TALLULAH BANKHEAD

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 January 1933, Page 3

TALLULAH BANKHEAD

HOLLYWOOD CONTRACT

LONDON, November 29

Miss Tallulah Bankhead is leaving Hollywood. Her contract with Paramount has not been renewed, and she is said to be returning to New York to appear in a stage play. t

Miss Bankhead’s career in pictures has puzzled all Hollywood. She went there with a great London reputation, and was immediately accepted as one of the glamorous sirens of the screen, a potential rival to Miss Garbo and Miss Dietrich. It was recognised that she had beauty, personality and talent, all of a. rare and distinguished order, and a voice of husky charm. Paramount, even if some of her stories were weak, must be credited with the best, intentions. She was starred from the beginning and given part after part designed to display her talent to advantage—“My Sin,” “Tarnished Lady,” “The Cheat,” “Thunder Below,” and “The. Devil and the Deep.” She never failed to give a good performance, and indeed, showed steady improvement, shedding some of the mannerisms which had come to be accepted " as “Tallulahisms” by her more frenzied admirers, but irritated ‘ the great majority. In her last two pictures, “Thunder Below” and “The

pevil and the Deep,” she gave .exhibitions of restrained einotipnal acting which few other actresses jn Hollywood could haye attempted. Yet, so odd is the film public, : pone of her pictures (with the exception ,pf the three-star “Devil and the Deep”) has been the great commercial success that some people expected. A great pity. The screen can do with some z wonmu of distinction.