Once one of Hollywood’s finest actresses during its golden era, Marlene Dietrich was an icon of her era. She began her acting career in Germany, as she was born in Berlin, and established her filmography in silent movies. When talkies began to grace movie screens across the world, she starred in The Blue Angela German comedy that launched her career to international fame. She then moved to the United States, contract with Paramount in hand, and then became one of Hollywood’s biggest starlets. Known for her menswear-inspired style, the German actress was openly bisexual, and she openly defied gender standards set by the era.
Dietrich’s movies, too, before the Hays Code helped establish her notoriety. In her movie Morocco, which landed her the only Oscar nomination she would receive, her character dresses in men’s attire and kisses another woman, offering an early sliver of LGBTQ+ representation in mainstream Hollywood. In another film, Shanghai Expressher character travels with a familiar face in classic American cinema: Anna May Wong. Dietrich would star with many of the legends of her time, leaving an extensive legacy behind. These are the best Marlene Dietrich movies ranked.
Table of Contents
7 Judgement at Nuremberg
Roxiom Films
Released 40 years after Marlene Dietrich made her film debut in the silent era, Judgement at Nurembergdirected by Stanley Kramer, pivoted back to World War II Germany. Bringing together many of the stars of the era, including Dietrich, Judy Garland, and Spencer Tracy, among many others, the movie focuses on a court trial against German judges and prosecutors for their actions under the Nazi regime. A judge appointed by the Allies (Spencer Tracy) wants to understand the German psyche at the time, so he befriends a widow (Dietrich) of a German general. A solemn film, it offers a significant reflection on the world that led to the rise of the Nazis.
6 A Foreign Affair
Paramount Pictures
1948’s A Foreign Affair seems perfect for the time it was released: cashing on the fears and events that happened during World War II, an American congressional committee lands in Berlin. One of the women (Jean Arthur) investigates a local cabaret singer (Dietrich) after hearing rumors and finding evidence of her once with Hitler. The woman then gets tangled up in a love triangle between the singer and an American captain, making this movie one for the ages. Although not the most flattering towards the government, the movie’s relevancy today is eerie.
5 The Scarlet Empress
Paramount Pictures
Before Elle Fanning ever took up the role of Catherine the Great, Marlene Dietrich assumed the role of the mighty Russian tsar. The historical Pre-Code movie The Scarlet Empress retells the story of Catherine and how she became Russian royalty, telling the story of a woman in a role often historically reserved for men. With specific stylistic choices in lighting, design, and music used, the ambiance of this movie is as great as its subject.
4 The Blue Angel
The Blue Angel is what catapulted Dietrich to stardom, but it also was the first German full-length film that was not silent. Directed by Josef von Sternberg, who later worked with Dietrich on Morocco and Shanghai Expressthe movie tells the story of a teacher at a German secondary school. When his students begin distributing images of a local cabaret singer (Dietrich), he goes to the club to bust his students and reprimand them for their actions, he ends up spending the night with the singer. Once a renowned teacher, that night becomes the catalyst for his downfall.
3 Shanghai Express
Shanghai Express marked an epic collaboration between Anna May Wong and Marlene Dietrich, both of whom defied the norms of the societies they lived in. On a train to Shanghai amidst a civil war, a British captain (Clive Brook) discovers the notorious Shanghai Lily (Dietrich) is aboard with a fellow courtesan companion (Wong). As it turns out, the captain and Shanghai Lily were lovers once upon a time, but it did not end well. Suppressed feelings then emerge as Chinese rebels stop the train with threats of violence.
2 Morocco
Released in 1930, Dietrich’s role in Morocco made waves and caused controversy due to a scandalous kiss with another actress. Riffing off the themes of the stereotypical Near East in old Hollywood, Dietrich is a nightclub singer who falls in love with a soldier during the Rif War. What makes Morocco such a good movie is that it blends the nostalgia for the silent era with a then-contemporary feel, implementing an ambiance that can only be done strategically by the filmmaker.
1 Witness for the Prosecution
Marlene Dietrich and Tyrone Power star in Witness for the Prosecution as a husband and wife duo. They are under duress when the husband is suspected of murdering a wealthy woman. The movie was adapted from an Agatha Christie play, and the author herself was even impressed by the adaptation. In the classic vein of a Christie story, Witness for the Prosecution keeps its viewers on their toes, twisting and turning on itself as tensions rise in the courtroom.
