Customer Reviews

An Evening with Marlene Dietrich [VHS]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a fantastic video and one of the few film records of Marlene Dietrich on stage in the type of concert that took her round the world and back again long after her celluloid career was behind her. Long dead and buried in her beloved Germany, remembered with love by some and loathing by others, this film will help keep the legend of Dietrich alive. It is a recording of a concert made for television in the seventies. Many say that by then she had lost quite a bit of her lustre and was really just going through the motions of what she had done on stage for years, but for those of us who have any bit of imagination at all and still reek of nostalgia for a lost era, this video is a nugget of gold, a fantastic visionary record of a Star. I remember reading a review of Dietrich's famous Broadway appearances in the sixties, one that perked in me the desire to see Marlene in person. Alas, this was never to be and for years I was satisfied to listen to sound recordings of her concerts. Then finally, thanks to Amazon.Com, I found this video and can relive her performance as often as I like. There is much here to pull the viewer back from time to time. She sings the famous songs from her films, THE BOYS IN THE BACK ROOM, And most notably, FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN. My favorites are WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE and WHEN THE WORLD WAS YOUNG. Who could not be moved when she sings of apple trees and skies in lost Julys? I may be accused of being overly nostalgic, but here in a world that often seems cold and harsh and devoid of color, I enjoy the occasional bouts of memory that can take me back to what I remember as a better era. The tools that help me in these inevitable mental journeys, are treasured videos like this one.

What a thrill to finally have this concert on DVD. The picture and sound are considerably better that the tape, and the five extra songs are most welcome. To me, Dietrich is best as an anti-war protester and that comes across in such songs as "Where Have All the Flowers Gone." "Lili Marlene" also brings to mind Dierich's bravery during WW 2. A fine DVD.

This DVD is beautiful. It is clear and the sound is great as well. Dietrich is 71 in this performance and looks decades younger, as she flirts, gazes wistfully and explains each song. She sings songs from her films, records and wartime songs very dear to her. As the years went on, she added songs she simply decided she liked (like 'Boomerang Baby', which is a very fun song). There are some intense moments, that are very beautiful, like 'Marie, Marie', 'White Grass' and an incredibly beautiful version of 'When the World Was Young'. When she recalls "the apple trees", your heart breaks, as she remembers simpler times.
Dietrich is not the greatest singer by a long shot and she knew this. But she has a special "something" that makes 'an evening' with her, unforgettable. She brings beauty and glamour...with a heart.

This concert is very good. I want to start by saying that. It is amazing, moving, wonderful. Marlene shines, she is subtle, frightening, magestic, beautiful.

But... there are some problems. First of all she has lost some of her youth (obviosuly, she was 72). Her timing and power are not as potent as they were a few years before this concert was filmed. If only TV people had listened to Marlene and filmed her in Russia, in the late 60's... when she still wore suits on stage and was in better shape. The audience here in British, and not to be unfair, but the British are not great audiences... this would have been much better in a country where her fans went crazy (France, Russia, etc). Also this would be better in black and white... and the camera people and lighting people seem to have weird ideas about what make good shots...

Oh well! Still... you guys, this DVD is a must have. Despite all the woes, it's wonderful and WILL move you to tears (especially Where Have All The Flowers Gone).

This video is a must have for any true Marlene Dietrich fan. After Marlene decided she was tired of Hollywood, she took her Legend into her own hands and molded herself into one of the most celebrated cabaret artists of the century. Her one-woman show earned rave reviews wherever she went. She always played to packed houses and even at seventy she has not lost one ounce of her star quality. Some people are awfully hard on her, saying that she looks like she's beyond her prime, but as far as I'm concerned she looks fantastic. From the Jean Loius gown, to the famous swans down coat. This legend vamps her way through " The Laziest Gal in Town", she belts out " The Boys in the Backroom" and sings "Where Have All the Flowers gone" with great feeling. Her voice was never fantastic, but she always got by on her charm and her looks, and even at seventy, both qualities still manage to have escaped the ravages of time.

I remember the thrill in 1968 of being in the 1st row center balcony at Los Angeles Ahmanson Theatre for Marlene Dietrich in Concert!! I remember an elegant DIVA decked out in sequins and fur looking completely extraordinary and performing with spectacular drama and pathos and receiving numerous standing ovations and a particularly long one for a riveting "Where Have All The Flowers Gone". Tons of flowers were thrown on the stage along with other gifts of affection from an adoring audience!! Forward to 1972 and this television special and at the time I noticed a huge change from the event four years prior. Timing wasn't as sharp and the power was down a few notches but the beauty of Marlene's performance extraordinary none the less!! With the passage of time this performance is even more precious and timeless in its beauty!! Do not miss this extraordinary event as this type of greatness will never happen again!! I feel blessed that I was old enough to experience this great lady "live in concert" and happy to have this DVD as a souvenir of this legendary event! Bravo Lili Marlene!!!

you haven't really lived until you have watched Dietrich singing, particularly the 5 extra songs never released before! why were these shots cut out of the final tv show? probably on account of Miss Dietrich herself: viewing herself singing "Johnny" in her natal German language must have brought her back to the good old days, in Berlin, when she was a cabaret entertainer! well, believe me, she still was 60 years later!!! "unmöglich!" (impossible) for the goddess of screen who worked soooo hard to build her diva image for ever...you must see it! moreover, "Go 'way from my window", "Marie Marie", in French, or English or German, she's really moving, bringing nearlly the audience to tears...Was this really the face Miss Dietrich wanted to show? probably not...luckyly, now you can see the true Dietrich!

Marlene herself have written angry words about this television show broadcasted in England 1972. It didn't turn out the way she wanted. Not at all. But it's worth seeing for the songs you can't get anywere else: "Boomerang Baby" and" White Grass". And for seeing Dietrichs work in the 70's. And it's in color. In Maximilian Schells documentary "Marlene" you can see parts of a filmed stage show from 1963 at Berns in Stockholm. It's a Marlene in full control with Burt Bacharach as arranger and conductor.

Does anyone know if this is the video wherein Marlene sings "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" directly into the camera and in close-up? I saw the clip I am describing several years ago on a the Arts Channel and have been looking for it ever since.
Thanks! If you know, please email me at allhans_2000@yahoo.com

P>Someone told me this woman was a legend, so out of respect I rented this tape. I nearly stopped watching after 10 minutes.

The footage is mainly of Dietrich WELL past her prime. She looks tired and, frankly, weathered. Her legendary voice is cracked and no longer has any range whatsoever. Her on-stage demeanor (i.e., looking at the ceiling at the end of a song) is at times mechanical and artificial. If you want proof, watch her rendition of "Where have all the flowers gone." She mumbles through it, and can't decide whether to sing and hear her voice crack, or just over-dramatically syncopate while reading through the lyrics.

I hate to hurt any die-hard fans' feelings but this is not her best stuff by a long shot. I went back and watched some of her earliest films (Blue Angel, etc.) and was blown away. I am only giving this one 3 stars out of respect for her potential and her past achievements.