On December 27th 1901, international star Marlene Dietrich was born. Originally from Berlin, Germany Dietrich began to enter the cabaret scene in the 20s. It wasn't long until she was gaining attention of many, and one of those scouters was director Josef von Sternberg. Dietrich then starred in the first German "talkie," The Blue Angel, which was so successful that von Sternberg decided to take Marlene Dietrich to America with him.

By the time the talented pair landed in Hollywood they began working on another film, Morocco, which was key to introducing Dietrich to the world. Almost immediately, Paramount signed with the talented actress and then followed Dietrich's long legacy of accomplishments. Many believe, however, that it's no coincidence that Paramount was also looking for a way to combat their rivals MGM (who had Greta Garbo under contract).

In Morocco, Dietrich's on-screen persona was reinforced from her performance in The Blue Angel. Now labelled as the time's femme fatale, the slew of of films following the rest of her career labelled Dietrich as a dangerous, mysterious yet irresistible lover. Marlene Dietrich also was known for her open sexuality. In multiple films Dietrich tested many audiences' beliefs by kissing women and crossdressing. Keep in mind that this only in the 1920s, and just a few years before the strict enforcement of the Production Code which prohibited any explicit affection, even queen size beds, on screen. So as one can imagine, this type of "unconventional" affection would not be shown for quite a while in mainstream film after Dietrich.

In Marlene Dietrich's later life she toured the world in a stage revue. She spent the last 12 years of her life in her apartment in Paris, but was always sure to keep in contact with her many friends and coworkers. Dietrich was at the heart of the change from silent films to sound film, and we can still see her influential talent up on the screen today.