“A strange combination of the femme fatale, the German Hausfrau and Florence Nightingale" is how the film director Billy Wilder described this remarkable woman. Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) was a German-American actress and singer who moved to Hollywood in 1931 and maintained her long career by continually reinventing herself.
Born in Schoeneberg, Germany, Dietrich originally wanted to be a concert violinist but when that dream failed, ventured onto the Berlin stage in the early 20’s during which time she appeared as a chorus girl with vaudeville style entertainments and acted in silent films. In 1929 she was cast as 'Lola-Lola' in The Blue Angel, directed by Joseph von Sternberg. Her performance brought her international fame and resulted in her move to Hollywood and subsequent contract with Paramount Pictures. According to Wikipedia, Paramount sought to market Dietrich as a German answer to MGM's Swedish sensation, Greta Garbo. Going on to star in six more films directed by von Sternberg, Dietrich’s glamour and exotic looks were legendary and made her one of the highest paid actresses of the era.
Dietrich was both and iconic image on screen and in the fashion world. She was bisexual and created her own style with her seductive look and androgynous wardrobe. In regards to her image, film critic Kenneth Tynan said, "Her masculinity appeals to women and her sexuality to men." She famously stated once, "Don't ever follow the latest trend, because in a short time you will look ridiculous, don't follow it blindly into every dark alley. Always remember that you are not a model or a mannequin for which the fashion is created." While she wore beautiful and outlandish costumes on screen, in real life she often wore comfortable menswear. Dietrich was the first Hollywood actress to wear trousers in public and helped make them more acceptable for women.
Dietrich’s life was described as “more dramatic, more unpredictable and more colorful than any Hollywood scenarist could invent.” While she married assistant director Rudolph Sieber, and the couple had a child, Marie Elisabeth Sieber, Dietrich maintained an unending string of affairs throughout her career (almost all of which were known to her husband!). Her male lovers included John Wayne, Jean Gabin, Maurice Chevalier and Generals Patton and Gavin. Her lesbian love affairs included that with Marcedes de Acosta, the socialite who had also been partners with Greta Garbo.
- Dietrich refused a lucrative contract from Nazi officials to return to Germany as a foremost film star in the Third Reich and instead chose to apply for U.S. citizenship in 1937.
- Among her many conquests, Dietrich slept with Joseph von Sternberg, the very man who helped bring her to fame.
- After much success in the first half of the decade, she was labelled "Box Office Poison" in the late 30's along with others like Fred Astaire, Joan Crawford and Katherine Hepburn.
- Her legs were insured by Paramount for 1 million dollars!
Her continuing sexual conquests, even AFTER her marriage, is reminiscent of Lola 's actions in "The Blue Angel." She, too, continued to be wooed by Mazeppa, an act which was perhaps foreshadowed by her resounding laughter in response to the professor's marriage proposal.
ReplyDeleteQuick question though: Why was she labeled "Box Office Poison" if she was so successful? It seems contradictory to me..
Great post though, this was a lot of really interesting information to read! What an interesting character.
Glad you enjoyed! I too found her private life quite fascinating, and the fact that parts of it are clearly mirrored on screen makes her all the more interesting. Her cabaret experience in the 20's makes itself apparent in "The Blue Angel." After her Hollywood career began to wind down, she went back to the stage and performed live and in cabarets from the early 50's to the late 70's.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to your question- quite a few tremendously successful actors and actresses have received this label over the years. She was lumped into the "Box Office Poison" category after starring in "The Garden of Allah" and "Knight Without Armour," two rather costly productions, neither of which were financially successful. I think this tends to happen when directors cast big name actors that aren't necessarily right for the part, and when actors are lured with high salaries into making films instead of making them because they want to challenge themselves or because the believe in the script.
Dietrich was able to recover her career, and even returned to the screen in 1979 for a cameo role in "Just a Gigolo," a film starring David Bowie. The peak of her glory on screen arguably remained that time between the late 20's and mid 1930's though.
Fab pictures, Daphne!
ReplyDeleteIt is particularly amazing that Marlene Dietrich was able to succeed as an actress during this time period in particular given the "morality climate" that was starting to emerge in Hollywood. During this time period, censorship was starting to come to a head--to the point at which any little movement outside strict "moral" guidelines could get a director on the blacklist! This culture of so-called "decency" on screen certainly bled over to off-screen Hollywood culture. It is courageous, then, that even during this sort of repressive time in movie history, she was still willing to push the proverbial envelope.
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