Conversation so far:
why did Tallulah Bankhead leave broadway?
In 1933, Bankhead nearly died following a five-hour emergency hysterectomy due to venereal disease.
what was her first role back?
After only a short stay, she was called back to New York to play in The Little Foxes.
what other roles did she get?
gaining excellent notices for her portrayal of Elizabeth in a revival of Somerset Maugham's The Circle.
what else notable occurred during this time?
David O.
Selznick, producer of Gone with the Wind (1939) called her the "first choice among established stars" to play Scarlett O'Hara.

Question: why didnt she get that role?
Self-contained rewrite: Why didn't Tallulah Bankhead get the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind?