1930-31 – Marlene Dietrich
Morocco
Marlene Dietrich is one of those classic icons of old Hollywood that had a style all her own. I’ve seen several of her films, and am always impressed by the way she carried herself. She was like a beautiful synthesis of feminine and masculine sensibilities, both in the way she dressed, and in the way she behaved. She was gorgeous and she knew it. She had a definite air of superiority about her that was unmistakable, like she knew she was more attractive, more skilled as an actress, and more confident in her own skin than everyone around her.
She had a presence on the screen that was captivating, an attitude like she couldn’t have cared less about what she was doing, and a sparkle in her eyes that hinted at concealed secrets. And yet, she know exactly what she was doing. She had the elusive IT, and she knew how to use it. And when you watch her on the screen, you can not only sense her arrogance, but you can forgive her for it because that kind of confidence can be so alluring.
In Morocco, she played a singer at a nightclub that falls in love with a handsome Legionnaire, played by Gary Cooper. She falls for him so hard that at the end of the movie, she leaves a wealthy man who wants to marry her, to follow her lover and his company of soldiers, barefoot, into the bleak desert. It was a strange ending, but Dietrich pulled it off.
In the film’s iconic scene, the nightclub scene, she must have really shocked the audiences of the 1930s. She comes out on stage dressed in a man’s tuxedo with a top hat, and wearing pants! As if that wasn’t outrageous enough, at one point, she kisses another woman on the mouth. And believe me, there was nothing platonic or sisterly about it. There was a definite sensuality, a sexuality, in the kiss that surprised even me. And her audience applauded her when she did it! But I guess I shouldn’t have been so surprised. In the documentary that was included on the DVD, the actress was described as having a gender fluidic sexuality. She was bisexual, which, in itself, was a shocking thing to be open about in the 1930s. I think her Oscar nomination was well-deserved.