Born Maria Magdalene Dietrich in Berlin on this day in 1901,
Marlene Dietrich lit up the silver screen during Hollywood’s Golden
Age.
Dietrich rocketed to international fame from the moment she appeared
in her breakout role as cabaret singer Lola-Lola in Germany’s first
talking picture, Der Blaue Engel (1930) and its English version, The Blue Angel. The actress crossed the Atlantic soon after its premiere, continuing to work with Blue Angel director Josef von Sternberg in a string of memorable Hollywood films, including Morocco, Shanghai Express, and The Devil Is a Woman.
But Dietrich was more than a femme fatale with an unforgettable
voice. Ever the risk-taker, she turned pat notions about femininity
upside down, donning a tuxedo and top hat in her part as a sultry
nightclub dancer in Morocco, and wearing men’s silk suits
offscreen. A U.S. citizen as of 1939, she captivated World War II troops
as a USO entertainer and was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom and
French Légion d'Honneur for her wartime work.
Dietrich’s Doodle was illustrated by artist Sasha Steinberg who
captured her mid-performance, suited up in her gender-bending tux and
top hat. Steinberg, who is also a drag performer under the name Sasha Velour and winner of RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 9), counts Dietrich as a major influence in creating their drag alter ego.
“She was a wild original!” says Velour. “Despite the pressures of the
time, she followed her own course, especially in terms of politics and
gender. As a drag queen, that's particularly inspiring to me. Plus, she
just had this power to her...in every role she's mysterious and strong,
brilliant. That's what I aspire to be when I step on the stage.”
Happy 116th birthday, Marlene!
Here are some of Sasha's early drafts of the Doodle:
