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- Belflower
Marlene Dietrich --- affectionately called La Dietrich by fans --- had one of the longest entertainment careers on record.
She started her career on the stage and in the nightclubs of Berlin. She eventually rose to having small roles in a string of low-budget releases overseas. It was director-producer Josef von Sternberg who took her under his wing as a protégé. Together, the two would make up one of the classic screen partnerships. They were recruited by Paramount Pictures in 1930 and brought the the United States. The studio had hopes of fashioning Dietrich as a German alternative to MGM's Swedish sensation Greta Garbo. In fact, some of Dietrich's early American films were supposedly inspired by Garbo's successes. Her first American picture, MOROCCO (1930), resulted in her only Oscar nomination, which cemented her status as a sultry femme fatale. Her film DISHONORED (1931) cast her as Mata Hari-type spy, while BLONDE VENUS (1932), co-starring a young Cary Grant, had her emerging from a gorilla suit in a voodoo inspired musical number.
Dietrich was one of the most popular women in films in the early 1930s. She had a substantial salary, and she and Mae West were often credited for saving Paramount from bankruptcy during the Great Depression. The film SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932) was the most successful collaboration between Dietrich and von Sternberg. It was the highest-earning film of its year, and was nicknamed "GRAND HOTEL on wheels" by critics. SONG OF SONGS (1933) was the first time Dietrich worked without von Sternberg in America. It was a reasonable success, but Dietrich wanted to continue working with von Sternberg. The duo's final two films together, THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934) and THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (1935), the most stylized of their collaborations, were their biggest box office disappointments. The latter film offered the last time Dietrich and von Sternberg worked together. Extravagant offers lured Dietrich away from Paramount to make films elsewhere. She was paid $200,000 to star in THE GARDEN OF ALLAH (1936) for independent producer David O. Selznick, and $450,000 to film KNIGHT WITHOUT ARMOUR (1937) in Great Britain. Although her salary made her the highest-paid woman in cinema, her films of this period were box office flops. She had slid to 126th in box office popularity, and she was dubbed "box office poison" by theater owners in 1938. Paramount subsequently allowed her contract to expire.
In desperate need of a career boost, Dietrich accepted a pay cut to star in DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939), a western comedy co-starring a young James Stewart. It was a hit, and shifted her image to a more comedic, western-type saloon girl. She would go on to play similar types in SEVEN SINNERS (1940) and THE SPOILERS (1942), both opposite John Wayne. She spent the majority of World War II working for the USO and entertaining the soldiers overseas, but would occasionally return to film. She received top billing in PITTSBURGH (1942) and allowed her body to be painted gold for KISMET (1944). She famously feuded with leading man Ray Milland during the filming of GOLDEN EARRINGS in 1947. Dietrich worked with a young Jane Wyman on STAGE FRIGHT (1950), a suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film RANCHO NOTORIOUS (1952) was the last time she played a saloon girl on film, an archetype made anonymous with her name.
Throughout the 1950s, Dietrich's film career took a back seat, while she focused most of her time on perfecting her stage persona. She started touring and performing in sold out performances in nightclubs. She broke records while performing in Las Vegas with her salary and audience totals. Still, Dietrich was frequently lured back to Hollywood, where she would make cameo appearances in AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS (1956) and TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), two of the biggest box office hits of the decade. She even starred with Tyrone Power and Charles Laughton in WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957), receiving positive notices a wife asked to testify against her husband. Dietrich had a supporting role as a German widower in JUDGMENT AT NUREMBURG (1961), which featured an ensemble cast and provided her with a role that many deemed Oscar-worthy. It was her last major film appearance. Her final on-screen roles was a cameo in PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES (1964), a romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and William Holden, and JUST A GIGOLO (1979), the poorly reviewed David Bowie vehicle.
Marlene Dietrich faded out of the spotlight near the end of her life. She had been living quietly for years when she died at age ninety in 1992.
She started her career on the stage and in the nightclubs of Berlin. She eventually rose to having small roles in a string of low-budget releases overseas. It was director-producer Josef von Sternberg who took her under his wing as a protégé. Together, the two would make up one of the classic screen partnerships. They were recruited by Paramount Pictures in 1930 and brought the the United States. The studio had hopes of fashioning Dietrich as a German alternative to MGM's Swedish sensation Greta Garbo. In fact, some of Dietrich's early American films were supposedly inspired by Garbo's successes. Her first American picture, MOROCCO (1930), resulted in her only Oscar nomination, which cemented her status as a sultry femme fatale. Her film DISHONORED (1931) cast her as Mata Hari-type spy, while BLONDE VENUS (1932), co-starring a young Cary Grant, had her emerging from a gorilla suit in a voodoo inspired musical number.
Dietrich was one of the most popular women in films in the early 1930s. She had a substantial salary, and she and Mae West were often credited for saving Paramount from bankruptcy during the Great Depression. The film SHANGHAI EXPRESS (1932) was the most successful collaboration between Dietrich and von Sternberg. It was the highest-earning film of its year, and was nicknamed "GRAND HOTEL on wheels" by critics. SONG OF SONGS (1933) was the first time Dietrich worked without von Sternberg in America. It was a reasonable success, but Dietrich wanted to continue working with von Sternberg. The duo's final two films together, THE SCARLET EMPRESS (1934) and THE DEVIL IS A WOMAN (1935), the most stylized of their collaborations, were their biggest box office disappointments. The latter film offered the last time Dietrich and von Sternberg worked together. Extravagant offers lured Dietrich away from Paramount to make films elsewhere. She was paid $200,000 to star in THE GARDEN OF ALLAH (1936) for independent producer David O. Selznick, and $450,000 to film KNIGHT WITHOUT ARMOUR (1937) in Great Britain. Although her salary made her the highest-paid woman in cinema, her films of this period were box office flops. She had slid to 126th in box office popularity, and she was dubbed "box office poison" by theater owners in 1938. Paramount subsequently allowed her contract to expire.
In desperate need of a career boost, Dietrich accepted a pay cut to star in DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1939), a western comedy co-starring a young James Stewart. It was a hit, and shifted her image to a more comedic, western-type saloon girl. She would go on to play similar types in SEVEN SINNERS (1940) and THE SPOILERS (1942), both opposite John Wayne. She spent the majority of World War II working for the USO and entertaining the soldiers overseas, but would occasionally return to film. She received top billing in PITTSBURGH (1942) and allowed her body to be painted gold for KISMET (1944). She famously feuded with leading man Ray Milland during the filming of GOLDEN EARRINGS in 1947. Dietrich worked with a young Jane Wyman on STAGE FRIGHT (1950), a suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The film RANCHO NOTORIOUS (1952) was the last time she played a saloon girl on film, an archetype made anonymous with her name.
Throughout the 1950s, Dietrich's film career took a back seat, while she focused most of her time on perfecting her stage persona. She started touring and performing in sold out performances in nightclubs. She broke records while performing in Las Vegas with her salary and audience totals. Still, Dietrich was frequently lured back to Hollywood, where she would make cameo appearances in AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS (1956) and TOUCH OF EVIL (1958), two of the biggest box office hits of the decade. She even starred with Tyrone Power and Charles Laughton in WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION (1957), receiving positive notices a wife asked to testify against her husband. Dietrich had a supporting role as a German widower in JUDGMENT AT NUREMBURG (1961), which featured an ensemble cast and provided her with a role that many deemed Oscar-worthy. It was her last major film appearance. Her final on-screen roles was a cameo in PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES (1964), a romantic comedy starring Audrey Hepburn and William Holden, and JUST A GIGOLO (1979), the poorly reviewed David Bowie vehicle.
Marlene Dietrich faded out of the spotlight near the end of her life. She had been living quietly for years when she died at age ninety in 1992.
