Private Lives Theater: Plymouth Opening Date: Oct. 4, 1948 Performances: 248 Playwright: Noel Coward Director: Martin Manulis Producer: John C. Wilson

with Donald Cook

Partial Cast: Donald Cook, Barbara Baxley, William Langford, Therese Quadri

Tallulah's Role: Amanda Prynne

Noel Coward's comedy, about a divorced couple who accidentally meet again in the same hotel on their honeymoons with their respective new spouses, was a tremendous hit for Tallulah. It enjoyed a long run playing to packed houses across the U.S. before hitting Broadway in October of 1948. Tallulah dramatically changed the part so that she eventually ended up just playing herself, but the audiences loved it and the play made her a rich woman. She enjoyed an excellent rapport with her leading man, Donald Cook, and they were lovers during most of the run. Later, she also had an affair with the other actor in the play, William Langford. Tallulah wasn't as friendly to young Barbara Baxley, whom she considered a threat and whose politics she didn't like.

Dear Charles