Josefine von Losch and a Grave Matter

Mother, star, and husband at Berlin Zoologischer Garten Station

Via Facebook, we recently shared news that the Förderkreis (support association) of the Museum für Film und Fernsehen has initiated a fundraiser to preserve the grave of Marlene Dietrich's mother, Josefine von Losch. Our commenters reacted as predicted. "Huh? Doesn't Dietrich's family make a nice amount of money from her image? Shouldn't they pay for this?" "Ask her granddaughter Maria Riva." "I would think that the Riva family should be responsible for resolving this problem. Why should MD's fans take up this family responsibility?" "ASK Maria Riva."

Photorama: Marlene and Tamara Matul in Berlin

Marlene Dietrich and Tamara Matul model for Berlin’s illustrated magazines (1928 and 1929):

Marlene Dietrich Shows Her Hand

We've previously reported a grapholgist's interpretation of Marlene's scrawl, but what would a palm reader have predicted?

This palm print of Marlene was made in Berlin in 1930:

A German, Marianne Raschig, collected over thousand such hand prints of the famous (and less so) between the 1870s to the 1930s. She must have spent some time at UFA: other prints include those of  Josef von Sternberg, Fritz Lang, Peter Lorre, Lilian Harvey, Brigitte Helm, Louise Brooks and Leni Riefenstahl.

They are all being auctioned by Sotheby's in June.

Marlene, Anna May, and Leni

Many of you have seen this Alfred Eisenstaedt-attributed photograph of Marlene Dietrich, Anna May Wong, and Leni Riefenstahl rubbing shoulders. Life identified this iconic occasion as the January 1, 1928 Pierre Ball in Berlin (or simply as a Berlin ball). Steven Bach wrote that the photo was taken in January 1930 at the Berlin [Foreign?] Press Ball and claimed that--despite her smiles for the camera--Dietrich threatened to commit suicide after Josef von Sternberg had invited Riefenstahl. In Marlene Dietrich: Photographs and Memories, Maria Riva eschewed details regarding date, captioning a portrait of Dietrich in the same polka dot pattern and hat (seen below) as a shot from a Berlin "pirate" costume ball. So many stories for one image! Knowing the dates of Wong's visit(s?) to Germany might help, but I don't have the Graham Hodges bio or any other sources to check. All I know is that artist Patty Chang created an installation about Wong's 1928 interview with Walter Benjamin. [JULY 19, 2012 UPDATE: I found a Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin (MDCB) newsletter that dates the photo 1930, so I'll go with them.]

Anyway, here are alternate shots of Dietrich, Wong, and Riefenstahl:

This photo's metadata is scant, but I am certain the actor above is--correct me if I'm wrong--Willi Forst.

Amidst the Ruins of Berlin

Courtesy http://xl-entropy.blogspot.com

 Take a jaunt through Germany's capital with blogger xl, who documented a delightful visit to Marlene Dietrich-related sites such as her Friedenau Cemetery grave, Marlene Dietrich Platz, and the Deutsche Kinemathek Museum.

An online tour could have helped me in 2004, when I attempted to locate Dietrich's Parisian apartment. I wandered in the 16th arrondissement instead of the 8th, but I blame my confusion on my failed efforts to also find a plaza reportedly dedicated to Dietrich. Of course, my teenage absent-mindedness and marginal French skills (I didn't even know liquide could mean cash!) were no help either.

Holographic Marlene

At the Boulevard of Stars, Berlin's answer to the Hollywood Walk of Fame, you can have yourself snapped alongside Marlene. Boulevard of Stars, near Potsdamer Platz, opened in September; by pressing a button a holograhic image of Marlene is projected against a glass plane.

PHOTO : VOGUE.IT