A Look at Marlene Dietrich and Her Trailblazing Modern Style

Marie Magdalene “Marlene” Dietrich was born in 1901 in Berlin, Germany. Her father was a military officer who passed when Dietrich was young, and her and her sister were first tutored at home in ballet, violin, and piano. This musical education inspired the young Dietrich to work towards being a violinist, but a wrist injury in her teenage years kept her from pursuing that path—much to the film industry's benefit. Dietrich began acting in small roles, and eventually landed a part in The Blue Angel, which capitulated her to Hollywood. Among her most notable films, especially during the 1930's and 40's, were Shanghai Express, I Love a Soldier, and Manpower.

Dietrich, at the onset of World War II, spoke out against the Nazis of her home country and eventually became an American citizen in 1939. Her performances for Allied troops and aid in selling war bonds led to Germany denouncing her, but it is estimated that she helped raise over a million dollars for the war effort.

The femme fatale, who focused on singing later in her career and was revered for her voice's deep register, was also known for her captivating and alluring personality that led to her many love affairs—with both men and women. Greta Garbo, Frank Sinatra, Mercedes de Acosta, Gary Cooper, and Jimmy Stewart (to name a few) were all counted among her partners. She married Rudolf Sieber (who she met on the set of A Love Tragedy) in 1923, but they were separated for most of their marriage, despite not divorcing until 1976. Many of her writings and journals, recently released by her daughter Maria Riva 25 years following her death, detail her many romantic encounters. Billy Wilder once said that Dietrich was an "incurably romantic soul" and her close friend and confidante Ernest Hemingway famously said, "If she had nothing more than her voice, she could break your heart with it." Dietrich also paved the way for androgynous style—often dressing in menswear, but oozing such a femininity while doing it (and famously claiming she only dressed for herself, which only added to her appeal) that her style continues to inspire fashion trends today.