@unhinged.history: Episode 129 | Anything But Therapy Tallulah Bankhead: The Alabama Hurricane Who Made Scandal Into an Art Form Meet Tallulah Bankhead, the Alabama socialite who turned being outrageous into a full-time career. Born in 1902 to political royalty, she convinced her family at 15 that she was destined for Broadway stardom after winning a beauty contest she forgot to put her name on. Tallulah conquered London's West End by literally becoming a verb – audiences would cheer for her to "Tallulah" (dance, sing, and be generally fabulous). She drove around lost in her Bentley, paying taxi drivers to lead her to destinations while she followed behind. Hollywood paid her $5,000 weekly but she flopped spectacularly on film. Her response to criticism? "I haven't had an affair for six months – too long!" She married an actor primarily because he resembled John Barrymore in specific anatomical ways, then divorced him when performance didn't match equipment. Despite consuming a quart of bourbon daily plus various narcotics, she championed civil rights and supported Billie Holiday. Her final words? "Codeine—bourbon."#greenscreen

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Monday 09 March 2026 13:15:09 GMT