Berlinale 2019 : Marlene Dietrich and the shooting in Bottleneck

From the brawl in the Saloon, woman against woman, the Diva, precise expectations: "Before Jimmy pours out the water, we roll on the floor in the direction of the camera. After Jimmy has distributed the water, you should stand about us, to see our reaction. There are better Takes of me, like I kick to the Jimmy, after I got up. Show me how I throw the first three glasses to Jimmy then, as no glasses there, I jump on the table and then on his back.“

The previous shots had not fallen, Marlene Dietrich apparently. But even if the star of their career, not at the moment, especially in his Zenith, and she doesn't even know that "Destry Rides Again" would catapult back to the top to make the Director a number of clearly formulated suggestions for improvement, let them not take. Your recent films like flopped and you have been declared "box office poison" – they have remained Dietrich, and now, Mr. Director, make an effort, even a little bit!

A few suggestions for improvement for the Director

"Suggestions" are overwritten with the three typewritten, handwritten amended pages of the documents, the Marlene Dietrich of the filming of the Western was kept. Store as part of the Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin, Deutsche Kinemathek at Potsdamer Straße, just a few kilometres from Kino International, where this Friday evening in the framework of the Berlinale Classics, "Destry Rides Again" in a freshly restored copy is shown.

Even during shooting breaks, "Destry Rides Again" Marlene Dietrich to set the scene. The little Black dress is a...photo: Sherman Clark; source: Deutsche Kinemathek - Marlene Dietrich Collection Berlin

Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg have advice helped that Universal Pictures and the American Film Foundation to refresh the 1939 premiered the Film in Germany, he ran until 1947, under the stupid-misleading title of "The great Bluff" to digital and now even in 4K quality at Festivals such as the Berlinale, the audience can perform.

if You scanned a 35mm nitrate duplicate positive, and all Flickering and all the dirt, polished it again, as it had done in the previous year, with classics like "The Killers" or "Winchester '73". "Steven and I grew up with these films," said Scorsese of the result. "We have not only seen them – we've absorbed them, they were part of our DNA."

In your car, I am a biography, "thank God, a Berliner" mentioned Marlene Dietrich in the Film only briefly. In the summer of 1939, she had received while on holiday in Antibes "contrary to expectation, a call of the producer Joe Pasternak from Hollywood": "in Spite of everything" – that was aimed at your continued failure success – he wanted to take the risk to make a Film with her.

"Jimmy Stewart has already said, and I would like to have you as his partner." She refused: "nothing in the world." Although John Ford's "Stagecoach had run" a few months earlier in theaters, but Western were not considered high film art. Josef von Sternberg, her former Director and lover, had advised but to accept the offer. That was your luck.

success with "Boys in the Backroom"

The three-page "Suggestions" are only a part of the marks to the Film in the archives of the Deutsche Kinemathek. An invitation by telegram to a charity presentation of the film in 1951, in Philadelphia, has received, as well as some photos from the film set, and a brochure to "Boys in the Backroom", the most famous Song in "Destry Rides Again" – like the rest of the title with the Text by Frank Loesser music by Friedrich Hollaender. And there are two editions of the screenplay, a leather-bound copy of the Joe Pasternak is his Star, with a dedication of 25. November 1939 ("The first one") had given.

The two showpieces but are stored in the non-public external stock of the Kinemathek in marienfelde: two airy dreams of silk, pink one, black the other, with embroidery, ruffles, Boa – two of the original costumes.

of Course, not what she is wearing in the saloon brawl, and that was after the filming of hardly any use. The rosé, however, she is wearing the same in her very first scene, as she sings in "Last Chance Saloon" of the Westernkaffs Bottleneck the Song "Little Joe", even a few sweat stains to the rotary work.

In the small Black she sings later, "You've Got That Look", is to be seen in a scene with Brian Donlevy played saloon owner Kent and in the case of a encounter with film partner James Stewart, the title should be Sheriff, Thomas Jefferson Destry.

Nice and airy. These two costumes of Marlene Dietrich "Destry Rides Again" to be stored in the archive of the Deutsche Kinemathek in...photo: Thilo Rückeis

the Name is a small indication that Joe Pasternak and film Director George Marshall Genre of the Western, so seriously you can take his rules and also meet, but at the same time, to the Comedic-Parody: the people Who is already with the first name as the famous third President of the United States of America, one of its founding fathers and the principal author of the Declaration of independence of 1776.

At the same time, this unusual Name plays on the strict commitment of the young Sheriff's auxiliary to law and order, to enforce without force of arms – in the Bottleneck of the trigger-happy Cowboys, corrupt officials and murderous wrong player you get as quickly to the strange figure. Although Destry eventually – Western Western must prove that he can handle a Revolver as well as during the lifetime of his famous father.

at the Beginning, just as a warning, not to be trifled with him is, the last then a life-and-death. A similar role to that shot of James Stewart in 1962 as a lawyer, Ransom Stoddard in John Ford's "The man who Liberty Valance" was played, could only really shoot and only survived thanks to John Wayne.

The Second world war as the Background

The world political Background of the two films, however, is very different: in 1962, the Cold war was the Cuban missile crisis at its peak, nearly four months before the premiere of "Destry Rides Again" at the 30. November 1939 had begun with Germany's invasion of Poland, the Second world war.

The overwhelming majority of Americans had voted in a poll against a Declaration of war on the German Reich, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt unseated, with all the sympathy for the war that occurred Western powers, is still officially maintaining neutrality.

"Destry Rides Again", however, not led, that it is, for all their love of peace, law and order, without violence, sometimes. In the literature of the Film is seen in part a statement against the Appeasement policy towards Hitler, their Failure for the British was at this time already clearly. Perhaps not coincidentally, also one of the allies Tom Destrys, Mischa Auer played Boris Callahan is because, – however, quite weird – Russian.

Interactive map: All of the Berlinale cinemas and the program

that this inner close to the film's story to the world has mitverholfen location of the Film to his huge success. However, "Destry Rides Again" would have found even without this Background his audience. The contrast between James Stewart as a boyish, rather lanky-casual, cool Tom Destry and Marlene Dietrich as a mockery funny-vicious, but love the competitive and reformed saloon singer, Frenchy is just too seductive, the Hollaender music to Zippy, the turning of the Western for the Comedy, surprisingly, as the viewers would be able to resist. And when you looked at the time, such as two women walk according to all the rules of spanking art each other's throats.

8.2., 22 PM, International

Marlene Dietrich online

Since the recent redesign of the Website of the Museum for Film and television, Potsdamer Str. 2 (www.deutsche-kinemathek.de) is also the Marlene Dietrich Collection available online. Include your 300.000 sheet private, such as professional records, 16.500 photos and 3300 textile objects. 1500 objects are now on the Internet, a selection of which are being continuously expanded. The pink-colored Western dress from "Destry Rides Again" is found there, including the explanatory notes.

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