Sublime Marlene by De Navacelle, Thierry - 1986

Gordonsville, Virginia, U.S.A.: St Martins Press, 1986. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. H/B 158 pages, condition is very good. When Josef von Sternberg, one of Hollywood's most famous directors, met Marlene Dietrich at a dinner party in Berlin, he remarked that her figure was not too bad, but he did not think she had much of a face. All the same, he chose her to play the leading lady in The Blue Angel, and made her a star who became the talk of Hollywood as one of the most beautiful and erotic actresses of her day, and whose fabulously long legs were wondered at and envied all over the world. In this handsome biography, Thierry de Navacelle traces the career of the mysterious Marlene. As well as offering a critical look at her films, he draws on a fund of anecdotes from those who knew her well and provides us with an insight into her family, her husband, her lovers and her life both on and off screen. He underlines her humanity and essential femininity, despite her habit of wearing trousers and turning up at parties dressed in a tuxedo. On top of this, the book's magnificent photographs from the Kobal Collection furnish fascinating evidence of the beauty and mystery of Marlene Dietrich.