Marlene Dietrich

Biography

Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich (December 27, 1901 – May 6, 1992) was a German actress and singer. Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself. In 1920s Berlin, she acted on the stage and in silent films. Her performance as Lola-Lola in The Blue Angel, directed by Josef von Sternberg, brought her international fame and a contract with Paramount Pictures in the US. Hollywood films such as Shanghai Express and Desire capitalized on her glamour and exotic looks, cementing her stardom and making her one of the highest paid actresses of the era. Dietrich became a US citizen in 1937; during World War II, she was a high-profile front-line entertainer. Although she still made occasional films in the post-war years, Dietrich spent most of the 1950s through the 1970s touring the world as a successful show performer. In 1999, the American Film Institute named Dietrich the ninth greatest female star of all time.

Known For

Touch of Evil

as Tana

Witness for the Prosecution

as Christine

Judgment at Nuremberg

as Mrs. Bertholt

Around the World in Eighty Days

as Saloon Hostess

Stage Fright

as Charlotte Inwood

The Blue Angel

as Lola Lola

Shanghai Express

as Shanghai Lily

Paris When It Sizzles

as Marlene Dietrich (uncredited)

Destry Rides Again

as Frenchy

A Foreign Affair

as Erika Von Schlüetow