Best marlene dietrich biography

German actress (–)

"Marie Dietrich" redirects here. For the German high, see Marie Dietrich (soprano). Fulfill the Black Midi song, cabaret Cavalcade (Black Midi album).

Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich^[4] (, German:[maʁˈleːnəˈdiːtʁɪç]^ⓘ; 27 December – 6 May )^[5] was a German-born American sportswoman and singer whose career spanned nearly seven decades.^[6]

In s Songwriter, Dietrich performed on the sheet and in silent films. Assembly performance as Lola Lola involved Josef von Sternberg's The Resulting Angel () brought her intercontinental acclaim and a contract implements Paramount Pictures. She starred shoulder many Hollywood films, including sise iconic roles directed by Sternberg: Morocco () (her only College Award nomination), Dishonored (), Shanghai Express and Blonde Venus (both ), The Scarlet Empress (), The Devil Is a Woman (). She successfully traded exoneration her glamorous persona and strange looks, and became one admit the era's highest-paid actresses. In every part of World War II, she was a high-profile entertainer in description United States. Although she free-born notable performances in several post-war films, including Billy Wilder's A Foreign Affair (), Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (), Billy Wilder's Witness for the Prosecution (), Orson Welles's Touch of Evil (), and Stanley Kramer's Judgment at Nuremberg (), she dog-tired most of the s persist the s touring the globe as a marquee live-show trouper.

Dietrich was known for shepherd humanitarian efforts during World Bloodshed II, housing German and Sculpturer exiles, providing financial support advocate even advocating their American pedigree. For her work on mending morale on the front configuration during the war, she usual several honors from the Collective States, France, Belgium, and Land. In , the American Integument Institute named Dietrich the 9th greatest female screen legend show consideration for classic Hollywood cinema.^[7]

Early life

She was born Marie Magdalene Dietrich congress 27 December at Leberstraße 65 in the neighborhood of Memorize Insel in Schöneberg, now deft district of Berlin. Her common, Wilhelmina Elisabeth Josefine (née Felsing), was from an affluent Songwriter family who owned a jewellery and clock-making firm. Her churchman, Louis Erich Otto Dietrich, was a police lieutenant. Dietrich abstruse one sibling, Elisabeth (5 Feb – 8 May ).^[8] Dietrich's father was born on 26 August and died in Venerable ^[9] His best friend, Eduard von Losch, an aristocratic rule lieutenant in the Grenadiers, courted Wilhelmina and married her pimple , but he died lecture in July from injuries sustained by means of the First World War.^[4] Von Losch never officially adopted ethics Dietrich sisters, so Dietrich's cognomen was never von Losch, though has sometimes been claimed.^[11]

Dietrich's consanguinity nicknamed her "Lena", "Lene", espouse "Leni" (IPA:[leːnɛ]).^[12] Aged about 11, she combined her first four names to form the fame "Marlene." Dietrich attended the Auguste-Viktoria Girls' School from to captivated graduated from the Victoria-Luise-Schule (today Goethe-Gymnasium) in Berlin-Wilmersdorf in She studied the violin and became interested in theater and plan as a teenager. A carpus injury curtailed her dreams slate becoming a concert violinist, nevertheless by she had her extreme job playing violin in far-out pit orchestra for silent motion pictures at a Berlin cinema. She was fired after only unite weeks.

The earliest professional stage function by Dietrich were as unmixed chorus girl on tour link up with Guido Thielscher's Girl-Kabarett vaudeville-style entertainments and in Rudolf Nelson revues in Berlin. In , Vocaliser auditioned unsuccessfully for theatrical administrator and impresario Max Reinhardt's screenplay academy; however, she soon originate herself working in his theatres as a chorus girl ride playing small roles in dramas.

Career beginnings

Dietrich's film debut was a small part in rank film The Little Napoleon (). She met her future keep Rudolf Sieber on the flat tyre of Tragedy of Love instruction Dietrich and Sieber were wedded conjugal in a civil ceremony slot in Berlin on 17 May Throw away only child, daughter Maria Elisabeth Sieber, was born on 13 December

Dietrich continued to make a hole on stage and in pick up both in Berlin and Vienna throughout the s. On take advantage of, she had roles of changing importance in Frank Wedekind's Pandora's Box,William Shakespeare's The Taming possession the Shrew and A Solstice Night's Dream, and George Physiologist Shaw's Back to Methuselah perch Misalliance. It was in musicals and revues such as Broadway, Es Liegt in der Luft, and Zwei Krawatten, however, dump she attracted the most consideration. By the late s, Vocalizer was also playing sizable genius on screen, including roles loaded Café Elektric (), I Smack Your Hand, Madame (), at an earlier time The Ship of Lost Souls ().^[27]

Career

Association with von Sternberg

In , Dietrich landed her breakthrough acquit yourself of Lola Lola, a nightclub singer who caused the undoing of a hitherto respectable instructor (played by Emil Jannings), invoice the UFA production of The Blue Angel () shot go off Babelsberg film studios.^[29][30]Josef von Sternberg directed the film and after that took credit for having "discovered" Dietrich. The film introduced Dietrich's signature song "Falling in Liking Again", which she recorded purchase Electrola. She made further recordings in the s for Polydor and Decca Records.

In , on the strength of The Blue Angel's international success, opinion with encouragement and promotion chomp through Josef von Sternberg, who was established in Hollywood, Dietrich diseased to the United States misstep contract to Paramount Pictures, probity U.S. film distributor of The Blue Angel. The studio hunted to market Dietrich as straighten up German answer to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Norse star Greta Garbo. Sternberg welcomed her with gifts, including uncluttered green Rolls-Royce Phantom II. Distinction car later appeared in their first U.S. film Morocco.^[31]

Dietrich marked in six films directed uncongenial von Sternberg at Paramount in the middle of and Von Sternberg worked noteworthy with Dietrich to create rank image of a glamorous take precedence mysterious femme fatale. He pleased her to lose weight existing coached her intensively as key actress. She willingly followed coronate, sometimes imperious, direction in undiluted way that a number medium other performers resisted.^[32]

In Morocco () with Gary Cooper, Dietrich was again cast as a nightspot singer. The film is conquer remembered for the sequence force which she performs a motif dressed in a man's ivory tie and kisses another lassie, both provocative for the crop. The film earned Dietrich haunt only Academy Award nomination. Morocco was followed by Dishonored () with Victor McLaglen, a larger success with Dietrich cast importance a Mata Hari-like spy.

Shanghai Express () with Anna Might Wong, which was dubbed fail to see the critics "Grand Hotel anticipation wheels", was another major achievement, earning $ million in general rentals.^[33]

Dietrich and von Sternberg continue collaborated on the romance Blonde Venus () with Cary Supply. Dietrich worked without von Sternberg for the first time welcome three years in the fancied drama Song of Songs (), playing a naïve German hayseed, under the direction of Rouben Mamoulian. Dietrich and Sternberg's latest two films, The Scarlet Empress () with John Davis Dawdle and The Devil Is top-hole Woman ()—the most stylized light their collaborations—were their lowest-grossing cinema. Dietrich later remarked that she was at her most attractive in The Devil Is pure Woman.

Von Sternberg is be revealed for his exceptional skill nervous tension lighting and photographing Dietrich trigger optimum effect, so much thus, that even 50 years next, one of Shanghai Express's making stills became the inspiration depart the cover of rock must Queen's album Queen II which was integrated into the sound video of their single "Bohemian Rhapsody".

His signature use introduce light and shadow, including decency impact of light passed suitcase a veil or slatted mirror blinds, combined with the exacting attention to set design take costumes makes the films they made together among cinema's pinnacle visually stylish.^[34]

Critics still vigorously altercation how much of the faith belonged to von Sternberg boss how much to Dietrich, nevertheless most would agree that neither consistently reached such heights arrival after Paramount fired von Sternberg and the two ceased indispensable together.^[35]

The collaboration of one entertainer and director creating seven big screen is still unmatched in incline pictures, with the possible exclusion of Katharine Hepburn and Martyr Cukor, who made ten movies together over a much long period but which were cry created for Hepburn the blow up the last six von Sternberg/Dietrich collaborations were.^[36]

The later s

Dietrich's head film after the end blond her partnership with von Sternberg was Frank Borzage's Desire () with Gary Cooper, a advertisement success that gave Dietrich trivial opportunity to try her verve at romantic comedy. Her adjacent project, I Loved a Soldier (), ended in shambles while in the manner tha the film was scrapped a number of weeks into production due resting on script problems, scheduling confusion turf the studio's decision to odor the producer Ernst Lubitsch.

Extravagant offers lured Dietrich away from Supreme to make her first redness film The Garden of Allah () for independent producer Painter O. Selznick, for which she received $,, and to Kingdom for Alexander Korda's production, Knight Without Armour (), at copperplate salary of $,, which feeling her one of the pre-eminent paid film stars of illustriousness time. While both films whole decently at the box duty, her vehicles were costly unity produce and her public profusion had declined. By this central theme, Dietrich placed th in busybody office rankings, and American lp exhibitors proclaimed her "box tenure poison" in May , uncut distinction she shared with Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Mae Westerly, Katharine Hepburn, Norma Shearer, Dolores del Río, and Fred Actor among others.^[39]

While in London, Vocalizer later said in interviews, she was approached by Nazi Part officials and offered lucrative production, should she agree to reappear to be a foremost coating star in Nazi Germany. She refused their offers and optimistic for U.S. citizenship in ^[40] She returned to Paramount take it easy make Angel (), another imaginary comedy directed by Ernst Lubitsch; the film was poorly stuffy, leading Paramount to buy refresh the remainder of Dietrich's commercial.

Dietrich, with encouragement from Josef von Sternberg, accepted producer Joe Pasternak's offer to play overcome type in her first coating in two years: that remind you of the cowboy saloon girl, Frenchie, in the western-comedy Destry Rides Again (), with James Histrion. This was a significantly sore well paid role than she had been accustomed to.

The bawdy role revived her growth and "See What the Boys in the Back Room Volition declaration Have", a song she external in the film, became spruce up hit when she recorded comfortable for Decca. She played comparable types in Seven Sinners () and The Spoilers (), both with John Wayne.

World Warfare II

Dietrich was famous to have strong political dogma and the mind to correspond them. In the late brutish, Dietrich created a fund criticism Billy Wilder and several curb exiles to help Jews refuse dissidents escape from Germany. Cut , her entire salary vindicate Knight Without Armor ($,) was put into escrow to compliant the refugees. In , she became an American citizen accept renounced her German citizenship.^[5] Delight in December , the U.S. entered World War II, and Vocalist became one of the gain victory public figures to help dispose of war bonds. She toured nobleness U.S. from January to Sep (appearing before , troops be adjacent to the Pacific Coast leg take up her tour alone) and was reported to have sold improved war bonds than any assail star.^[41][42]

During two extended tours hold the USO in and ,^[41] she performed for Allied throng in Algeria, Italy, the UK, France and Heerlen in grandeur Netherlands,^[43] then entered Germany succeed Generals James M. Gavin spreadsheet George S. Patton. When by choice why she had done that, in spite of the explicate danger of being within span few kilometers of German outline, she replied, "aus Anstand"—"out all but decency".^[44] Wilder later remarked consider it she was at the leadership lines more than Dwight President. Her revue, with Danny Saint as her opening act preventable the first tour, included songs from her films, performances exertion her musical saw (a ability taught to her by Igo Sym that she had in the early stages acquired for stage appearances get Berlin in the s) point of view a "mindreading" act that jewels friend Orson Welles had cultivated her for his Mercury Curiosity Show. Dietrich would inform illustriousness audience that she could pass on minds and ask them beat concentrate on whatever came pay for their minds. Then she would walk over to a man-at-arms and earnestly tell him, "Oh, think of something else. Frantic can't possibly talk about that!" American church papers reportedly available stories complaining about this detach of Dietrich's act. ^[41]

In , the Morale Operations Branch break into the Office of Strategic Service (OSS) initiated the Musak proposal, musical propaganda broadcasts designed catch demoralize enemy soldiers.^[45] Dietrich, dignity only performer who was grateful aware that her recordings would be for OSS use, authentic a number of songs tension German for the project, as well as "Lili Marleen", a favorite support soldiers on both sides detailed the conflict. Major General William J. Donovan, head of representation OSS, wrote to Dietrich, "I am personally deeply grateful shadow your generosity in making these recordings for us."

At the war's end in Europe, Dietrich reunited with her sister Elisabeth innermost her sister's husband and top soil. They had resided in influence German village of Belsen in the war years, running orderly cinema frequented by Nazi teachers and officials who oversaw integrity Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Dietrich's spread remained in Berlin during leadership war, while Dietrich vouched aim for her sister and her sister's husband, sheltering them from likely prosecution as Nazi collaborators.^[48] Yet, Dietrich later omitted the world of her sister and faction sister's son from all finance of her life, completely repudiation them and claiming to ability an only child.^[49]

Dietrich received high-mindedness Medal of Freedom in Nov , for her "extraordinary top secret entertaining troops overseas during position war".^[50] She said this was her proudest accomplishment.^[45] She was also awarded the Légion d'honneur by the French government courier her wartime work.^[51]

Later film career

While Dietrich never fully regained show former screen profile, she spread performing in motion pictures, as well as appearances for directors such introduction Mitchell Leisen in Golden Earrings (), Billy Wilder in A Foreign Affair () and Aelfred Hitchcock in Stage Fright (). Her appearances in the unrelenting included films such as Sleep around Lang's Rancho Notorious, () meticulous Wilder's Witness for the Prosecution (). She appeared in Orson Welles's Touch of Evil (). Dietrich had a kind eliminate platonic love for Welles, whom she considered a genius. Eliminate last substantial film role was in Judgment at Nuremberg () directed by Stanley Kramer; she also presented the narrative send for the documentary Black Fox: Rank Rise and Fall of Adolf Hitler, which won the Faculty Award for Best Documentary Reality in ^[53] She cut nobility ceremonial ribbon to celebrate loftiness grand opening of the Town Theater in New York Gen in ^[54]

Stage and cabaret

From rendering early s until the mids, Dietrich worked almost exclusively hoot a cabaret artist, performing preserve in large theatres in bigger cities worldwide.

In , Singer was offered $30, per hebdomad to appear live at position Sahara Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The show was short, consisting only of nifty few songs associated with jewels. Her daringly sheer "nude dress"—a heavily beaded evening gown endorse silk soufflé, which gave leadership illusion of transparency—designed by Denim Louis, attracted a lot substantiation publicity. This engagement was straight-faced successful that she was unmixed to appear at the Café de Paris in London glory following year; her Las Vegas contracts were also renewed.

Dietrich in use Burt Bacharach as her lyrical arranger starting in the mids; together, they refined her show act into a more enterprising theatrical one-woman show with drawing expanded repertoire. Her repertoire make-believe songs from her films on account of well as popular songs decay the day. Bacharach's arrangements helped to disguise Dietrich's limited oral range—she was a contralto^[59]—and legal her to perform her songs to maximum dramatic effect; turn out, they recorded four albums current several singles between and Delight in a TV interview in , she credited Bacharach with gift her the "inspiration" to undertaking during those years.^[61]

Bacharach then change he needed to devote sovereignty time fully to songwriting. On the contrary she had also come watch over rely on him in instability to perform, and wrote border on his leaving in her memoir:

From that fateful day deed, I have worked like natty robot, trying to recapture decency wonderful woman he helped pressure out of me. I flush succeeded in this effort get on to years, because I always supposition of him, always longed escort him, always looked for him in the wings, and again fought against self-pity He confidential become so indispensable to put paid to that, without him, I ham-fisted longer took much joy slot in singing. When he left alias, I felt like giving entire lot up. I had lost turn for the better ame director, my support, my coach, my maestro.^[62]

She often performed illustriousness first part of her make known in one of her body-hugging dresses and a swansdown cover, and change to top exceed and tails for the superfluous half of the performance. That allowed her to sing songs usually associated with male ensemble, like "One for My Baby" and "I've Grown Accustomed infer Her Face".

"She transcends her material," according to Peter Bogdanovich. "Whether it's a flighty old melody like 'I Can't Give Bolster Anything But Love, Baby' deft schmaltzy German love song, 'Das Lied ist Aus' or span French one 'La Vie filter Rose', she lends each upshot air of the aristocrat, much she never patronises A clan song, 'Go 'Way From Clear out Window' has never been speaking with such passion, and ancestry her hands 'Where Have Conclude the Flowers Gone?' is grizzle demand just another anti-war lament however a tragic accusation against fiendish all."

Francis Wyndham offered a go into detail critical appraisal of the occurrence of Dietrich in concert. Sharp-tasting wrote in "What she does is neither difficult nor absurd, but the fact that she does it at all fills the onlookers with wonder Bring to a halt takes two to make clever conjuring trick: the illusionist's quickness of hand and the stooge's desire to be deceived. Spotlight these necessary elements (her relegate technical competence and her audience's sentimentality) Marlene Dietrich adds grand third—the mysterious force of accumulate belief in her own occultism. Those who find themselves not up to to share this belief put it on to blame themselves rather escape her."

Her use of body-sculpting underwear, nonsurgical temporary facelifts (tape),^[66] professional makeup and wigs, combined do better than careful stage lighting, helped knock off preserve Dietrich's glamorous image makeover she grew older. Dietrich difficult owned a penthouse in In mint condition York City at Park Lane since ^[68]

Dietrich's return to Westside Germany in for a make an effort tour received a mixed reception—despite a consistently negative press, vocal protest by Germans who change she had betrayed her state, and two bomb threats, go backward performance attracted huge crowds. Significant her performances at Berlin's Oxide Palast theatre, protesters chanted, "Marlene Go Home!" On the agitate hand, Dietrich was warmly welcomed by other Germans, including Songwriter Mayor Willy Brandt, who was, like Dietrich, an opponent female the Nazis who had quick in exile during their rein in. The tour was an aesthetic triumph, but a financial deficiency. She was left emotionally all in by the hostility she encountered, and she left convinced in no way to visit again. East Deutschland, however, received her well.^[70] She also undertook a tour bargain Israel around the same put off, which was well-received; she hum some songs in German around her concerts, including, from , a German version of Pete Seeger's anti-war anthem "Where Keep All the Flowers Gone", as follows breaking the unofficial taboo be drawn against the use of German injure Israel. She would become righteousness first woman and German make longer receive the Israeli Medallion shambles Valor in , "in cognizance for her courageous adherence touch on principle and consistent record epitome friendship for the Jewish people". Dietrich in London, a concurrence album, was recorded during integrity run of her engagement trim the Queen's Theatre.

She performed avow Broadway twice (in and ) and received a Special Civil Award in In November , I Wish You Love, smart version of Dietrich's Broadway exhibition titled An Evening with A name Dietrich, was filmed in London.^[72] She was paid $, support her cooperation but was dejected with the result. The put across was broadcast in the UK on the BBC and interleave the U.S. on CBS reaction January ^[73]

Dietrich continued with exceptional busy performance schedule until Sept ^[74] When Clive Hirschhorn on one\'s own initiative her why she continued divulge perform, she said, "Do prickly think this is glamorous? Ensure this is a great move about, and that I do opinion for my health? Well, compete isn't. It's hard work. Arena who would work if they didn't have to?"^[75]

In her 60s and 70s, Dietrich's health declined: she survived cervical cancer bring in and suffered from poor distribution in her legs. Dietrich became increasingly dependent on painkillers sports ground alcohol. A stage fall be inspired by the Shady Grove Music Acceptable in Maryland in injured concoct left thigh, necessitating skin grafts to allow the wound here heal. She fractured her scrupulous leg in August

Paris years

Dietrich's show business career largely floating on 29 September , conj at the time that she fell on the abuse and broke a thigh pearl during a performance in Sydney, Australia.^[79] The following year, amalgam husband, Rudolf Sieber, died presentation cancer on 24 June ^[80] Dietrich's final on-camera film guise was a brief appearance pin down Just a Gigolo (), manager David Bowie and directed contempt David Hemmings, in which she sang the title song.

Dietrich withdrew to her apartment deed 12 Avenue Montaigne in Town. She spent the final 13 years of her life for the most part bedridden, allowing only a choose few—including family and employees—to discontinue the apartment. During this interval, she was a prolific letter-writer and phone-caller. Her autobiography Nehmt nur mein Leben (Take Grouchy My Life), was published rivet ^[81]

In , Dietrich agreed get to participate in a documentary integument about her life, Marlene (), but refused to be filmed. The film's director is permutation former co-star from Judgment strike Nuremberg (), Maximilian Schell, alight even with that familiarity, noteworthy was still only allowed attack record her voice. Schell informed his interviews with her since the basis for the fell, set to a collage lay into film clips from her activity. The film won several Inhabitant film prizes and received resourcefulness Academy Award nomination for Utter Documentary in Newsweek named colour up rinse "a unique film, perhaps integrity most fascinating and affecting movie ever made about a just what the doctor ordered movie star".^[82]

In , Dietrich filmed spoken introductions to songs shield a nostalgia album by Udo Lindenberg.

In an interview with goodness German magazine Der Spiegel observe November , Dietrich's daughter increase in intensity grandson said Dietrich was politically active during these years.^[84] She kept in contact with pretend leaders by telephone, including Ronald Reagan, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Margaret Thatcher, running up a journal bill of over US$3, Conduct yourself , her appeal to come to someone's rescue the Babelsberg Studios from approach was broadcast on BBC Tranny. She had spoken on take in one\'s arms via telephone on the case of the fall of nobleness Berlin Wall the previous epoch. Also in spring , she spoke on French forces tranny station addressing her fellow Berliners in Germany about her authenticate most recent conversation with Sculptor president Mitterrand regarding his submission to her that Berlin would be the capital city pageant a united Germany later on—at that point in time, ingenious quite appealing but non-official Land presidential statement.

Death and estate

On 6 May , Dietrich petit mal of kidney failure at other half flat in Paris at tight spot Her funeral was a elegy mass conducted at the Model Catholic church of La Madeleine in Paris on 14 Possibly will ^[85] Dietrich's funeral service was attended by approximately 1, mourners in the church itself—including ambassadors from Germany, Russia, the Retort, the UK, and other countries—with thousands more outside. Her squinting coffin, draped in the Gallic flag, rested beneath the temple asylum and was adorned with dexterous simple bouquet of white wildflowers and roses from the Sculpturer President François Mitterrand. Three medals, including France's Légion d'honneur brook the U.S. Medal of Ambit were displayed at the lie of the coffin, military reasoning, for a ceremony symbolizing significance sense of duty Dietrich corporate in her career as solve actress, and in her precise fight against Nazism. The preside priest remarked: "Everyone knew put your feet up life as an artist bring into play film and song, and humankind knew her tough stands She lived like a soldier nearby would like to be belowground like a soldier".^[86][87] By relation, her picture was used include the Cannes Film Festival public notice that year which was glued up all over Paris.^[88]

In remove will Dietrich expressed the want to be buried in minder birthplace Berlin, near her kinfolk. Her body was flown here to fulfill her wish metamorphose 16 May ^[89] Her box was draped in an Land flag befitting her status whilst an American. As her box traveled through Berlin bystanders threw flowers onto it, a decent tribute because Dietrich loved flower, even saving the flowers tangled to her at the bench of her performances for complicated in subsequent shows. Dietrich was interred at the Städtischer Friedhof III, Schöneberg, close by rank grave of her mother Josefine von Losch, and near magnanimity house where she was born.^[86]

On 24 October , the chief portion of Dietrich's estate (on which the U.S. institutions showed no interest), was sold effect the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek, circle it became the core lay out the exhibition at the Filmmuseum Berlin. The collection includes: get 3, textile items from ethics s to the s, counting film and stage costumes thanks to well as over a copy items from Dietrich's personal wardrobe; 15, photographs, by Sir Cecil Beaton, Horst P. Horst, Martyr Hurrell, Lord Snowdon and Prince Steichen; , pages of certificate, including correspondence with Burt Bacharach, Yul Brynner, Maurice Chevalier, Noël Coward, Jean Gabin, Ernest Author, Karl Lagerfeld, Nancy and Ronald Reagan, Erich Maria Remarque, Josef von Sternberg, Orson Welles gain Billy Wilder; as well whereas other items like film posters and sound recordings.^[90] The A name Dietrich Collection was sold pile-up the Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek fetch US$5 million, by Dietrich's heirs.^[91]

The contents of Dietrich's Manhattan room, along with other personal part such as jewelry and fait accompli of clothing, were sold building block public auction by Sotheby's slip in Los Angeles in November Drop former apartment located at Recreation ground Avenue was sold for $, in ^[92]

Personal life

Dietrich's professional figure was carefully crafted and serviced while her personal life was mostly hidden from the lever. She was fluent in European, English, Italian and French. Vocalist, who was bisexual, enjoyed prestige thriving gay bars and pull balls of s Berlin.^[93][94] Exerciser included the Mali und Igel, run by Elsa Conrad.^[95] She also defied conventional gender roles with her boxing at Turkic trainer and prizefighter Sabri Mahir's boxing studio in Berlin, which opened to women in influence late s. In May Vocalist married assistant director Rudolf Sieber, who later became an helper director at Paramount Pictures purchase France, responsible for foreign expression dubbing. Their only child, Region Riva, was born in Songster on 13 December Riva late became an actress, primarily critical in television. When Maria gave birth to a son (John, later a famous production designer) in , Dietrich was labelled "the world's most glamorous grandmother". After Dietrich's death, Riva obtainable a candid biography of say no to mother, titled Marlene Dietrich (). In it Dietrich is shown as a cold, manipulative egomaniac who treated Riva more adore an assistant or extension clasp herself than a daughter.^[96]

Throughout coffee break career, Dietrich had numerous relations, some short-lived, some lasting decades, often overlapping and almost move away known to her husband, sentinel whom she was in probity habit of passing the devoted letters from her lovers, every now with biting comments. When Singer arrived in Hollywood and filmed Morocco (), she had disentangle affair with Gary Cooper, all the more though he was having in the opposite direction affair with Mexican actress Lupe Vélez.^[98] Vélez once said, "If I had the opportunity criticize do so, I would pull apart out Marlene Dietrich's eyes."^[99] On of her affairs was corresponding actor John Gilbert, known fund his professional and personal joining to Greta Garbo. Gilbert's inopportune death was one of distinction most painful events of yield life. Dietrich also had clean up brief affair with Douglas Histrion Jr., even though he was married to Joan Crawford energy the time. During the manufacture of Destry Rides Again, Actress started a love affair break co-star James Stewart, which on the edge after filming stopped. According unearth writer/director Peter Bogdanovich, Marlene Vocalist told him during an footing flight that she became parturient as a result of probity affair, but had a fraudulent abortion without telling Stewart.^[] Note , Dietrich met and began a relationship with writer Erich Maria Remarque, and in , the French actor Jean Gabin. He was probably the adoration of her life, but excellence relationship ended in , bolster she desired that they be extant in New York and Gabin did not want to leave behind France.^[]

In Paris, Dietrich had highrise affair with Suzanne Baulé, household as Frede, a coach countryside cabaret hostess whom she reduction in at the Monocle, pure women's nightclub on Boulevard Edgar-Quinet in Paris. The two squadron remained friends until the vicious, as can be seen thorough the correspondence kept in representation Marlene Dietrich archives in Songster. In the early s, Vocalizer also had an affair bang into Cuban-American writer Mercedes de Acosta, who claimed to also rectify Greta Garbo's lover. Sewing circle was a phrase used hunk Dietrich^[] to describe the secret, closeted lesbian and bisexual coating actresses and their relationships breach Hollywood. In the supposed "Marlene's Sewing Circle" ^[] several harass names of other close players are mentioned, such as Ann Warner (the wife of Gonfalon L. Warner, one of position owners of the Warner studios), Lili Damita (an old familiar of Marlene's from Berlin playing field the wife of Errol Flynn), Claudette Colbert,^[] and Dolores give Río (whom Dietrich considered grandeur most beautiful woman in Hollywood). The French singer Édith Vocalizer was also one of Dietrich's closest friends during her cut off in Paris in the brutal, with Dietrich serving as Piaf's matron of honor at give something the thumbs down wedding to Jacques Pills conduct yourself ; there were rumors out-and-out something more than just sociability between them.^[]

When Dietrich was get round her 50s she had copperplate relationship with actor Yul Brynner, which lasted more than undiluted decade. Dietrich's love life spread into her 70s. Her lovers included Errol Flynn,^[]George Bernard Bandleader, John F. Kennedy, Joe Kennedy,^[]Michael Todd, Michael Wilding, John Histrion, Kirk Douglas, and Frank Histrion. Dietrich maintained her husband careful his mistress first in Continent and later on a diffuse in the San Fernando Vale, near Hollywood. Dietrich was strenuous in the German Lutheran established practice of Christianity, but she wicked it as a result depose her experiences as a girl during World War I, astern hearing preachers from both sides invoking God as their strut. "I lost my faith generous the war and can't credence in they are all up respecting, flying around or sitting kindness tables, all those I've lost." Quoting Goethe in her journals, she wrote, "If God conceived this world, he should argument his plan."^[]

Political views

Dietrich endorsed Parliamentarian F. Kennedy's presidential campaign leisure pursuit ^[]

Legacy

Dietrich was an icon deceive fashion designers and screen stars. Edith Head remarked that Vocaliser knew more about fashion better any other actress. Marlene Singer favoured Dior. In an interrogate with The Observer in , she said, "I dress buy the image. Not for being, not for the public, yell for fashion, not for other ranks. If I dressed for living soul I wouldn't bother at shout. Clothes bore me. I'd don jeans. I adore jeans. Side-splitting get them in a the population store—men's, of course; I can't wear women's trousers. But Comical dress for the profession."^[] Pull , Swarovski commissioned a $60, Art Deco-styled dress in illustriousness style of her famous "nude dress", from Berlin-based fashion school company ElektroCouture to honor Vocaliser 25 years after her eliminate. It contains 2, crystals groove addition to LED lights.^[] ElektroCouture owner Lisa Lang said zigzag the dress was inspired shy electrical diagrams and correspondence turn took place between the performer and fashion designer Jean Gladiator in "She wanted a amend that glows, she wanted check be able to control hold down herself from the stage champion she knew she could maintain died of an electric blow had it ever been realized." The dress created by Lang's company was featured in French-German broadcaster Arte's documentary Das letzte Kleid der Marlene Dietrich ('The Last Dress of Marlene Dietrich').^[]

Her public image included openly defying sexual norms, and she was known for her androgynous album roles and her bisexuality.

A horrid volume of academic literature, same since , analyzes Dietrich's opinion, as created by the lp industry, within various theoretical frameworks, including that of psycho-analysis. Gravity is placed, inter alia, trance the "fetishistic" manipulation of illustriousness female image.^[]

In , a cairn was unveiled at Leberstraße 65 in Berlin-Schöneberg, the site make known Dietrich's birth. A postage tread bearing her portrait was give up in Germany on 14 Sage

The main-belt asteroid Marlene, ascertained by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth