Marlene Dietrich (27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992) was a German and American actress and singer. In the 1920s, she acted on the Berlin stage and in silent films, making her film debut in 1922. She was propelled to international fame by director

Josef von Sternberg Josef von Sternberg (; born Jonas Sternberg; May 29, 1894 – December 22, 1969) was an Austrian-American filmmaker whose career successfully spanned the transition from the silent to the sound era, during which he worked with most of the major ...

, who cast her as Lola-Lola in '' The Blue Angel'' (1930). The film's commercial success brought her a contract with

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

in the United States. Paramount sought to market Dietrich as a German answer to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Swedish actress Greta Garbo. Her first American film, '' Morocco'' (1930), directed by Sternberg, earned Dietrich her only Academy Award nomination. She would appear in several other films directed by Sternberg, including '' Dishonored'' (1931), '' Blonde Venus'' (1932) and '' Shanghai Express'' (1932). Dietrich and Sternberg's last two film collaborations, '' The Scarlet Empress'' (1934) and '' The Devil Is a Woman'' (1935)—the most styled of their collaborations—were their least successful at the box office. Her first sound film without Sternberg was 1933's '' The Song of Songs'', directed by Rouben Mamoulian, although she and Sternberg would later work together another two times. Without Sternberg, Dietrich—along with Joan Crawford, Mae West, Greta Garbo,

Katharine Hepburn Katharine Houghton Hepburn (May 12, 1907 – June 29, 2003) was an American actress in film, stage, and television. Her career as a Hollywood leading lady spanned over 60 years. She was known for her headstrong independence, spirited perso ...

and others—was labeled "

box office poison ''Box Office Poison'' is a series of comic books (originally published by Antarctic Press) by Alex Robinson. It was published in collected form by Top Shelf Productions in 2001. The story concerns the life and trials of a group of young people in ...

" after the film '' Knight Without Armour'' (1937) proved a box office failure. In 1939, however, her stardom was revived when she played a cowboy saloon girl in the Western comedy '' Destry Rides Again'' opposite

James Stewart James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...

, singing "

See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have "The Boys in the Back Room" is a song written by Frank Loesser, set to music by Frederick Hollaender and performed by Marlene Dietrich in the film '' Destry Rides Again'' (1939). It is often referred to as "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will ...

". While Dietrich arguably never fully regained her former screen glory, she continued performing in films, including appearances for such distinguished directors as Billy Wilder,

Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...

and Orson Welles, in successful films that included '' A Foreign Affair'' (1948), '' Stage Fright'' (1950), ''

Witness for the Prosecution In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'' (1957), '' Touch of Evil'' (1958) and ''

Judgment at Nuremberg ''Judgment at Nuremberg'' is a 1961 American epic courtroom drama film directed and produced by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby Mann and starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Maximilian Schell, Werner Klemperer, Marlene Dietr ...

'' (1961). Her final film appearance was as herself in the 1984 documentary ''

Marlene Marlene may refer to: People * Marlene (given name), including a list of people with the name * Marlene (Burmese businesswoman), Nang Kham Noung (born 1991) * Marlene (Japanese singer) (born 1960), a Filipina jazz singer active in Japan Film * ...

''. In 1999, the

American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Leade ...

named Dietrich as the ninth- greatest female star of classic Hollywood cinema.

Film

Silent feature films

Sound feature films

Short films

Television

Complete list of television appearances (excluding news footage): * ''Unicef Gala'' (Düsseldorf, 1962): Guest Appearance * ''

Cirque d'hiver The Cirque d'Hiver ("Winter Circus"), located at 110 rue Amelot (at the juncture of the rue des Filles Calvaires and rue Amelot, Paris 11ème), has been a prominent venue for circuses, exhibitions of dressage, musical concerts, and other events, i ...

'' (Paris, 9 March 1963): Cameo as "Garcon de Piste" * ''Deutsche-Schlager-Festspiele '' (Baden-Baden, 1963): Guest Appearance * '' Grand Gala du Disque ( Edison Awards)'' (The Hague, 1963): Guest Appearance * ''Galakväll pa Berns'' (Stockholm, 1963): Concert, with introduction by Karl Gerhardt and orchestra conducted by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gra ...

* ''

Royal Variety Performance The ''Royal Variety Performance'' is a televised variety show held annually in the United Kingdom to raise money for the Royal Variety Charity (of which King Charles III is life-patron). It is attended by senior members of the British royal f ...

'' (London, 4 November 1963): Guest Appearance * ''The Stars Shine for Jack Hylton'' (London, 1965): Guest Appearance * ''The Magic of Marlene'' (Melbourne, March 1968): Concert, with orchestra conducted by William Blezard. * ''The 22nd Annual Tony Awards'' (New York, 21 April 1968): Acceptance Speech * ''Guest Star Marlene Dietrich'' (Copenhagen – for Swedish Television, 1970): Interview * '' I Wish You Love (An Evening with Marlene Dietrich)'' (London, 23 & 24 November 1972): Concert TV Special, with orchestra conducted by

Stan Freeman Stanley Freeman (April 3, 1920 – January 13, 2001) was an American composer, pianist, lyricist, musical arranger, conductor, and studio musician. Biography Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Freeman studied classical piano in college and earne ...

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dietrich, Marlene Actress filmographies American filmographies German filmographies Filmography