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.
Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
Marlene Dietrich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's got to thinkin' it over how much Ihe had missed
So he got me a girl and he kissed her and then, and then
Oh, lord, well he kissed 'er again CHORUSBecause she had kisses sweeter than wine
She had, mmm, mmm, kisses sweeter than wine Well he asked her to marry and to be his good wife
He told her we'd be so happy for the rest of his life
He begged and he pleaded like a natural man
And then, whoops oh lord, well she gave him her hand CHORUS Well we worked very hard both me and my wife
We had corn in the field and wheat in the bin
And then, whoops oh lord, I was the father of twins CHORUS Well their children they numbered just about four
And they all had a sweetheart a'knockin' on the door
They all got married and they wouldn't hesitate
He was, whoops oh lord, the grandfather of eight CHORUS Well now that he's old and he's already to go
He get to thinkin' what happened a long time ago
Had a lot of kids, a lot of trouble and pain
But then, whoops oh lord, well he'd do it all again Because she had kisses sweeter than wine
She had, mmm? kisses? sweeter? than? wine
The lyrics of Marlene Dietrich's "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine" tell the story of a man who had never been kissed before, and how he eventually meets a girl who had "kisses sweeter than wine." He falls in love with her and asks her to marry him. They work hard together to build a good life and have children, and eventually grandchildren. The man reflects on his life and says he would go through all of the trouble and pain again, because his wife's kisses were sweeter than wine.
The lyrics represent a classic American love story, but they also hold a deeper meaning. The man's love for his wife is not just based on physical attraction or infatuation. Instead, his love for her is based on the emotional and spiritual connection they share. Their love is not just a result of physical passion, but rather a deep-rooted connection built on trust, respect, and understanding. The man's words in the song imply that true love lasts a lifetime, and that the beauty of it never fades.
Line by Line Meaning
There once was a young man who'd never been kissed
There was a young man who had never experienced a kiss before
He's got to thinkin' it over how much he had missed
He began to ponder on how much he was missing out on
So he got me a girl and he kissed her and then, and then, oh, lord, well he kissed 'er again
He found a girl to kiss, and after kissing her the first time, he couldn't resist kissing her again
Because she had kisses sweeter than wine
He fell in love with her because her kisses were extraordinary
Well he asked her to marry and to be his good wife
He proposed to her and asked her to be his loving partner
He told her we'd be so happy for the rest of his life
He promised her a lifetime of happiness together
He begged and he pleaded like a natural man
He asked her sincerely and with great emotion
And then, whoops oh lord, well she gave him her hand
She accepted his proposal and agreed to marry him
Well we worked very hard both me and my wife
They worked diligently together
Workin' hand-in-hand to have a good life
They worked together to build a happy life
We had corn in the field and wheat in the bin
They had plenty of crops
And then, whoops oh lord, I was the father of twins
They had twins unexpectedly
Well their children they numbered just about four
They had four children in total
And they all had a sweetheart a'knockin' on the door
All their children had someone interested in them romantically
They all got married and they wouldn't hesitate
Their children got married without any delay
He was, whoops oh lord, the grandfather of eight
As a result, he became a grandfather of eight grandchildren
Well now that he's old and he's already to go
Now that he is old and ready to pass away
He get to thinkin' what happened a long time ago
He reflects on his life and the events that occurred
Had a lot of kids, a lot of trouble and pain
He went through a lot of difficulties and hardships raising his children
But then, whoops oh lord, well he'd do it all again
However, he would do it all over again because it was worth it for the love he experienced
Because she had kisses sweeter than wine
All of the moments he cherished would never have come to be if he had never experienced the sweetness and love of that first kiss
Writer(s): PETE SEEGER, RONNIE GILBERT, FRED HELLERMAN, LEE HAYS, HUDDIE LEDBETTER
Contributed by Liliana J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dong Duong
C'est formidable. C'est la premiere fois que j'ai entendu Marlene Dietrich interpreter cette chanson. Merci.
Max Lippincott
Muchas gracias! ETERNAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Pia Duchessofchapina
Wonderful ♥--♥
Kevin H
thanks for posting!
Kevin Niicole Horton
My Heroine <3
themarquess
Great song and all, but I feel I need to point out that wine is not very sweet. Most wine i ever tried was rather bitter. I'm just saying to say something was sweeter than wine doesn't really tell us much, since almost anything is sweeter than wine.
Raiwons
+themarquess All the bitter one, can be turned candy if we threw sugar. d: -))
Raiwons
Thank you for commenting, greetings. Martin
Raiwons
Thank!!
Maryann Valone
wtf- i am so confuckingfused-just go u wear me down - and out- i would rather b alone cause its familar and there r no kisses - just trauma and drama