Tallulah Bankhead, GS Host?

[Mike Tennant]

A 1954 TV Guide article on Tallulah Bankhead reported:

Admittedly lazy and a ham, she comes out of hibernation “only for money, dahling,” including the Jimmy Durante show date and U.S. Steel Hour’s “Hedda Gabler.” She has other offers. “I hate to say whose. If I turn anyone down I give the man a black eye and I don’t want to give those dahling Goodson-Todman boys a black eye. But I’m advised that panel shows are on their way out.” Bill Todman, who hasn’t heard the news about panel shows, says, “We have an audience participation show in the works, tailor-made for Tallu.” And he’s convinced she’s convinced.

Anyone have any idea which show G-T was courting Bankhead to host (or at least to be on its panel)?

[Jimmy Owen]

What's Going On?

[BillCullen1]

Possibly Make the Connection. Or some pilot that never got sold. I can see her as a panelist more than a host(ess).

[Matt Ottinger]

In newspapers of the period, there are several VERY brief mentions of G-T trying to put something together for Tallulah.  One idea was an interview series called "The World of Tallulah."

There are also a couple of references to a new panel show to be called "It's In the Family" with no other details than it was to be a cross between WML and Secret, whatever that means.  Pure speculation, but that sounds like something that could have morphed into Make The Connection.

In any case, it doesn't sound like Tallulah was connected with anything that ended up airing.