Marlene Dietrich Biography

Her father who died in 1907, was a police lieutenant and mother belonged to a family of jewellers and clock-makers in Berlin. After her father’s death, her mother Wilhelmina Elisabeth courted Eduard von Losch, a first lieutenant of Grenadiers and eventually married him in 1916.

At 11 she adopted the name Marlene, bridging her first two names. From 1907 to 1917, she studied in Auguste-Viktoria Girls' School and completed graduation in 1918, from ‘Victoria-Luise-Schule’. She studied English and French.

Her first job in 1922, as a pit orchestra violinist lasted for four weeks. Marlene Dietrich worked with Gudio Thielscher in ‘Girl-Kabarett’ as chorus girl and in revues of Rudolf Nelson in Berlin. She failed audition in drama academy of Max Reinhardt but eventually worked as a chorus girl in his theatres enacting trivial roles.

In 1923, she made her debut in films playing a small part in ‘The Little Nepolean’. She worked in ‘Tragodie der Liebe’ with Rudolf Sieber, her future husband.

In April 2, 1930, she departed for the US and signed with ‘Paramount Pictures’. In November 14 her first American film ‘Morocco’ released.

Till 1935, she worked in six films with ‘Paramount Pictures’ under the direction of Josef von Sternberg including classics like ‘Dishonored’ and ‘Sanghai Express’.

In 1936, she worked in ‘Desire’, a commercially successful film by Frank Borzage. ‘The Garden of Allah’, her first color film produced by David O. Selznick fetched her $200,000.

In 1937, she starred in ‘Knight Without Armour’ under the production of Alexander Korda drawing a salary of $450,000.