Documentary: Marlene Dietrich.

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Marlene Dietrich.

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The Lady Is Willing (1942). Directed by Mitchell Leisen. Cast: Marlene Dietrich, Fred MacMurray, Aline MacMahon and Stanley Ridges.

When famous Broadway actress Liza, finds an abandoned baby, she decides to take it home. The first thing she does, is call pediatrician Corey T. McBain, to examine the the baby. Liza, then announces her wish to adopt the baby, who she names "Corey". Her business manager, Kenneth Hanline, wants her to return the baby, because he thinks that the courts, will not give custody, to a unmarried woman. Ken, is also worried that Liza, could be arrested for kidnapping. It is not long, before Sgt. Barnes of the New York police department and the child welfare bureau, come knocking on Liza's door, looking for a woman who took a baby from a apartment building. Liza's, building manager accidentally lets the cat out of the bag, when he comes to inform Liza, that she has been given permission to build a nursery. Mrs. Cummings from the welfare bureau, allows her to keep the baby until the next morning.

Liza, decides on a marriage of convenience so she can adopt Corey. That evening, when the baby develops a rash, Liza, once again calls for the pediatrician. While the pediatrician, is looking over the baby, he shares with her that his true passion is research and that he only became a baby doctor, to make a living. Liza, shares with him her problem of wanting to keep the baby and proposes to him, a marriage of convenience. Liza, then promises the pediatrician, that he can use her renovated apartment to raise rabbits for his research, and he accepts. The pediatrician, leaves his medical practice to raise rabbits and things are going as planned, until one day, Joe and Nellie Quig and their lawyer, K. K. Miller, claim that they are child's real parents and offer to give them custody for $25,000, but pediatrician exposes the Quigs as frauds.

The marriage of convenience turns into a real marriage of love. When the pediatrician's ex-wife, also comes hanging around looking for money. Lisa, suspects that they are having an affair and leaves New York. The baby becomes seriously ill, will the illness bring the couple back together?

Fun Fact:

Early in the shooting, Marlene Dietrich severely injured her right ankle in a fall, and her entire right leg had to be placed in a cast. That's why in this film she is always shown in full-length outfits (gowns, slacks, etc.) and just one shot of her unclothed leg is seen, and that is in shadow.

Fred MacMurray, plays a very charming pediatrician and Dietrich showed how wonderful she was at comedy. Aline MacMahon, co-stars as a wise-cracking assistant to Dietrich.

Full Movie:

Morocco (1930).

Morocco (1930). Directed by Josef von Sternberg. Cast: Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich and Adolphe Menjou. The story is from the novel Amy Jolly by Benno Vigny. The film is probably most famous today for a scene in which Dietrich performs a song dressed in a man's tuxedo.



It was nominated for four Academy Awards in the categories of: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Marlene Dietrich, who knew little English, and spoke her lines phonetically), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Director: Josef von Sternberg.

The movie begins when American Legionnaire Tom Brown, who is just out looking for a good time, catches the eye of cabaret singer Amy Jolly, who has many suitors, including the debonair Kennington.

Meeting up with her at her apartment, Tom finds her embittered with life and soon becomes tired of her. He decides to keep his date with an officer's wife. Amy, follows and the officer's wife tries to talk beggars into attacking Amy, but.. Tom defends her and is arrested and is sent on a dangerous mission.

Learning that she has been seeing Kennington while he was gone, Tom decides to stay at a desert outpost after his mission is completed. Amy hears that he is wounded and goes to the post, with Kennington not far behind. Realizing that they are in love, Kennington offers to help Tom, desert the Legion. Will Tom decide to stay with his men ?

I think this film helped Dietrich create the image that we now know her for.. standing by her man when all else fails. One thing about the film Morocco, that is different from most of other Dietrich films, is that she's not in control of the situation.

Eve Southern (October 24, 1898 – November 28, 1972). She in 38 films between 1916 and 1936, before breaking her back in a car accident.

Witness For The Prosecution(1957).

Witness For The Prosecution(1957). Courtroom drama, based on a short story by Agatha Christie dealing with the trial of a man accused of murder. Cast: Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich, and Charles Laughton, and features Elsa Lanchester, Laughton's wife. Director: Billy Wilder.

Just after leaving the hospital Sir Wilfrid Robarts, returns to his office with his overbearing nurse, Miss Plimsoll, when Mayhew and his client, Leonard Vole, come to see him about an important case.

Mayhew believes that Leonard will be charged with the murder of wealthy widow Emily Jane French because it was well known that he was with her the day she was killed. Leonard says that he was in the army and stationed in Germany, where he met his wife German actress, Christine.

Leonard says that he is had been trying to find someone to help finance his new eggbeater invention and that is when he first met with Mrs. French. He had hoped that Mrs. French would finance his work.

Later, Sir Wilfrid questions Leonard on what happened on the night of the murder and his relationship with Mrs. French. Leonard does not change his story, making Sir Wilfrid believe he is innocent.

The case becomes complicated when Vole's only alibi is his wife, who agrees to be a witness for the prosecution.

Dietrich character is very calculating and she and Tyrone are the star attractions, but... Charles Laughton steals the show with his whit. The plot has many twists 'n' turns.. as it always does in a good Agatha Christie story.


Fun Facts:

This was the final film for Tyrone Power.

This was Una O'Connor's last big screen motion picture.

William Holden was the first choice for Leonard, but he was unavailable. Other actors considered for the role included Gene Kelly, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Jack Lemmon, and even Roger Moore. Eventually, Tyrone Power accepted the role when he was offered both Witness for the Prosecution (1957) and Solomon and Sheba (1959). Before he could complete Solomon however, Power had a fatal heart attack and was replaced by Yul Brynner.

Ava Gardner and Rita Hayworth were also considered for the role of Christine Helm.

Elsa Lanchester (28 October 1902 – 26 December 1986).Studied dance as a child and began performing in theatre and cabaret. She met the actor Charles Laughton in 1927, and they were married two years later. She began playing small roles with Laughton in, The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933).

Her role in, Bride of Frankenstein (1935), came to be one of the roles most closely associated with her throughout her life. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for, Come to the Stable (1949) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957), the last of twelve films in which she appeared with Laughton. Following Laughton's death in 1962, Lanchester made appearances in Disney films: Mary Poppins (1964), That Darn Cat! (1965) and Blackbeard's Ghost (1968). The horror film, Willard, (1971) and one of her last roles was in, Murder By Death (1976).

Happy Birthday: Marlene Dietrich!

Marlene Dietrich(27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992), was born in Schöneberg, Germany. She was the younger of two daughters of Louis Erich Otto Dietrich and Wilhelmina Elisabeth Josephine Felsing. Dietrich's mother was from a well-to-do family who owned a clock making company and her father was a police lieutenant.  Afther her father died in 1911, her mother married  his best friend, Eduard von Losch, who died soon after as a result of injuries he received during World War I.

Dietrich went to Auguste Victoria School for Girls from 1906 to 1918. She studied the violin and became interested in theatre and poetry. Her dreams of becoming a concert violinist were cut short when she injured her wrist.

In 1921, Dietrich soon found herself working in his theatres as a chorus girl and playing small roles in dramas, without attracting any special attention at first. She made her film debut playing a bit part in the 1922 film, So sind die Manner. She met her future husband, Rudolf Sieber, on the set of another film made that year, Tragodie der Liebe. Dietrich and Sieber were married on 17 May 1924. Her only child was born on 13 December 1924.

Dietrich continued to work on stage and in film both in Berlin and Vienna throughout the 1920s. On stage, she had roles of varying importance in, Pandora's Box, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Back to Methuselah and Misalliance. It was in musicals and revues, such as Broadway, Es Liegt in der Luft and Zwei Krawatten, that she attracted the most attention. By the late 1920s, Dietrich was also playing sizable parts on screen, including Cafe Elektric (1927), Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame (1928) and Das Schiff der verlorenen Menschen (1929).

Please click here to read more about Marlene Dietrich.

Marlene Dietrich.

Marlene Dietrich, first film performance was playing a bit part in the 1922 film, So sind die Männer (1922). She met her future husband, Rudolf Sieber, on the set of another film made that year, Tragödie der Liebe.

Dietrich continued to work on stage and in film both in Berlin and Vienna throughout the 1920s. On stage, she had roles in, Pandora's Box, The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night Dream, Back to Methuselah and Misalliance. It was in the musicals, Es Liegt in der Luft and Zwei Krawatten, that she received the most attention.

By the late 1920s, Dietrich was also performing on screen in, Cafe Elektric (1927), Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame (1928) and Das Schiff der verlorenen Menschen (1929).

In 1929, Dietrich landed the breakthrough role of Lola-Lola in the film, The Blue Angel (1930). The film was directed by Josef von Sternberg, who took credit for having "discovered" Dietrich. The film is best known for having introduced Dietrich's signature song "Falling in Love Again".

After The Blue Angel's success, Dietrich moved to the U.S. on contract to Paramount Pictures. Her first American film, Morocco(1930), Directed by von Sternberg, earned Dietrich her only Oscar nomination. The film is about a Foreign Legionnaire, who meets and falls in love with a singer. Cast: Gary Cooper, Marlene Dietrich and Adolphe Menjou. It was nominated for four Academy Awards in the categories of: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Marlene Dietrich, who knew little English, and spoke her lines phonetically), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Director (Josef von Sternberg).



Dietrich's other stylish cinema film performances that were directed by von Sternberg between 1930 and 1935: Dishonored, Shanghai Express, Blonde Venus, The Scarlet Empress, and The Devil is a Woman.

Dietrich was labeled "box office poison" after her 1937 film, Knight Without Armour. In 1939,  her stardom revived when she played the cowboy saloon girl Frenchie in the western, Destry Rides Again, opposite James Stewart.



The movie also introduced another favorite song, "The Boys in the Back Room".She played a similar role with John Wayne in The Spoilers(1942).

Dietrich also worked with directors: Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang, Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles, in films that included A Foreign Affair, Witness for the Prosecution, Rancho Notorious, Touch of Evil and Stage Fright .

My Halloween movie pick is the film, Stage Fright(1950). Directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Jane Wyman, Marlene Dietrich, Michael Wilding, Richard Todd, Alastair Sim, Sybil Thorndike, Kay Walsh, Hitchcock's daughter Patricia Hitchcock in her movie debut and Joyce Grenfell.

Actress Eve Gill, is interrupted in the middle of rehearsals by actor, Jonathan Cooper. He tells her that he is the secret lover of stage actress/singer, Charlotte Inwood. He also shares with her that Charlotte came to him after killing her husband. She was wearing a bloodstained dress and Jonathan agreed to go back to her house and find her blue dress to change into. While there He sees the body of Mr. Inwood laying on the floor. He tries to make it look like a burglary gone wrong, only to be caught in the act by Charlotte's maid.

Eve takes him to hide in a house near the coast owned by her father, Commodore Gill, who notices that the blood on Charlotte's dress has been put there not by accident. He and Eve believe that Jonathan has been framed. Eve decides to find out the truth by posing as a reporter, she bribes maid Nellie Goode, to pretend that she is ill and cannot work for Charlotte for a couple of days.



Soon after Eve becomes friends with Detective Inspector Wilfred Smith, who is now on the case.

Meanwhile, Charlotte continues to perform in her musical show. She is visited by Jonathan who wants her travel abroad with him. Charlotte makes it clear that she will not give up her career.

Eve continues to helps Jonathan hide from the police, but she is beginning to have second thoughts. Will Eve and Wilfred Smith ever get Jonathan and/or Charlotte to make a confession to the police?

I was amazed how wonderful  this movie is. It is suspenseful, humorous and touching. Jane Wyman and Richard Todd are wonderful in this film. Marlene Dietrich, was very believable as the flamboyant theater star.  It is too bad "Stage Fright" is not more well known.

* Spoiler* Alfred Hitchcock's cameo in, Stage Fright, is walking on the street turning to look at Eve as she rehearses her scripted introduction speech to Mrs. Inwood.*

Marlene Dietrich- During the 1960s, performed with Burt Bacharach.

Marlene Dietrich played the violin and piano. By the time she was in her mid-teens, Marlene had discovered the stage. 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, brought her international fame. Hollywood films such as Shanghai Express and Desire capitalised on her glamour and exotic looks, she was one of the highest paid actresses of the era. Although she still made occasional films in the post-war years, Dietrich spent most of the 1950s to the 1970s touring the world as a successful show performer. Once said that her favorite meal was hot dogs and champagne.
Marlene Dietrich, was best known for wearing men's tuxedoes, hats and tailored suits.
Dietrich's only child, Maria Elisabeth Sieber, was born in Berlin on 13 December 1924. She would become an actress, working in television, known as Maria Riva. When Maria gave birth to a son in 1948, Dietrich was dubbed "the world's most glamorous grandmother". After Dietrich's death, Riva published a biography of her mother, titled Marlene Dietrich (1992).
The only show-business friend she ever had was Mae West.


In 1929, Dietrich performed as Lola-Lola, a cabaret singer who causes the downfall of a schoolmaster, in UFA's production, The Blue Angel (1930). The film was directed by Josef von Sternberg, who took credit for having "discovered" Dietrich. The film is also best known for having introduced Dietrich's signature song "Falling in Love Again".
Marlene Dietrich Website.

Manpower(1941)- Exciting setting and strong cast.

Manpower(1941). Cast: Edward G. Robinson, Marlene Dietrich, and George Raft. The memorable posters for the movie stated, "Robinson - He's mad about Dietrich. Dietrich - She's mad about Raft. Raft - He's mad about the whole thing." The film was written by Richard Macauley and Jerry Wald. Director: Raoul Walsh.

Robinson and Raft got into a fistfight on the set that made the front pages of the nation's newspapers. Victor McLaglen was going to play Robinson's role, which would have made it a supporting part, and Raft did not want to share the leading man status on the film. As a result Robinson was cast instead.

Raft chose Manpower over the remake of the 1931 pre-Code version of Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon, and the role of "Sam Spade" went to Humphrey Bogart instead.

The script is one of many reworkings of the plot line for a 1932 Robinson movie called Tiger Shark, in which Robinson played the same part, only as a tuna fisherman instead of an electric power lineman. The supporting cast of Manpower includes Alan Hale, Sr., Frank McHugh, and Eve Arden.

The story begins, while lineman Hank McHenry, is working on a high power line during a rain storm, he falls ending up with a permanent leg injury. No longer able to work on the lines, he is made foreman.

A bad storm downs some lines, and one of his men is killed on the job. Hank, must tell his friends daughter Fay, who just got out of prison. Hank, hands her some money, claiming that it came from her fathers insurance. Fay, who works in a nightclub, isn't fooled by Hank's kind gesture, but takes the money anyway. Johnny's warns Hank not to see Fay. After a short time Hank asks Fay to marry him, although she is not in love with him, she agrees. Trying to protect his friend Hank, Johnny, offers to buy her off, but fails. Soon after, Johnny is seriously injured at work and Hank brings him home so they can help him with his recovery..

Fay falls in love with Johnny, but when she tells him about her feelings, he becomes angry with her. Hank's team travels to work at Boulder Dam, and Fay decides this would be the best time to leave Hank. Looking for work at the nightclub where she used to work, Fay is caught in a raid. Rivalry between the two friends Hank and Johnny get out of hand.. Who will come to Fay's rescue?

Manpower (1941) Movie Clip.

I thought it was a very entertaining movie. Also enjoyed Eve Arden, in her usual role as the wisecracking best friend of the leading lady..