It probably had no effect on the outcome of World War II one way or another, but if you were a GI stationed in Europe or North Africa, it must have come as something of a relief to finally come across a German who wasn't trying to kill you. And what a German!
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OK, let's go even further back in time. Here's Marlene between the wars:
Give peace a chance.
Marlene had many faults but ultimately she was fabulous. She fell off stage here in Melbourne and I think broke a limb. The last performance by her I saw was Just a Gigolo, filmed through a camera lens smeared with Vaseline. I wonder what happened to all those lovely old cars she had in storage when she died.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, I was planning on doing a much more comprehensive look at Marlene's career and life, one that would have ended with the "Just a Gigolo" song, but there was just too much ground to cover and I didn't think I'd get it done by her birthday. And of course, Christmas got in the way. After two false starts, I decided to simplify. Unfortunately, in my zeal to eliminate the two false starts, I accidently also sent my Peter Paul Rubens Christmas post to the trash. Now, the two I wanted to delete, I could have gotten back because Blogger always asks if I'm sure I want to do that. But those posts were still in draft. For some reason Blogger is much less forgiving and asks you to be much less cautious when it comes to a post that's already been published.
DeleteA bit of trivia for you. In the Just a Gigolo movie, David Bowie's and Marlene Dietrich's parts were filmed in two different cities in two different countries, Bowie's in what was at the time West Berlin, and Marlene's in Paris. How can that be since they're in the same scene together? The same scene, but not the same frame. It was all put together in the editing room.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyvECYtrhDM
I kissed a girl and I liked it
ReplyDeleteThe taste of her cherry chapstick
I kissed a girl just to try it
I hope my boyfriend don't mind it
It felt so wrong, it felt so right
Don't mean I'm in love tonight
I kissed a girl and I liked it
I liked it - Katy Perry
Hi, Kirk!
Happy 121st birthday in heaven to German American actress and zinger Marlene Dietrich whose career began on stage and in silent films and spanned eight decades. I admit that I am not exactly a Marlene Dietrich "completist," and therefore cannot contribute much to the discussion. I read that Marlene's 1930 film Morocco was her debut for American audiences, even though The Blue Angel was shot first and released in Europe. Release of Blue Angel in the U.S. was delayed until Morocco finished its run in theaters. I also read that the scene you showed us in that last video, in which Dietrich's character, nightclub entertainer Amy Jolly, dressed in a man's tux, takes a flower from a girl in the audience and kisses her on the lips, was added to the script at Dietrich's suggestion. Along with that scandalous scene, Morocco is noted for the closing scene in which Jolly sets off into the desert to find Légionnaire Tom Brown (Gary Cooper). However, I read somewhat conflicting accounts of the scene. One states that Jolly "sets out into the desert sands on spike heels in search of Gary Cooper," while another states that she " kicks off her high-heeled shoes and follows Tom into the desert." If you have seen Morocco, please let me know which version is accurate.
In the 1950s, as I recall, unhappy, restless boys and men plotted to run away and join the circus or (plan B) join the French Foreign Legion. If memory serves, references to the FFL were fairly common in films and TV series of the early and mid 20th century. For example, Laurel & Hardy join the legion in the 1939 buddy comedy film The Flying Deuces aka Flying Aces. I must have seen that one a dozen times on TV. I also regularly watched Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, the mid 1950s TV series about the French Foreign Legion that starred Buster Crabbe and his real-life son Cullen.
Thank you for sharing this birthday tribute to a 20th century icon, Marlene Dietrich. Have a great week, and please come join the throng in Shady Square for the traditional wrecking ball drop in my yearender special New Year's Rockin' Eve in the Shady. Happy new year, good buddy Kirk!
Three paragraphs, Shady, four if you count the Katy Perry quote. If you WERE a Marlene Dietrich completest and DID have a lot to contribute to the conversation, your comment might equal Jack Kerouac's 120 ft first draft scroll of On the Road. But that's all right. I always enjoy reading your opinions whether I agree with them or not and you told me something new. I did not know that the two-girl smooch was Dietrich's idea, though it doesn't surprise me. Now, that kiss is from Morocco, which I have indeed seen. My memory is that at the end Dietrich's character starts out following Coop's character into the desert wearing high-heel shoes, but stops when she realizes it's rather impractical, takes off the shoes, and continues walking in her bare (or stocking) feet, even helping another soldier's wife or girlfriend pull a donkey, while poor, dejected Adolphe Menjou stands outside his limo and watches.
DeleteI've seen the Laurel and Hardy movie. Abbott and Costello made one too that's pretty funny. There's also a Three Stooges short. They somehow end up in a harem chamber, and to Curly's surprise, one of the girls comes from the same Brooklyn neighborhood where he grew up. Then there's Snoopy and his four bird friends. And Marty Feldman's The Last Remake of Beau Geste. Of course, there are DRAMATIC Foreign Legion movies as well, but they seem to be outnumbered by all the parodies.
Two paragraphs. I'm almost caught up to you.
DeleteOne of my faves too! She knew how to wear a top hat!
ReplyDeleteAs well as an army helmet, Debra.
DeleteShe was one of a kind. Imagine what she would be like if she lived in this age.
ReplyDeleteShe'd probably identify as nonbinary, Mitchell
DeleteI missed the Marlene Dietrich mention in the labels. Google images knew who she was.
ReplyDeleteGod bless, Google images, Mike.
DeleteWhenever I hear her name, I just think of Madonna including her in the Vogue lyrics...shallow I know. I don't know a whole lot about her.
ReplyDeleteJM, this quote from Madonna:
Delete"I wouldn't mind having an affair with Marlene Dietrich when she was young. Like, who wouldn't?"
No word yet from Sandra Bernhardt.