Tallulah Bankhead: The Colorful Life of an American Actress and Activist

"I'm as pure as the driven slush." - Tallulah Bankhead

Exhibitionism and narcissism coupled with talent are not the sole property of modern entertainment, as some might suppose. From the beginnings of American theater and film, various personality types prone to self-intoxication by the status of their own careers have acted-out at will in their public lives. For them there is no barrier between the professional and the private.

In the early years of the 20th century, members of a clique r...