(Thanks to the Crees Collection for sharing this interview with Marlene! The article likely dates from August 1965, when Marlene was doing a British concert tour.)
By Clive Hirschhorn
THE atmosphere round the theatre was thick with reverence. Though
there were still two hours to go before Marlene Dietrich would emerge from the
stage door after her performance that night, already a crowd of admirers had
gathered. The doorman remarked to me that he couldn't remember when business
had been so good — and his sentiments and awe were echoed by a young girl, who,
with a rubber stamp bearing a facsimile of Miss Dietrich’s autograph, banged
out the star’s name on dozens of photographs which would later be distributed
to the audience. I was duly beckoned and, to the envy of her adoring fans, was
escorted to the Number One dressing room where Marlene was waiting for me. She
had just finished a matinee and was clad in a dressing-gown. She was tired — and
not even the heavy make-up she was wearing could. disguise this fact; or hide the
lines on her face or the fatigue in her eyes. La Dietrich, I discovered, was human
after all.
GLAMOUR?
Why, at 61, I asked her, did she continue to work so
hard? (Her engagement book is full for the next two years.)
“For the money.” she said flatly.
I looked at her somewhat surprised. “Yes. For the
money.” She repeated. “What else for ? ”
She leaned forward and picked up a publicity hand-out which advertised the dates of her future concerts — in Golders Green, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol. She had just finished engagements in Brighton and Birmingham.
“Do you think this is glamorous? That this is a great life,
and that I do it for my health? Well, it isn’t. It's hard work. And who would
work if they didn't have to?
