Marlene Dietrich
– Paramounts answer to Garbo –

In 1930 after a triumphant premiere of The Blue Angel in Berlin, Marlene Dietrich had arrived at Paramount. Though none of her films were shown in the US outside of NY and LA, Marlene Dietrich was already hailed as Paramount's answer to Garbo.

Dietrich 1929, pre-Hollywood days

Dietrich 1930, her first Hollywood portrait

She was, next to Garbo, the biggest movie-export from Europe. Paramount and von Sternberg wanted to create a new Garbo, but Dietrich, stayed Dietrich, though her outside changed a lot… Von Sternberg was the one who studied Garbo's films, image and photos and he was truly inspired by Garbo while creating “Dietrich”.

In the late 1920s and 1930s (and even beyond), there were many actresses and Garbo look-a-likes who were titled as The New Garbo but except for Dietrich, Garbo was never to have any other serious competition.
 

Adjustment of Ms Dietrich's look

 

Creating “Dietrich"

 Marlene had to loose weight, so she was required to diet. Doing exercises to shape her body.

 Plucking the line of her natural eyebrows… sometimes to an extreme effect.

 Long fake eyelashes

 Special make up to let her eyes look bigger and brighter.

 Colouring her hair to a lighter colour.

 A line of lighter makeup at the bridge of her nose, to let it appear straighter.

 One rumour is that her back teeth were extracted to make her face seem thinner and her cheekbones higher.

 
Dietrich after the first processes