Evening star., 1936-06-07
BY vESTA CUMMINGS.


~ OTHER of a famous actress,
n whose career she launched,
wv and wife of prominent leg
4 ' i islator, whose health she
guards zealously-that is, Mrs. Will
liam Breekman Bankhead.
Tallulah. the stage and screen star
is her daughter, and the new Speaker
of the House is her husband.
Although delighted about her hus-
bands appointment as Speaker, Mrs.
Bankhead seems more interested in
the effect of his new duties on his
health.
THE excitement" she exclaimed
when interviewed yesterday in her
suite at the Washington Hotel. "Of
course, I am pleased that my husband
received the speakership, especially
since it fulfills an old ambition of his,
but my first concern is for his health.
I am going to take him to Canada
on a fishing trip later this Summer.
I shall devote myself to seeing that
he does not work too hard"
Might Have Been Actor.
Acting seems to run in the Bank
head family, Mrs. Bankhead revealed
in pointing out that the Speaker
might have made name for himself
on the stage had not his parents OBJ
jected to his choice of that career.
I'VE saw Tobacco Road recently"
Mrs. Bankhead said, land since then
my husband has entertained me several
times being 'Jeeter Lester (the back
woods character in the play. He does
the character perfectly"
Florence Bankhead, with her engag-
ing Alabama accent and captivating
smile, has been gracing drawing rooms
and ball rooms since her girlhood in
the South. In Washington next year
statesmen will count themselves for
tunate to find her name on their din
ner cards.
Mrs. Bankhead Is beautifully
groomed woman with tinted finger
nails and slender ankles. She has
brown eyes, fair hair and carries her
self with distinction. Yesterday she
wore brown dotted print dress, with
an ascot scarf of cream-colored crash.
Encouraged Tallulah's Career.
William Bankhead was a rising at
torney in Jasper, Ala, widower with
two little girls, Tallulah and Eugenia,
when he married Florence MCGUIRE.
As a young wife she shared the re-
sponsibility of the children with her
husbands mother.
IT encouraged Ta1lulah to follow
her theatrical ambitions" Mrs. Bank
head said, when asked about her
actress STEP daughter "As a matter
of fact, together we sent her portrait
to magazine holding a contest for
motion picture talent when Tallulah
was 16 years old. shall never for
get her rushing home painting some
time later, holding new issue of
the magazine. 1t was announced that
she had won the contest. 1t was then
she went to New York.
"Tallulah was plump little thing
then, but she outgrew her weight" /"
Mrs. Bsnkhead has visited Tallulah
in both London and California, and
says that she is opening a new play
in San Francisco this week.
She Likes to Fish.
Surprisingly, Mrs. Bankhead's favor
ite pastime is fishing, sport both
she and the Speaker enjoy. She is a
golfer, too, but is proudest of her
skill with fishing pole
II really am good at rod and reel
fishing" Mrs. Bankhead said, smiling
about her pride, land I'd rather get
into my hip boots and fish for black
bass than anything in the world"
Mrs. Bankhead hopes sometime to
compete in the annual fish rodeo"
at Mobile, Ala, where fly fishermen
compete for honors.
mfr. Bankhead and I will leave
Washington about June TO-" his wife
said, Ito spend month at our home
in Jasper, and then go to Canada to
visit my husbands brother, Col.
Henry r. Bankhead, who is COM
mercial attache at Ottawa. Col.
Bankhead has a fishing lodge in a
quiet and beautiful spot in the woods.
There we will do nothing but sleep,
eat and fish, and know he will pro-
fit from the rest, and be better pre-
pared for the January session"
The Speaker, although not a
pianist, composes songs and ditties,