Four days before opening one of the two Fallen Angels had to leave the cast. To Coward's relief Ms Bankhead came in to save the day. She had been in London rehearsing Rain, by Somerset Maugham and had just been let go, so she was available:
"Her vitality has always been remarkable, but on that occasion it was little short of fantastic. She took that exceedingly long part at a run. She tore off her hat, flipped her furs into a corner, Kissed Edna (Best her co-star), Stanley (Bell), me and anyone else who happened to be within reach and, talking incessantly about Rain, which Maugham had just refused to allow her to play, she embarked on the first act. In two days she knew the whole part perfectly and on the first night gave a brilliant and completely assured performance. It was a our de force of vitality, magnetism and spontaneous combustion."
Winston Churchill came to see her in the play FIVE times! Maugham said her performance was the most brilliant he'd ever seen.
Coward was less thrilled when she would nightly cross to the window and exclaim"My God, Rain!" The audience loved it. There are rumors that, when doing the play in New York, Tallulah took to doing a cartwheel. Coward didn't so much find fault with the acrobatics, but as Tallulah never wore underwear...