Silver Screen Magic with Marlene Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich came into this world on December 27, 1901, in Schöneberg, now Berlin, Germany. She was a beautiful German-American film actress who became on of the most glamorous film stars in the world. Dietrich was named the ninth-greatest screen icon from the Golden Age of Hollywood by the American Film Institute. She left this world on May 6, 1992, at the age of 90. She had one daughter, Maria Riva, who became an American actress and passed away on October 29, 2025, at the age of 100.

Although her vocal range was not great, her memorable renditions of songs such as “Falling in Love Again,” “Lili Marlene,” “La Vie en Rose,” and “Give Me the Man” made them classics of an era.

It was the film “The Blue Angel,” directed by the Austrian-American film director Josef Von Sternberg in 1930, that made Marlene Dietrich a household name and known actress. This romantic drama starred Marlene Dietrich, Emil Jannings, and Kurt Gerron.

The story centers on Immanuel Rath (Emil Jannings), a respected professor obsessed by the beautiful cabaret star Lola Lola (Dietrich). Lola leads the professor down a path of self-destruction and mental illness. It is among Dietrich’s best on-screen performances. The film  is a classic tale of perdition and obsession, powered by Dietrich's spectacular performance.

"Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)" sung by Dietrich.

“A Foreign Affair” was directed by American director Billy Wilder in 1948. The romantic comedy-drama starred Marlene Dietrich, Jean Arthur, and John Lund.

The story revolves around US Army Captain John Pringle (John Lund) in post-WWII Berlin, who is torn between a cabaret torch singer, Erika von Schlütow (Dietrich), and the congresswoman, Phoebe Frost (Jean Arthur), who is investigating her. Dietrich shines in her role as the quasi-femme fatale with a Nazi past. Along with musical numbers, the actress exuded sex appeal and charisma. As in all films worthy to watch, this one does have a happy ending.

The 1934 film “The Scarlet Empress” once again includes Catherine the Great as a subject for this biopic. The film stars Marlene Dietrich as Catherine, John Lodge, Sam Jaffe, Louise Dresser, and C. Aubrey Smith. Dietrich’s daughter, Maria Riva, portrays Catherine as a child.

This film chronicles Catherine’s loveless marriage to Peter III (Sam Jaffe), her many lovers, and her plans to throw her dim-witted husband from the throne.

“Stagefright” is the only film directed by American director Alfred Hitchcock that Marlene Dietrich starred in. This is a 1950 noir thriller. starring Marlene Dietrich, Jane Wyman, Michael Wilding, and Richard Todd.

The story centers on the young ingenue Eve Gill, an aspiring actress of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England (Jane Wyman). She believes that her ex-boyfriend Jonathan Cooper (Richard Todd) is innocent of the murder he’s accused of, but she will attempt to uncover the truth. Dietrich portrays the deceptive Charlotte Inwood, Jonathan’s lover and the victim’s wife.

“A Touch of Evil” is a 1958 noir film directed by American actor and filmmaker Orson Welles. It stars Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff, and Marlene Dietrich in a small but pivotal role. The screenplay was loosely based on the novel “Badge of Evil” by Whit Masterson.

The story centers on an investigation of an explosion on the US-Mexican border, where a time bomb placed in a car kills two people. Mexican special prosecutor Miguel Vargas (Charlton Heston ) who is honeymooning in town with his new American wife, Susan Vargas (Janet Leigh), takes an interest in the investigation, which is being conducted by veteran police captain Hank Quinlan (Orson Welles) and his devoted, admiring, fanatically loyal assistant, Pete Menzies (Joseph Calleia).  When Vargas suspects the US captain in charge of the investigation is planting evidence to frame an innocent man, he must do his best to solve the crime and protect himself and his new bride. Dietrich portrays the enigmatic Madam Tanya, and it just all gets even more interesting with Zsa Zsa Gabor playing a strip club owner.

In 1958 American director Billy Wilder directed one of the top courtroom mystery dramas, “Witness for the Prosecution.” It is based on the eponymous play by the English mystery and detective writer Agatha Christie. The film stars Tyrone Power, Dietrich, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lancaster, and John Williams. This black comedy and film noir is a courtroom drama set in the Old Bailey in London.

The story centers on a mild-mannered man, Leonard Vole (Tyron Power), accused of killing a wealthy widow, who had named him as the main beneficiary in her will. He undergoes a trial during which his wife, Christine Vole (Dietrich), testifies against him. He is represented by Sir Wilfrid Robarts (Charles Laughton). Dietrich is in her element as the brilliant and manipulative Christine, engaging in a twisting and entertaining battle of wits against Tyrone Powers and Charles Laughton