Marie Magdalene "Marlene" Dietrich (/mɑːrˈleɪnəˈdiːtrɪk/, German pronunciation:[maɐˈleːnə ˈdiːtʁɪç]; 27 December 1901 – 6 May 1992) was a German-American actress and singer.

Dietrich maintained popularity throughout her unusually long show business career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In 1920s Berlin, she acted on the stage and in silent films. Her performance as Lola-Lola in The Blue Angel (1930), directed by Josef von Sternberg, brought her international fame resulting in a contract with Paramount Pictures. Dietrich starred in Hollywood films such as Morocco (1930), Shanghai Express (1932) and Desire (1936). Dietrich successfully traded on her glamorous persona and "exotic" (to Americans) looks, cementing her super-stardom and becoming one of the highest-paid actresses of the era.