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Marlene Dietrich's belongings go on auction

Julie Colthorpe
Julie Colthorpe - [email protected]
Marlene Dietrich's belongings go on auction
Marlene Dietrich in the Hitchcock film Stage Fright (1950) Photo: DPA

Personal possessions belonging to Marlene Dietrich will be auctioned in Los Angeles on Thursday. Among the luxurious items are her men's tuxedo and pieces from her jewellery collection.

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American auctioneers Nate D. Sanders are to auction 86 pieces from Germany's legendary film star's personal belongings.

Highlights from the Blue Angel's possessions, which buyers can also bid for online, include a personalized plaque from her 1964 solo show “Marlene Dietrich” at Queen's Theatre in London and two pairs of luxury sunglasses.

Dietrich was famed for performing in men's tuxedos. First worn in the film Morocco (1930), the tuxedo soon became part of her signature look throughout her career – both on and off-screen when performing in cabaret and nightclubs.

The tuxedo on auction was worn by Dietrich for her onstage performances in the 70s and 80s in Las Vegas. Bidding for the signature suit starts at $25,000.

Also well-known for wearing Parisian-designed sunglasses, her two pairs by iconic French designer Ted Lapidus, starting at $11,000 each, are also included in the collection.

Among the jewellery to be auctioned is a diamond and emerald necklace, an emerald and pearl cluster ring mounted in gold, her Tiffany aquamarine ring and a silver and turquoise brooch.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Bidding for the jewellery ranges from $11,000 to $15,000. An avid smoker, no personal collection of Dietrich's would be complete without a selection of her ornate cigarette lighters. Starting at $2,500 a piece, several of the lighters are made out of crystal and brass.

P { margin-bottom: 0.08in; } Marlene Dietrich, a Berliner by birth was born in 1901, leaving for the US after she rose to international stardom playing Lola-Lola, a cabaret singer in Blau Engel, Josef Von Sternberg's 1930 Weimar film. A staunch opponent of the Nazi party, she became an American citizen in 1939. Dietrich died in Paris in 1992 and was buried in Berlin.

Items from her personal estate can also be seen at Deutsche Kinemathek, the Museum for Film and TV in Berlin, where costumes, props, photos and personal letters are showcased at the museum's Marlene Dietrich permanent exhibition.

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