Marie Magdelene Dietrich von Losch (aka Marlene) was born in Schöneberg bei… Read Full Bio ↴Marie Magdelene Dietrich von Losch (aka Marlene) was born in Schöneberg bei Berlin, Germany on December 27, 1901. Her father was an army officer who had served in the Franco-Prussian War. Because of his constant absences due to his army duties, Marlene and the family had to rely on themselves. After he died, while she was 11, Marlene's mother married Eduard von Losch and he adopted the Dietrich children.

Marlene was known in school for her "bedroom eyes" and her first affairs were at this stage in her life - a professor at the school was terminated.

Marlene enjoyed music and attended concerts. She was adept at playing the violin and piano. By the time she was in her mid-teens, Marlene had discovered the stage. Acting was to be her vocation. In 1921, Marlene applied for an acting school run by Max Reinhardt. She was accepted. She appeared in several stage productions, but never had more than a couple of spoken lines. In short, she wasn't setting the stage world on fire.

She attempted films for the first time in 1922 Her first film was So sind die Männer (The Little Napoleon) (1923) which was followed by Tragödie der Liebe (Love Tragedy) (1923). On this last project, she met Rudolf Sieber and married him in 1924. The union lasted until his death in 1976 although they didn't live together the whole time.

The remainder of her early film career was generally filled with bit roles. After being seen in the German production of Der blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) (1930) in 1930, Marlene was given a crack at Hollywood. Her first US film was Morocco (1930) with Gary Cooper, which was followed by Dishonored (1931). This latter movie had her cast as a street walker who is appointed a spy. The film was rather boring but was a success because of Marlene's presence. In 1932, Marlene filmed Shanghai Express (1932) which proved to be immensely popular, grossing $3 million. Once again, she was cast as a prostitute. The next film was Blonde Venus (1932) which turned out to be a horrible production. Her co-star was Cary Grant and once again she was cast as a prostitute.

During this period Dietrich had been typecast as a woman of low morals and she wanted different parts. Her chance came in 1939 in Destry Rides Again (1939) when she was cast as "Frenchy", a Western saloon hostess. This began a new direction for Marlene since it shed the previous typecasting. All through the 1940s, she appeared in well-produced, well-directed films such as Manpower (1942), The Spoilers (1942), The Lady Is Willing (1942) and Pittsburgh (1942).

Afterwards the roles came less frequently, perhaps one to two films every year. In 1945, Marlene didn't appear in any. She only made seven productions in the 1950's. Her last role of any substance was Judgment at Nuremberg (1961). Despite the lack of theatrical roles, Marlene still made appearances on the stage. However, by 1979, she was a shell of her former self. After breaking her leg in one performance, she never made a go of it in show business again.

Spending the last 12 years of her life bed-ridden, Marlene died on May 6, 1992 in Paris, France of kidney failure at the age of 90.

Die Kleptomanen
Marlene Dietrich Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Alle Männer, alle Frauen
Welche Waren sich beschauen
Lieben das Gefühl, lieben das Gefühl zu klauen

Welche Lust, voller Erschrecken
Irgendetwas einzustecken
Nur um das Geschäft, nur um das Geschäft zu necken

Oder, welches Wonneweben
Was Gefund'nes aufzuheben
Und es dann nicht, und es dann nicht abzugebe

Ringsher zum Alarm anblasen
Wenn die Kleptomanen rasen
Wenn die Klepto-, wenn die Klepto-manen rasen

Wir haben einen kleinen Stich
Wir stehlen wie die Raben
Trotzdem wir es ja eigentlich
Garnicht nötig haben
Uns treibt nicht finanzielle Not
Nein, ein ganz and'rer Grund
Wir tun's aus sexueller Not

Aber sonst fühl'n wir uns gesund
Aber sonst fühl'n wir uns gesund

Overall Meaning

The song Die Kleptomanen is a humorous commentary on the compulsive behavior of people who steal for the sake of stealing, rather than for any financial gain. The verses of the song describe the thrill that some people feel when they steal something just to get away with it or to cause mischief. The chorus features a group of thieves who are confessing to their addiction to stealing and how it's driven by sexual desires rather than financial need.

The lyrics are indicative of Marlene Dietrich’s unique style of music, often known for her sultry voice and tongue-in-cheek humor. The song highlights her chanteuse persona and her talent for character acting through her voice. The song was composed by Frederick Hollander and Marlene performed it in the movie, Blaue Engel (The Blue Angel) in 1930, which helped establish her as one of the leading actresses in Hollywood. The song's popularity led to Dietrich's career skyrocketing and she became an iconic figure in cinema and music during the 1930s.

Line by Line Meaning

Alle Männer, alle Frauen
Everyone, men and women alike

Welche Waren sich beschauen
Whoever looks at goods on display

Lieben das Gefühl, lieben das Gefühl zu klauen
Love the feeling, love the feeling of stealing

Welche Lust, voller Erschrecken
What pleasure, filled with horror

Irgendetwas einzustecken
To slip something into their pocket

Nur um das Geschäft, nur um das Geschäft zu necken
Just to play a prank on the store, just to tease the store

Oder, welches Wonneweben
Or, what a delightful web

Was Gefund'nes aufzuheben
To pick up something found

Und es dann nicht, und es dann nicht abzugebe
And then not, and then not to give it back

Ringsher zum Alarm anblasen
Blow the alarm all around

Wenn die Kleptomanen rasen
When the kleptomaniacs race