Marlene Dietrich was a German actress who was known for often portraying a femme fatale. She was also often seen blurring the line between masculinity and femininity with her clothing and behavior. In our class discussion, we learned that a femme fatale means “deadly woman” in french. It is typically seen as a woman with the allure of death and sex, who is seen as dangerous and sensuous.

In the film Morocco, however, we see Dietrich exposed emotionally and innocently invested in a man in a way that differs from a femme fatale. However, I found the idea of a femme fatale so fascinating that I wanted to look into it more, in relation to Marlene. She embodies the ideals of a femme fatale in her everyday life. She was decisive and took a stand when she thought it was important. During World War II, she renounced her German citizenship and assisted Jews in escaping Germany. Her role in The Blue Angel established Dietrich as a star and legendary femme fatale. In the film, her character Lola destroys the men who pursue her. Professor Rath is not only seduced by a younger woman, but she never expressed any true interest in him, proving that she is undermining him. This character type of the femme fatale is hoe she is often portrayed in her other various films and became a defining factor of her image.

On the other hand, Marlene Dietrich was also often seen as being ambiguous both sexually and in relation to gender. In Morocco, the gender norms of masculinity and femininity are broken down. There is a scene where Amy is dressed as a man and kisses another woman. Dietrich was often seen wearing gender-fluid clothing. Additionally, the fact that a female actress was pictured as kissing another woman was unheard of for the 1930s and was Hollywoods first on-screen lesbian kiss. She was rumored to have had numerous affairs with both men and women, securing herself a spot as a bisexual icon for many. She was often pictured in top hats, tuxes, trousers, sweater vests, and blazers. When asked about her love for men’s clothing, she once said, “I am at heart a gentleman.” Her sexual ambiguity allowed for her to attract a wider audience. Critic, Kenneth Tynan, wrote that “she has sex but no positive gender…her masculinity appeals to women and her sexuality to men.”

In our class reading, “Heavenly Bodies,” there is an image of Joan Crawford that shows her reflection and begins the discussion of how a star has several parts to their image. This helps to explain Marlene Dietrich as a femme fatale who balanced masculinity with feminine characteristics that led to a rather secret life. She had a private self, which left a cloud of mystery around her. Her affairs are all rumored and she left a lot up to the imagination, which I can only assume was purposeful, in order to leave the audience wanting more.

Lastly, I wanted to briefly touch on how Morocco depicts women. The film depicts the difficult situation that women were in during the 1930s. Should you marry for security or for love? Amy refuses to marry for money and to be treated as an object. This wasn’t something commonly depicted during its time and there is something to be said about Marlene choosing a role such as this one.

In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe’s character, Lorelei Lee, has a best friend Dorothy Shaw. The movie follows Lorelai and Dorothy to Europe where they are being followed by a man who is there to try and prove that Lorelei is only engaged to her fiance, Gus, for his money. While Marilyn is playing the dumb and money-obsessed blonde woman who likes shiny things, her best friend was trying to convince her that she was worth more than that. Dorothy definitely still fits a stereotype. She is the more distinguished and intelligent brunette friend, but she also has more of a modern take on the world. She wants to find love, but she knows that it won’t come as easy as swindling a rich man. She wants real love.

In our “Monroe and Sexuality” reading, we discussed how Marilyn was known as a sex symbol. She was an object for the male gaze and was often acknowledged as an example of human existence in the 50s. Marilyn was seen as desirable and available. She perpetuates that idea in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes as she continuously flirts with a man she is clearly not attracted to because she knows he has access to extravagant jewels.

However, Dorothy is seen in a different light. She is quick-witted and loose-lipped. She says what she thinks and makes it clear that she isn’t going to take direction from anyone else. She also makes it clear that she doesn’t care about money and wants someone who will love her. She even falls in love with the man who was sent to spy on them. Dorothy’s call to fame is her solo act, a song called, “Ain’t There Anyone Here for Love.” I would argue that Dorothy is the more prominent sex symbol in this movie. She is confident, intelligent, and knows what she wants. It can be assumed that Dorothy and Ernie, the detective, spend the night together or at the very least share intimate moments with each other. Yes, Marilyn fits the stereotype of what the world thinks women want to embody. However, Dorothy is who I would rather idolize. I see her as a three-dimensional character who embodies ideals of independence and sex-positivity.

On the other hand, the actress who played Dorothy, Jane Russell, was also considered a prominent sex symbol in the ‘40s and ‘50s. She came from a military family in the midwest and started her career in the early ‘40s. She was a singer as well as an actor and even dedicated part of her career solely to music. Similarly to Marilyn, she was married several times, but she also adopted 3 children. She even founded WAIF, an international adoption agency to promote adoption in the ’50s.

Marilyn is no doubt a great American sex symbol who will always be recognized and praised. However, Dorothy and Jane have something that I found more important, which was the respect of their audience. Marilyn is remembered as a promiscuous playmate and I don’t think that she offers a well-rounded image that women should be seeking after. Dorothy has the audience’s respect because she is honest and real, which is something that should be idolized.