 27, 2000

By A Customer

After reading this book, I can assure you that the definitive biography of Tallulah Bankhead has yet to be written. The reader suffers through 250+ pages of garbled prose, which revels in the salacious details of Ms. Bankhead's life, only to find that he/she knows no more about the PERSON who was Tallulah than at the onset of the book. Furthermore, though Mr. Bret claims to have extensively researched his subject, the book conveys little firsthand knowledge of Tallulah or the people she knew. Most quotations in the book stem not from interviews, but from secondhand sources. The result is a laughingly bad work, on a par with any supermarket tabloid. Therefore, I beg you to save your money and buy the National Enquirer.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Line The Parrot's Cage With This Pathetic Tome, August 30, 2007

By	Swamp Poodle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tallulah Bankhead: A Scandalous Life (Hardcover)

When a biographer gives an inacurate birthdate for his subject, you know the book's credibility is less than zero. Ms Bankhead was born January 31, 1902 and not, as David Bret claims, in 1903. There is nothing new to be gleaned from this shabby pastiche of heresay and fabrication. Buy Brendan Gill's marvelous (out-of-print) "Tallulah" to get the true story.