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This 'mini' encyclopedia consists of friends, relatives, professionals, pets, places and events significant in Tallulah's life. (Note: This is an ongoing project and all entries have not been added yet.)
In her autobiography, Tallulah says that Napier (or "Naps", as she called him) was one of two men whom she truly loved in her life (she would not reveal the other). His complete title was Napier George Henry Sturt, the 3rd Baron Alington.
Tallulah first met Napier when she was appearing in Nice People and they later resumed their affair when she moved to England. Napier was charming, reckless and bisexual. He proposed to Tallulah shortly after they met, but she was more interested in her career than marriage. Napier was killed in action during the Battle of Britain in 1940.
Anders, Glenn (1889-1981)
Stage actor who first met Tallulah while both were appearing in They Knew What They Wanted in England. Anders reprised the role of Joe, which he originated in the U.S. production. He also appeared in a handful of films, notably Orson Welles' The Lady From Shanghai (1948).
Tallulah and Anders were on-again, off-again lovers for several decades and he was a frequent guest at Windows. Anders retired to Mexico in the 1960s and Tallulah briefly considered joining him there for her health, but Anders (knowing that Tallulah had become a difficult person to live with) discouraged her.
Bankhead, Adelaide Eugenia (Sledge) (1880-1902)
It has been widely documented that Tallulah's mother was a great beauty and a woman who was known throughout the South for her charm. A native of Como, Mississippi, "Ada" was engaged to another man when she met
her future husband, William Bankhead, on a trip to Huntsville, Alabama to buy a wedding dress. Ada died three weeks after giving birth to Tallulah due to complications from blood poisoning. She is buried in Maple Hill Cemetery in Huntsville, Alabama. (See her grave here)
Tallulah's sister was about as wild as she was. She married seven times (twice to the same man) and traveled the globe before settling down in
Maryland during the last decade of her life.
Bonnie
A mongrel that Tallulah rescued from the dog pound.
Caddies
A series of young men, usually gay (and red-headed!), who worked for Tallulah throughout the 1950s and 1960s. She referred to them as her "secretaries", although they really served various duties, from lighting her cigarettes to drawing her baths.
A former "gallery girl" who first met Tallulah in 1924. Unlike most gallery girls, Dola hailed from a wealthy family. Her father was the Honorable James Dunsmuir, lieutenant governor of British Columbia. Dola was elegant, stylish and an alcoholic. She loved Tallulah dearly, but they did not have a sexual relationship, as many people assumed. Dola's assets were frozen in Canada during World War II and she lived at Windows with Tallulah during this time. She later moved back to Canada in the mid-1950's and bought a luxurious house. Tallulah visited her often and spent Christmas with her the year before Dola died from a stroke.
Cleo
Tallulah's pet myna bird. Her favorite sayings were "Who Are You?" and "Birds Can't Talk". A friend purchased Cleo for Tallulah while visiting India.
Cole, Stephan
Tallulah's first caddie. Cole was a stage manager and devoted friend to Tallulah and Edie Smith. He worked for Tallulah during the late 1930s and up until he joined the American Field Service in 1942. He later rejoined Tallulah in 1948 when she was performing in Private Lives, but their friendship dissolved after a bitter argument after Tallulah replaced actor Phil Arthur with William Langford, with whom she was having an affair. Cole thought that Tallulah's behavior was callous and unprofessional, and he told her so.
Craven A
Tallulah's favorite brand of cigarettes.
Tallulah's maid and secretary, who was accused of stealing $10,000-30,000 from Tallulah during her employment. Cronin was wardrobe mistress for the ill-fated production of The Eagle Has Two Heads and she was a former vaudeville performer. The case went to trial (much to Tallulah's embarrassment) and Cronin was convicted. For more details about the trial, see Biography.
DaCosta, Morton (1914-1989)
DaCosta appeared with Tallulah in The Skin Of Our Teeth and was hired to work for Tallulah following her purchase of Windows. He was her second caddie, taking the place of Stephan Cole. When Tallulah introduced him to her other household employees, she said, "This is Morton DaCosta. He's a perfect gentlemen. This morning, we were lying on the verandah, I broke wind, and he never raised an eyebrow." DaCosta later became a respected Broadway and stock theater director.
Daisy
Tallulah's pet French poodle.
De Bosdari, Anthony (1904-1989)
Italian businessman to whom Tallulah was engaged in 1928. Their engagement dissolved when Tallulah discovered that he had told her numerous lies about himself and had given her gifts for which he had not paid.
Dolaras
Tallulah's pet Maltese poodle. She was a gift from jazz pianist Joe Bushkin and his wife. Tallulah once accidentally set Dolaras on fire (see Anecdotes)
Donnie
Tallulah's pet puli, a Hungarian sheep dog, named after actor Donald Cook.
Actor, married to Tallulah from 1937-1941. The son of actors Isabel Waldron and Edward Emery, he married Russian actress Tamara Geva one year after his divorce from Tallulah.
Flora
One of the few pet cats that Tallulah owned. Tallulah loved all animals, but gave up cats when she started collecting birds.
Term used to describe Tallulah's fanatical fans who faithfully followed her during her London stage career. They consisted of young girls and teenagers who viewed Tallulah as their role model. They waited in line up to 48 hours before a performance and sat in the gallery where they wildly cheered Tallulah when she appeared on stage.
Gaylord
Tallulah's pet parrot.
Another of Tallulah's caddies, Hall worked for Tallulah for five years during the early 1950's.
Hitchcock
Tallulah's pet Sealingham, given to her by Alfred Hitchcock during the making of Lifeboat.
One of Tallulah's dedicated caddies, Hook worked for her from 1958 to 1961. Hook recalls some wonderful Tallulah stories in Tallulah, Darling by Denis Brian.
British painter who painted Tallulah's portrait in 1929. John studied at the Slade School from 1894-98 and, from most accounts, his talent was unremarkable until he had a diving accident and hit his head on a rock. Following that, his artistic skills greatly improved and he began to live the life of a typical bohemian artist, growing a beard and living with gypsies.
Tallulah and Augustus John with her famous portraitJohn painted landscapes, but was more acclaimed for his portraits of famous actresses and society people of his day. Tallulah gave John permission to exhibit his painting of her on the sole condition that she be allowed to purchase it for $1,000. He agreed and the painting remained her most prized possession. The portrait now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery.
Brooklyn-born comedienne appeared in vaudeville acts during the late 1920s before embarking on a successful Hollywood career, starring in a series of shorts with Thelma Todd and appearing in supporting roles in feature films. Kelly was a favorite with movie audiences, who delighted in her wisecracking antics.
Tallulah and Kelly met when Tallulah worked in Hollywood in the early 1930s. They became close friends and sometimes lovers in a relationship that lasted throughout their lives. When Kelly needed work in the early 1950s, Tallulah hired her as her assistant. She performed maid duties at Windows and later traveled to Las Vegas to help Tallulah with her cabaret act. Kelly returned to Hollywood in the 1960s and appeared in several television shows and films (among them, a memorable part in Rosemary's Baby in 1967). In 1971, she returned to Broadway in No, No, Nanette and won a Supporting Actress Tony for her performance.
King Kong
Tallulah's pet monkey that she owned when she lived in Hollywood. She loved to torment Joan Crawford with him - King Kong would climb on Joan's shoulders and ruin her dresses. Tallulah gave King Kong to Lionel Barrymore when she left Hollywood.
Kirkwood, James (Jr.) (1924-1989)
The son of actors James Kirkwood (whom Tallulah had an affair with in the 1920s) and Lila Lee, he befriended Tallulah when he was hired to appear with her in the revue, Welcome Darlings! Kirkwood was one of her dearest friends and for a while worked as her caddy. He published a wonderful novel called There Must Be A Pony in 1960. It was one of Tallulah's favorite books.
Langford, William (1920-1955)
Actor who appeared with Tallulah in Private Lives. Tallulah had an affair with the twenty-five year old actor (twenty years her junior) for several years. He died at the age of thirty-five of lung disease.
Tallulah's last caddie. Levy was a forty-five-year-old playboy when he met Tallulah at Truman Capote's Black and White Ball in 1966. Tallulah offered him a job and he faithfully assisted her during the last two years of her life.
Lillie, Beatrice
Canadian-born comedienne (1894-1989) and star of Broadway and London stages for 50 years, Lillie was called by Noel Coward "the funniest woman in the world." Tallulah's friendship with Bea (also known as "Lady Peel" through her marriage to Sir Robert Peel) began in London in the 1920s and continued on two continents untill Tallulah's death.
The most famous anecdote concerning this lively relationship describes Tallulah shepherding Bea to her hotel after a long evening of partying. With Bea the more (but not much more) incapacitated by drink, Tallulah marched to the desk clerk and demanded "Lady Keel's pee!" When the clerk either did not, or pretended not to understand, Bea chimed in frustration, "My pee, my good man! My pee!"
Operatic singer and London society hostess. Tallulah met her through Napier Alington and lived with her in her stately home for a while during the early 1920's.
Magnolia
An English sheepdog owned by Tallulah.
Oglesby, Sylvester and Lillian
A North Carolina couple who were hired as cooks at Windows. See Anecdotes for Tallulah's amusing interview with Sylvester.
Actress who appeared with Tallulah in The Little Foxes. Tallulah thought that the young actress (who played the daughter in the play) resembled herself as a young woman and took an immediate liking to her and they enjoyed a life-long friendship.
Rawls married Donald Seawell in 1941 and Tallulah served as matron of honor and later was godmother to their two children. In 1979, Rawls published Tallulah: A Memory, a marvelous book filled with letters, photos, and other mementos.
Tallulah's maid at Windows. According to Tallulah, Darling by Denis Brian, she was the first Negro maid allowed in the White House as a guest. Rose eventually left Tallulah after an argument, but Tallulah kept her on the payroll until Tallulah's death.
Lawyer, producer, publisher. Tallulah became acquainted with Seawell when he married Eugenia Rawls in 1941. Seawell defended Tallulah during the Evyleen Cronin trial and offered her legal and financial advice on other matters throughout her career. He was Publisher and President of the Denver Post for 15 years and today he is Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Senegas
A pet marmoset that Tallulah named after her first hairdresser. She bought him during the road tour of The Little Foxes. He was destructive to furniture and Tallulah had to pay many a hotel because of his vicious claws.
Edie Smith worked for Tallulah for over thirty years. Edie was one of Tallulah's London fans and Tallulah was charmed by her sincerity and good manners. Tallulah offered her a job and Edie was in her employ until 1955, when she took a job in a Chicago bookstore. Edie called Tallulah "Die Donner", which is a German expression meaning "The Thunder".
Tallulah's childhood home in Jasper, Alabama. It belonged to Tallulah's grandparents, with whom Tallulah and Eugenia lived during most of their childhood.
Tunney, Kieran (1922-1998)
Author of Tallulah, Darling of the Gods. Tunney's book is a personal account of his relationship with Tallulah. He wrote a play called "Aurora" that he wanted Tallulah to star in (she didn't). His meetings with Tallulah are told 'in their own words', with most of the conversations entertaining and sounding like Tallulah. However, upon the publication of the book, Tallulah's attorney made a statement claiming that Tunney was not a close friend of Tallulah's, but rather a man who annoyed her by constantly asking for money. Tunney is not mentioned in any of the Tallulah biographies and she herself does not mention him in her autobiography.
Victory Red
The only shade of lipstick (manufactured by Elizabeth Arden) that Tallulah wore.
Will
Tallulah's Last Will and Testament can be read here.
Tallulah's long-time manservant and chauffeur. A handsome black man, Williams was hired solely on his looks and because he shared Tallulah's father's birthday. He didn't have a driver's license when he first started working for her. If they needed to leave Bedford Village, therefore, Tallulah would phone the local police and have an escort drive in front of them, thus avoiding being stopped by unknown police officers. Williams worked for Tallulah longer than anyone else.
Tallulah's home from 1943 to 1956. She bought the rambling country home and sixteen acre estate in Bedford Village, New York for a bargain at $25,000 and spent a fortune decorating it and landscaping the grounds. She later installed a pool which reportedly cost more than the house itself.
Winston Churchill
Tallulah's pet lion. She bought him at a circus while staying in Reno, Nevada to gain residency for her divorce from John Emery. Winston toured with Tallulah during The Second Mrs. Tanqueray and took curtain calls with her. She eventually gave him to the Bronx Zoo when his size and appetite became too much for her to handle.
Winwood, Estelle (1883-1984)
English actress who made her Broadway debut in 1916. She acted in productions on both sides of the Atlantic and began to appear in films in her later years, usually playing sprightly old ladies.
Tallulah first met Estelle while living at the Algonquin and they became immediate friends, in a friendship that would endure throughout Tallulah's life. In personality, they were exact opposites. Estelle was prim, soft-spoken and proper. She always looked upon Tallulah's wild antics with a bemused expression followed by a quip. She once told a friend, who had just witnessed Tallulah in the nude, "I don't know why Tallulah likes to run around naked. She has so many pretty frocks."
Winwood lived to be 101. When a reporter interviewed her at the age of 100 and asked what it was like to be that age, she replied, "How rude of you to remind me!"
Kelly
