BLONDE VENUS (1932)

Josef von Sternberg brought a Viennese sophistication to Hollywood. His films combined a florid pictorial sense and a fascination with sexuality that came to a head when he directed his personal discovery, Marlene Dietrich, in a series of seven films unparalleled in their creation of a dream world in which to explore the star’s sexual allure. In their fifth film together, BLONDE VENUS, he cast her in a confessional tale about a woman who sins to save her sick husband (Herbert Marshall) and pays for it by going on the run with their son. The glamorous Dietrich is surprisingly effective as a doting mother who will do anything to support her child. She also has some unforgettable musical numbers, including her performance in a gorilla suit and then a platinum blonde afro for “Hot Voodoo,” a number Pauline Kael once called the definition of camp.

d. Josef von Sternberg, 94m, 35mm

35mm print courtesy of Universal Pictures.