Introduction by Klaus-Jürgen Sembach Epilogue by Joseph von Sternberg
From the beginning of her career in Berlin, in 1926, Dietrich has been a mistress of illusion. She has had a lot of help from gifted photographers like Richard Avedon, Alfred Eisenstaedt and Irving Penn. The epilogue to this collection of Dietrich photographs, written by the man who directed her in The Blue Angel and thus shaped both her career and her persona, is almost as fascinating as the pictures. Von Sternberg insisted on absolute control of every aspect of the films he directed, and the then-passive Dietrich was an ideal actress for him. His essay on her early years is an absorbing document on the creation of stars. (Schirmer/Mosel, Grove, $49.95)
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