Years active: 1919 - 1984 (started around 18 years old; 65 years in the business)
About Marlene Dietrich
She was a German-born American actress and singer, among the best-known icons of the cinematographic world of the first half of the twentieth century.
Dietrich left a lasting impression through her acting, visuals and song delivery (enhanced by a haunting, sultry voice). She was one of the first divas, thanks to a set of qualities that made her enter the legend of show business as the model of the femme fatale par excellence. Her myth was born and developed in opposition to that of Greta Garbo, both top stars of two rival production companies.
The American Film Institute ranked Dietrich ninth among the greatest stars in film history.