Actress and Singer · United States
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich (1901–1992) was a German-American actress and singer who became one of the most prominent international stars of 20th-century cinema. She rose to international fame as Lola-Lola in *The Blue Angel* (1930) and went on to appear in films including *Morocco*, *Shanghai Express*, *Destry Rides Again*, *A Foreign Affair*, *Witness for the Prosecution*, and *Judgment at Nuremberg*. She also became known for her international concert career and wartime performances for Allied troops.
Wikimedia CommonsBiography
Marie Magdalene “Marlene” Dietrich was born on 27 December 1901 in Schöneberg, Berlin, Germany. She received extensive musical training as a young woman and initially hoped to become a concert violinist. A wrist injury ended that ambition, leading her toward acting and the stage. By the early 1920s, she was appearing in Berlin theater and silent films.
Dietrich's breakthrough came with Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel (1930), in which she played the cabaret performer Lola-Lola. The film brought her international recognition and led to a contract with Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. She subsequently worked with von Sternberg on films including Morocco (1930), Dishonored (1931), Shanghai Express (1932), Blonde Venus (1932), The Scarlet Empress (1934), and The Devil Is a Woman (1935).
During the 1930s, Dietrich expanded beyond her early glamorous roles. She appeared in films such as Desire (1936), Angel (1937), and Destry Rides Again (1939), demonstrating a broader range of screen performances. Destry Rides Again helped establish a new phase of her career and paired her with James Stewart.
Dietrich became a U.S. citizen in 1939. During World War II, she opposed Nazi Germany and supported the Allied war effort. She performed for American troops through the United Service Organizations (USO), including performances near the front lines in Europe and North Africa. Her wartime activities became an important part of her public life.
After the war, Dietrich continued acting in films such as A Foreign Affair (1948), Stage Fright (1950), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), Touch of Evil (1958), and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). At the same time, she developed a major international career as a live singer and cabaret performer. From the 1950s through the 1970s, she toured extensively around the world.
Dietrich largely withdrew from public life after her performing career ended. She lived in Paris for her later years and died there on 6 May 1992 at the age of 90. She was buried in Berlin. Her Hollywood legacy is also commemorated by a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, awarded in 1960.
Did you know?
Did you know? Marlene Dietrich was not only a major film star but also a successful international concert performer. From the 1950s through the 1970s, she toured extensively as a singer and cabaret performer after her Hollywood film career had become less frequent.
