Tallulah Bankhead Was One of Hollywood's Most Unconventional Movie Stars

Tallulah Bankhead, born in 1902, was a stage and screen actress who came from a prominent Alabama family. (Many of her male relatives served in office; her father became the Speaker of the House of Representatives later in her life.) But Bankhead differed from her family politically and personally. She supported liberal causes, had problems with alcohol and drugs, and was known to have relationships with both men and women. (She once quipped: “Daddy warned me about men and alcohol, but he never warned me about women and cocaine.”)

Outspoken and often vulgar, but undeniably talented, Bankhead was known for being a true rebel in a time when many actresses were expected to be demure ingénues. In light of the new Netflix series Hollywood, in which Bankhead plays a minor role, we're taking a look at photographs from her real life, as well as the the screen and stage portrayals that made her famous.