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DISHONORED
Marlene Dietrich:
My second film in Hollywood, X-27/ (DISHONORED),
was made in 1931. The choice of a film title was always an
occasion for terrible controversies between von Sternberg
and his producers. He very seldom agreed with the decisions
of the studio officials and battled to change them step by
step with more or less success. In the case of DISHONORED
the producers were firm: they refused to back down. The struggle
must have been bitter and endlessly long because I remember
that the Paramount top brass threatened to 'turn off the money'.
I had already changed my clothes and was waiting to be called
to the studio when von Sternberg stormed into my dressing
room to discuss the problem with me. In addition, he had to
find a solution for the great ball sequence which was to be
shot that day. He wasn't getting enough extras? Under no circumstances
would he cut this decisive sequence! Boxes were to be set
up around the huge ballroom like balconies in an opera house.
I sat in my dressing room and listened to my director without
saying a word, without any idea occurring to me that might
have been of some help to him. And yet at that time my head
and hands were free of other concerns. Maria was still in
Germany with my husband; nobody in Hollywood was giving me
any trouble, and von Sternberg was watching over me.
My make-up artist Dot, my hairdresser and I decided to go
for lunch. When we came back from the studio canteen, I resumed
my wait in the dressing room. Suddenly von Sternberg's assistant
summoned us to the studio. Dot put the last touches to my
face, the hairdresser fussed for a second or two over my still
unruly hair, and then went out. There were almost no structures
on the set except for two theatre boxes placed one on top
of the other, slightly raised, which could be reached by a
ladder.
I was to take my place in the lower box. Above me were men
and women with confetti and pockets bulging with New Year's
Eve trimmings. They had already received their instructions.
As I sat down, I saw a huge mirror behind me, also slightly
raised. Six couples were dancing in a tiny circle that was
marked in crayon on the floor.
Their image was also reflected in the mirror, in which innumerable
male and female dancers appeared, pressing very closely against
each other. The confetti rained down in front of me, the music
came in, set the rhythm and suddenly I noticed that the scene
resembled to a hair a giant ballroom in which thousands of
people whirled around the dance floor. Von Sternberg had achieved
the desired effect despite the cutbacks the studio had imposed
on him.
Excerpt from Marlene Dietrich: My Life.©
1987 by Marlene Dietrich. Reprinted by permission of M. Dietrich,
Inc.
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