Marie Magdalene “Marlene” Dietrich (27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992) was a German-American actress and singer whose career spanned nearly seven decades. In the 1930s, Dietrich was the ultimate icon of androgynous glamour and one of the highest-paid women in the world. This decade defined her “legend,” moving from a breakout star in Germany to a Hollywood “goddess” under the meticulous direction of Josef von Sternberg.
Dietrich’s decade began with a bang in 1930 with The Blue Angel. Playing the cabaret singer Lola Lola, she became an overnight sensation. She appeared in top hats, silk stockings, and frilled knickers, establishing her as a “femme fatale.” Following the film’s success, she moved to America under contract with Paramount Pictures to be their answer to Greta Garbo.
Most of Dietrich’s iconic 1930s imagery comes from her six Hollywood films with director Josef von Sternberg. He obsessively sculpted her image, using “butterfly lighting” to emphasize her high cheekbones and insisting she lose weight to achieve a more hollowed, ethereal look.
Dietrich was a pioneer of androgyny. In an era where women were expected to be soft and domestic, she was radical. She wore tailored men’s trousers, trench coats, and berets off-screen, often being called the “best-dressed man in Hollywood.”
In 1933, she was famously warned by the Paris Chief of Police that she would be arrested if she wore trousers in public; she did so anyway, walking off the train in a full man's suit. She famously claimed she didn't dress for men or herself, but for “the image” – a carefully curated blend of masculine power and feminine sensuality.
By the mid-1930s, her highly stylized films began to lose money. In 1938, she was famously labeled “Box Office Poison” by independent theater owners. During this time, Nazi officials offered her huge sums to return to Germany and become the face of their film industry. She refused, applied for U.S. citizenship, and spent much of the late 1930s helping refugees.
She ended the decade with a massive career pivot in Destry Rides Again (1939). Trading her “goddess” gowns for a rowdy saloon-girl outfit, she proved she could be funny and “earthy,” saving her career for the 1940s.
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