The Passing of Marlene Dietrich, May 1992

marlena dietrich the german-born actress who became an american movie legend died today in paris she was 90. correspondent barry peterson has the blue angels story it was 1930 the song was falling in love again the world fell in love with molina sensuous and inviting long-legged and deep voiced she was the first of those sophisticated ladies hollywood learned to call the sex symbol destroy rides again was jimmy stewart's first western he was smart enough to just listen [Music] her toughest role came in real life when she spurned her german homeland because of adolf hitler and the nazis becoming an american citizen she entertained american troops the war went on at least in the movies and the boys found something new to fight about technicolor didn't dim the charm or make her any less dangerous to a passing man [Music] she was a creature of our dreams said one director someone you could always fall in love with again barry peterson cbs news london marlena dietrich a star of such proportions figuratively and otherwise that she required no adjectives today she died at 90 in her paris apartment nbc's dennis murphy had barely learned to talk when dietrich showed them how to smolder lola the blue angel in her 60s she was still a sultry star with an unforgettable smokey voice she was born in berlin her career took off when the viennese director von sternberg spotted her dancing in a musical depression-era audiences soon fell for her exotic sexually ambiguous glamour hollywood publicists insured her legs for a million dollars in the background frenchy the saloon queen was her most famous u.s role war in europe was starting and dietrich became a u.s citizen hitler begged her to come home but she hated the nazis and entertained the allied troops marlena dietrich hello after the war her film career faded she was a memorable witness for the prosecution in the agatha christie melodrama this is hill asha give the witness a chance it may be her cabaret though that finally set our lasting image of dietrich and monroe she still influenced artists like madonna but dietrich had retired in 1978 after this film she lived her final years in paris as a [Music] reckless dennis murphy nbc news london actress marlena dietrich died today she was 90. dietrich's husky voice and smoldering eyes captivated moviegoers in the 1930s and 40s and her legend has endured leonard malton has a look back now at dietrich's remarkable career hi there leonard hi mary well hers is one of the magic names from movie history marlena dietrich is synonymous with glamour and the kind of aura that surrounded some stars back in hollywood's golden age if you've never been exposed to dietrich at the height of her fame you've missed something very special she wasn't like anybody else in films before or since [Music] marlena dietrich was not your typical sex symbol and this famous number from 1932's blonde venus shows you why she was audacious unique and she seemed to be loving every minute of it [Applause] her hollywood screen persona was daring outrageous she smoked she wore pants as in this scene from morocco and the characters she portrayed did exactly as they pleased even if they shocked some people [Music] dietrich was also a style setter her pencil thin eyebrows became a vogue and her candy use of makeup turned her unconventional looks into one of the most famous faces of the century it was a different looking marlena who was cast in the german film the blue angel in 1930 as the temptress lola lola who brings a stuffy professor played by emma jennings to his knees but american director joseph von sternberg knew she had something special [Music] [Applause] he was so sure of her and the film's universal appeal that he also shot another version of it in english [Music] sure enough dietrich was a sensation and von sternberg brought her back to hollywood whereas her director lover and some said svengali he made a series of exquisite looking exotic films in which the camera made love to her and the actress became a legend what right have you to tell me what to do are you my father no are you my husband no are you well i must say you're content with very little but by the mid-30s she and sternberg were no longer working together and dietrich's style was falling out of favor she was even labeled box office poison that's when she revitalized her career by getting down and dirty in the western comedy destry rides again [Music] then came world war ii and german-born dietrich became a tireless worker for the allied cause and a favorite performer on the front lines in europe i'm certain that we can look forward to a speedy victory goodbye good luck godspeed in the 1950s she launched another phase of her career as a nightclub entertainer billed as the world's most glamorous grandmother she became a star all over again there were occasional movie roles such as her critically acclaimed duel performance in 1957's witness for the prosecution i'll give you something to dream about mister wanna kiss me ducky but as the years went on dietrich retreated from the limelight to the seclusion of her paris apartment now she's gone but the mystique she built up more than 60 years ago remained nothing quite like marlene jerick's ever happened since and if you haven't seen those films i recommend them to you they're really very special as was she great tribute thanks actress marlene dietrich is dead dietrich once said she played only but she did so in an unforgettably beautiful way [Music] her first was a german dance hall girl who led a stayed professor down the path of destruction in the unforgettable film the blue angel after that success dietrich and her mentor director joseph von sternberg soon set sail for hollywood dietrich tore up scenery there with some very famous leading men all of her early movies were aimed at showing off those famous legs winston churchill once said destree rides again was as good as film ever got diedrich put acting aside during world war ii she ignored hitler's orders to return to her native germany and instead entertained frontline allied troops [Music] after the war dietrich was very successful as a cabaret singer italian director franco zeferelli met her in 1949 he said he was impressed by her severity her toughness and her warrior ways dietrich spent her last years a virtual recluse in her paris apartment she died there wednesday surrounded by relatives and friends arlene dietrich was 90 years old

Channel: John Flanagan

Views: 18,044

Keywords:

Id: A-WlyDPeZwE

Length: 8min 48sec (528 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 09 2021