TALLULAH BANKHEAD QUEEN OF CAMP

TALLULAH BROCKMAN BANKHEAD WAS THE DAUGHTER OF A DISTINGUISHED FAMILY, HER FATHER WAS HEAD OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. A SOUTHERN BELLE FROM A RESPECTED FAMILY, IT WAS QUITE A SUPRISE WHEN SHE TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST SCANDALOUS WOMEN OF HER GENERATION. HER CAREEER IN ACTING BEGAN IN NEW YORK IN THE TWENTIES, PART OF THE ALGONQUIN ROUND TABLE SHE SOON EARNED A REPUTATION AS A GREAT WIT AND HELLRAISER.

NOTORIOUSLY BISEXUAL SHE ONCE CLAIMED HER FATHER WARNED HER ABOUT MEN AND DRINK "BUT HE NEVER MENTIONED DRUGS OR WOMEN" BY HER OWN ADMISSION SHE KEPT A SHOEBOX FULL OF COCAINE AND HER OFT QUOTED REMARK ON THE SUBJECT WAS "DONT TELL ME COCAINES HABIT FORMING ..I OUGHT TO KNOW IVE BEEN TAKING IT FOR YEARS"

WHEN HER CAREER FAILTERED IN NEW YORK SHE WENT TO LONDON AND BECAME THE TOAST OF THE WEST END. FROM THERE SHE TRIED HOLLYWOOD BUT WITH LITTLE SUCCESS. LATER SHE RETURNED TO NEW YORK TO GIVE HER FINEST PERFORMANCES. BUT MUCH TO HER CHARGIN THE FILM VERSIONS WOULD ALWAYS BE CAST WITH SOMEONE ELSE, SUCH AS LITTLE FOXES WITH BETTE DAVIS IN THE ROLE OF REGINA GIDDENS. (IT WAS BELEIVED BY MANY THAT BETTE'S MARGO CHANNING IN ALL BOUT EVE WAS BASED ON TALLULAH. IN RETALIATION TALLULAH WAS QUOTED AS SAYING "WHEN I GET HOLD OF BETTE DAVIS I,M GONNA TEAR EVERY HAIR OUT OF HER...MOUSTACHE!") DESPITE THESE GREAT ROLES TALLULAH CRAVED ATTENTION AND BEFORE LONG SHE WOULD PLAY TO THE AUDIENCE AND MAKE THEM LAUGH EVENTUALLY WHEN SHE DID TRY A LATER STAB AT DRAMATIC ROLES THE AUDINCE WERE DISSAPOINTED AND SO SHE WENT BACK TO BEING THE TALLULAH THE PUBLIC KNEW AND LOVED. AS STAGE WORK DRIED UP SHE TURNED TO RADIO AND HER BIG SHOW ON RADIO WAS A HUGE SUCCESS.AS THE MC OF THE SHOW TALLULAH HAD FOUND HER NICHE, BEING HERSELF AND THE AUDIENCES LOVED HER.

THERE WERE A FEW MOVIES AND SHOWS AS THE YEARS WENT ON BUT TALLUALH HAD BECOME A CARRICATURE OF HERSELF. HER GRAVELLY VOICE AND HER TRADEMARK "DAHLING" WOULD BECOME STAPLE FODDER OF MANY A DRAG QUEEN. ONE OF HER LATER PERFORMANCES ON BATMAN AS THE BLACK WIDOW PROMPTED A LINE FROM TALLULAH THAT ALONE SECURED HER A PLACE HERE AT THE QUEENS OF CAMP. WHEN SOMEONE SUGGESTED SHE SHOULD DO BATMAN BEACAUSE IT WOULD BE CAMP, SHE REPLIED "DONT TALK TO ME ABOUT CAMP DAHLING I INVENTED IT"

HER FINAL YEARS SHE WAS SURROUNDED BY HER CADDIES (GAY MEN WHO FORMED HER ENTOURAGE) ENCOURAGING HER TO BE MORE AND MORE OUTRAGEOUS.WHEN AS AN ELDERLY LADY IN POOR HEALTH SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN SLOWING DOWN. THE YEARS OF DRUGS DRINK AND CHAIN SMOKING TOOK THERE TOLL AND TALLULAH DIED AGED 66 IN 1968 SHORTLY BEFORE HER DEATH SOMEONE ASKED WAS SHE TALLULAH BANKHEAD SHE REPLIED "IM WHATS LEFT OF HER DAHLING" HER DYING WORDS WERE A REQUEST FOR COEDINE AND BOURBON BUT AS SHE ONCE SAID "IF I HAD MY LIFE OVER AGAIN I'D MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES ONLY SOONER"

WE SALUTE YOU TALLULAH BANKHEAD AND WELCOME YOU TO YOUR RIGHTFUL PLACE AT THE QUEENS OF CAMP AFTER ALL.. CAMP DAHLING YOU INVENTED IT!