In 1929, Josef von Sternberg began assembling the cast for the first major German sound film — Der blaue Engel, otherwise known as The Blue Angel. A classic of Weimar cinema, the 1930 film featured Marlene Dietrich playing Lola-Lola, a seductive singer in the local cabaret. Lola-Lola was, it has been said, a “liberated woman of the world who chose her men, earned her own living and viewed sex as a challenge.” The persona captivated audiences, and it made Dietrich an international star.
Above, you can watch Dietrich’s screen test for the film. Inhabiting the role, she gives the poor piano player an earful (essentially saying, “How the hell can I sing through this garbage with you playing like that?”). Then she works her way through “Why Cry at Parting?” and climbs on that piano, cigarette no longer in hand, and puts on a show…
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Koenigin / Queen, MARLENE DIETRICH,
“Always had it going on!
LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!!!!!”
HER SENSIBILITIES WERE REAL, BUT SHE HAD MORAL CHARACTER,
LEAVING THE HOMELAND SHE CHERISHED WITH ALL HER HEART!
THE GERMANY THAT WAS WEINMAR DEUTSCHLAND / PRE-1933 GERMANY!
BERLIN, PRE-1933, WAS CHOCK FULL OF ARTISTS LIKE: KURT WEIL (GERMAN JEW,) the composer, famous for: the original version of: “MACK THE KNIFE!” before, BOBBY DARIN, LOUIS ARMSTRONG, or ELLA FITZGERALD, récorded it, HIS WIFE: LŐTTE LENJA, was the first JENNY, in DIE DREI GROSCHEN OPER’ & BÉRTÖLT BRECHT; it’s writer!
SEE MARLENE DIETRICH, in the long YŐUTÚBE VERSION of: (SUNG IN GERMAN:) “SAG MIR WO DIE BLUMEN SIND!” (WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE,) the original SUNG BY:
PETER, PAUL, & MÁRY, in her FIRST APPEARANCE EVER POST-1933 DEUTSCHLAND / GERMANY in DÜSSELDORF for UNICEF!
Mind you, her presence alone is mézmerizing, as you feel her aurora.
She explains the lyrics of the song in:
GERMAN, FRENCH, & ENGLISH, TÓ THESE STOIC GERMANS! NÉED LESS TO SAY, IT WAS MOVING!
ANOTHER SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE BETTER THAN: DER BLAUE ENGEL /
THE BLUE ANGEL, HER ÉNTIRE AUDIENCE, I THINK WAS THE PROFESSOR IN THE MOVIE, ALTHOUGH IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THOUGHT OF THAT WAY.
OBVIOUSLY, THE AUDIENCE WASN’T APPRECIATIVE EITHER, AS THEY GAVE HER A WILTED MINUTĘ BUNCH OF ROSES, BUT HÓWEVER, SHE MADE A POINT TO SOME OF nazis that managed to live after killing millions, upon millions of ALL SOLDIERS & PEOPLE.
FRAU DIETRICH, HANDLED & MANIPULATED THE AUDIENCE, ONLY AS A PERSON THAT’S SUPERIOR IN HER PROFESSION WOULD, & THAT SHE DID!
IT’S A MUST SEE OF 8 MINUTES, TO HOW PHENOMENAL A CULTURED LADY IS! THIS IS WHAT MY MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER MEANT BY THE CULTURAL ELITĘ!
KOENIGIN MARLENE DIETRICH, OBVIOUSLY, EXEMPLIFIES THESE TRAITS!
THE GÓRGEOUS DOWAGER EMPRESS,
MARLENE DIETRICH!
KUESSEN, MARLENE!
“SIĘ SIND NICHT TOT!” / YŐU’RE NOT DEAD!” YŐUR MEMORY THROUGH YŐUTÚBE LINGERS ON!
BOBBY ROSZENBERG