Marlene Dietrich American actress and singer Date of Birth: 27.12.1901 Country: USA

Marlene Dietrich: The Icon of Cinema and Fashion

Maria Magdalena Dietrich was born on December 27, 1901, in the suburb of Schöneberg, Berlin. Her father was a police lieutenant, and her mother came from a wealthy merchant family. In addition to Marlene, her parents raised her older sister, Elizabeth. When Marlene was 6 years old, her father passed away, and her mother had to work as a housewife in a wealthy household. In 1907, Marlene began attending a girls' school and developed a passion for music, particularly the violin. In her childhood, she admired two women - film star Henny Porten and her French teacher, Mademoiselle Bregan. It was her attachment to Mademoiselle Bregan that made her fall in love with France forever.
During the years of World War I, the Dietrich family lived in Dessau. They returned to Berlin in 1917, and Marlene continued her violin lessons until she had to quit due to a hand injury. She then joined an orchestra but was fired a month later because her beauty distracted the musicians. This was the first time Marlene realized the power she had over men. In the early 1920s, she found work in Rudolf Nelson's cabaret, where she sang and danced with other girls. It was here that Marlene realized her desire to become a famous actress. With great difficulty, she managed to enroll in Max Reinhardt's acting school, and soon, young critics took notice of her. Marlene made her screen debut in the film "Man by the Wayside" in 1922. However, her promising career was halted by her marriage to Rudolf Sieber, a studio administrator. Marlene gave birth to their daughter, Maria, in 1924, but returned to work after just a year. For almost a decade, she struggled with small roles until director Josef von Sternberg invited her to star in the film "The Blue Angel" in 1930. Sternberg was so impressed with Marlene's performance in the revue "Two Ties" that he offered her the role of singer Lola-Lola. "The Blue Angel," released in 1930, caused a sensation and became a classic of German cinema. This film marked the beginning of a fruitful creative partnership between Dietrich and Sternberg, which turned her into a true movie star and the most desired woman on the planet.
Marlene no longer lived with her legal husband, so her relationship with Sternberg did not cause much controversy. He was a god to her, and she was his muse, inspiring him in his work. However, Sternberg never had any illusions about their relationship. Dietrich was an independent woman who belonged to no one and belonged to everyone at the same time. So when writer Erich Maria Remarque came into her life, he knew he had no chance.
Dietrich and Remarque met in 1938 at the Venice Film Festival. He was already a famous writer, known for his novel "All Quiet on the Western Front." In Venice, against the backdrop of canals and golden sunsets, they began a romantic relationship. Now, the actress became Remarque's muse. She became the prototype of the main character, Joan Madou, in his famous novel "Arch of Triumph." For about a year, Remarque and Dietrich lived in Paris. In 1939, when it became known about the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, they decided that war was inevitable and moved to America. Joseph Goebbels offered Dietrich to stay in Germany, promising her complete freedom and 200,000 marks for a film. However, Marlene, who opposed the ideas of National Socialism, rejected the offer. Marlene made her first visit to the United States in 1930. After the huge success of "The Blue Angel," Paramount Pictures offered her a contract. She agreed without hesitation and moved to America with director Sternberg. The six films they made in Hollywood brought Dietrich worldwide fame. Their last collaboration, the film "The Devil is a Woman," was released in 1935. All subsequent films in which Dietrich starred did not achieve the same popularity. She was even criticized for trying to distance herself from the image created by Sternberg. It sounds paradoxical, but Marlene Dietrich became famous for just one film - "The Blue Angel." It became an icon of cinema, and she became its face.
During World War II, Dietrich returned to America with Remarque. They settled in New York. Remarque spent his days writing while Marlene dazzled at parties, appearing with one man and then another. She changed lovers like gloves, and at some point, Remarque couldn't take it anymore. He moved to Brentwood and in 1953 announced that he would marry actress Paulette Goddard. The writer hoped that Dietrich would be jealous, but she calmly gave her blessings.
During the war, Marlene Dietrich spent several years in Italy, France, and North Africa, performing concerts for the Allied forces. Starting from the 1950s, she rarely appeared in films. Dietrich wrote articles for glamour magazines, hosted radio shows, and attended fan meetings. She spent her free time with fashion designers, constantly coming up with new outfits. Marlene not only took care of her own appearance but also actively popularized her fashion sense.
In 1975, Dietrich suffered a hip fracture, which marked the end of her film career. She secluded herself in her apartment in Paris and only saw close friends. The actress became dependent on painkillers and alcohol, further deteriorating her health. In 1992, Marlene Dietrich passed away from kidney and heart failure. She lived to be 90 years old, outliving most of her contemporaries.
Marlene Dietrich will forever be remembered in the history of cinema. She created one of the most iconic film characters and her unique style in the world of fashion. She was a strong, independent woman who no man could conquer. Dietrich did not belong to anyone, yet she belonged to the world.