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.
Leben ohne Liebe
Marlene Dietrich Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
und hab Dir grenzenlos vertraut.
Das war mein ganzes Malheur.
Nun sitz ich da mit der l'Amour,
doch kommst Du sicher mon retour.
Weil ich auf eins immer schwör.
Leben ohne Liebe kannst Du nicht,
Alles kannst Du haben
und hast doch keine Ruh,
denn ein bißchen Liebe gehört nun mal dazu.
Wär's auch nur 'ne kleine Sympathie,
doch ganz ohne Liebe geht es nie.
Zehn mal eher kannst Du entbehren
Luft und Licht, aber leben ohne Liebe nicht.
In Marlene Dietrich's song Leben ohne Liebe, the singer reflects on the two years she spent as someone's bride, trusting him completely. But now, she's alone with l'Amour, or love, as her only companion. Despite this, she's confident that the man she once loved will return to her, because she knows that he can't live without love, no matter what else he might promise or have. The chorus serves as a warning to anyone who thinks they can live without love, no matter how much they might have in their lives. Everything - including heaven itself - might be within your grasp, but you'll never have true peace without love.
As an interpreter of the lyrics, it's possible to see a more personal connection to the song, too. Marlene Dietrich was known for her tumultuous romantic life, and many of her signature songs reflect that. In the lyrics, she seems to be lamenting the fact that even when we have everything we could ever want, it's all for naught without someone to share it with. This is a universal feeling that anyone who's ever felt lonely or disconnected can relate to, and it's part of what makes the song so enduring.
Line by Line Meaning
Zwei Jahre war ich Deine Braut
I spent two years engaged to you
und hab Dir grenzenlos vertraut.
and had complete trust in you
Das war mein ganzes Malheur.
That was my downfall.
Nun sitz ich da mit der l'Amour,
Now I'm sitting here with love,
doch kommst Du sicher mon retour.
But you'll definitely come back to me.
Weil ich auf eins immer schwör.
Because I always swear on one thing.
Leben ohne Liebe kannst Du nicht,
You can't live without love,
wenn man auch den Himmel Dir verspricht.
even if someone promises you the sky.
Alles kannst Du haben
You can have everything
und hast doch keine Ruh,
and yet you're not content,
denn ein bißchen Liebe gehört nun mal dazu.
because a little bit of love is necessary.
Wär's auch nur 'ne kleine Sympathie,
Even if it's just a small amount of sympathy,
doch ganz ohne Liebe geht es nie.
It's never possible to go without love completely.
Zehn mal eher kannst Du entbehren
You could much more easily do without
Luft und Licht, aber leben ohne Liebe nicht.
air and light, but not without love.
Writer(s): Mischa Spoliansky Copyright: GEMA
Contributed by Hailey F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Mummel
Liebe ihre Lieder💖
гольф 2 браво браво
Любил эту песню больше всего😍😞😞😞
cincotti
Wonderful, lovely Marlene - forever !
Ella Isa
Wunderschön
Don Won
God she looks like an ANGEL!
kimmy loves vintage
She is an angel!👼
hans Miller
Well, she was sometimes.
Definitely during her WWII Tours!
But I wouldn't have liked to work with such a difficult, indifferent Person.
But I DO love her standards and principles! I was brought up quite the same way.
Sperruzza90
What a beautiful woman.....! Thanks for this great video. Liebe Marlene <3
Hans-Peter Maier
the one and only one - great !
LilyMarleneDietrich
@MarleneXtreme Yes, a beautiful song...Sweet first, with more rythm after. Thank you Irene!