Marlene Dietrich's Grandson Peter Opens up about the Actress' Final Years

June 2024 ยท 3 minute read

Marlene Dietrich was one of Hollywood's most iconic actresses, whose death left a hole in the entertainment world. Over a decade after her death, "The Blue Angel" star's final days have been revealed by her grandson.

Marlene Dietrich was an entertainer whose stunning figure, foxy personality, and unique style made her one of the most glamorous actresses to grace Hollywood's big screens and her legacy lives on to date.

Over twenty years after her death, how the German native spent her final years in Paris has been revealed by her grandson, Peter Riva in a recent interview with sources.

A portrait of Marlene Dietrich in the film 'Shanghai Express' on January 01, 1932 | Photo: Getty Images

The actress reportedly settled down in her apartment at 12 Avenue Montaigne, Paris during the mid-1970s after she had spent years traveling and performing her cabaret act across the world.

While many believed the German native had become reclusive in her final years, her grandson made it clear that although Dietrich removed herself from the spotlight, she was still a social butterfly.

Peter revealed that his grandmother stayed in contact with her friends from Hollywood and even had the honor of advising some world leaders all from the comfort of her room.

[Dietrich] initially wished to be a professional violinist before dropping her musical aspirations to pursue acting.

Back in 2017, the iconic actress's memory was honored by the world's most popular search engine Google, with a remarkable Doodle of the German beauty on what would have been her 116th birthday.

The technological giant described Dietrich as a woman with an unforgettable voice and also praised the late star for breaking the social boundaries by donning male clothing during her performances.

Marlene Dietrich at Stage and Screen Cinema Personalities on January 01, 1930 | Photo: Getty Images

Breaking fashion's status quo at the time was one of the late actress's best qualities that eventually turned her into a style icon. However, the "Shanghai Express'' star once confessed that she found fashion boring.

This shocking revelation came during an interview in 1960, where the German native stated that despite finding clothes boring, she dressed for the sake of her image, not for the public or to be fashionable.

Marlene Dietrich pictured wearing a fur coat at a promotional tour for her television special on January 01, 1973 | Photo: Getty Images

Whatever her stance on fashion might have been, it didn't stop Dietrich from becoming a fashion icon especially for her unbiased love for both male and female clothing, which reportedly made her more appealing.

The irresistible icon was born in Berlin, Germany on December 27, 1901, as Maria Magdalene Dietrich. She initially wished to be a professional violinist before dropping her musical aspirations to pursue acting.

A portrait of German born actress and singer Marlene Dietrich on January 01, 1937 | Photo: Getty Images

Dietrich's big Hollywood debut came in 1930 with the movie "The Blue Angel" and this successful movie created the path to Dietrich's reign as one of the most glamorous stars until she died in 1992.

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