Blonde Venus (1932)

Director:

Josef von Sternberg

Writers:

Jules Furthman (written by) and
S.K. Lauren (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

25 November 1932 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

From the lips of one MAN to the arms of another!

Plot:

American chemist Ned Faraday marries a German entertainer and starts a family. However, he becomes poisoned...

Plot Keywords:

Millionaire | Singer | Germany | Chemist | Missing Person

Cast

Marlene Dietrich	...	Helen Faraday, aka Helen Jones
Herbert Marshall	...	Edward 'Ned' Faraday
Cary Grant	...	Nick Townsend
Dickie Moore	...	Johnny Faraday
Gene Morgan	...	Ben Smith
Rita La Roy	...	Taxi Belle Hooper
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Dan O'Connor
Sidney Toler	...	Detective Wilson
Morgan Wallace	...	Dr. Pierce
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Clarence Muse	...	Charlie, the Bartender (unconfirmed)
Eric Alden	...	Guard (uncredited)
Harold Berquist	...	Big Fellow (uncredited)
Al Bridge	...	Bouncer (uncredited)
Glen Cavender	...	Ship's Officer (uncredited)
Emile Chautard	...	Chautard, French Nightclub Manager (uncredited)
Davison Clark	...	Bartender Bringing Two Beers (uncredited)
Marcelle Corday	...	Helen's Maid in France (uncredited)
Cecil Cunningham	...	Norfolk Woman Manager (uncredited)
Clifford Dempsey	...	Judge in Paris Nightclub Talking to Nick (uncredited)
Bess Flowers	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Landlady (uncredited)
Robert Graves	...	La Farge (uncredited)
Sterling Holloway	...	Joe, Hiker (uncredited)
Elsa Janssen	...	Gossip (uncredited)
James Kilgannon	...	Janitor (uncredited)
Brady Kline	...	New Orleans Policeman (uncredited)
Bessie Lyle	...	Grace (uncredited)
Hattie McDaniel	...	Cora, Helen's Maid in New Orleans (uncredited)
Charles Morton	...	Bob (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Evelyn Preer	...	Viola (uncredited)
Dewey Robinson	...	Greek Restaurant Owner (uncredited)
Francis Sayles	...	Charlie Blaine (uncredited)
Ferdinand Schumann-Heink	...	Henry (uncredited)
Gertrude Short	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
Pat Somerset	...	Companion (uncredited)
Larry Steers	...	Hotel Manager in Baltimore (uncredited)
Kent Taylor	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Jerry Tucker	...	Otto (uncredited)
Mildred Washington	...	Viola, the Maid (uncredited)
Lloyd Whitlock	...	Baltimore Manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Josef von Sternberg

Writing credits
Jules Furthman		(story) uncredited &
Josef von Sternberg		(story) uncredited
Jules Furthman		(written by) and
S.K. Lauren		(written by)

Produced by
Josef von Sternberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
W. Franke Harling		(uncredited)
John Leipold		(uncredited)
Paul Marquardt		(uncredited)
Oscar Potoker		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Bert Glennon

Film Editing by
Josef von Sternberg

Art Direction by
Wiard Ihnen		(uncredited)

Costume Design by
Travis Banton		(uncredited)

Sound Department
Harry D. English	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lucien Ballard	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Neal Beckner	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Don English	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Paul Ivano	....	additional camera operator (uncredited)
Benny Mayer	....	camera operator (uncredited)
William Rand	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Other crew
Heinrich Heine	....	poet: "Gruss (Leise zeiht durch mein Gemüth ") (uncredited)
Andrea Palma	....	Miss Dietrich's hats (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as Paramount Publix Corporation)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1932) (USA) (theatrical) (as Paramount Publix Corporation)
• Paramount-Film (1933) (Germany) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Pictures (1958) (USA) (TV)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (199?) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Only Hearts Company (199?) (Japan) (VHS)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2009) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Marlene Dietrich Collection)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2006) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Studios Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Universal Vaul Series)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min | West Germany:85 min (video: cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | German | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

West Germany:16 | Spain:18 | USA:Passed | UK:PG (re-rating) (1987) | UK:A (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Ranch - 2813 Cornell Road, Agoura, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Cary Grant said that Josef von Sternberg directed him not really much during the filming, but taught him the most important thing. On the first day Grant came on the set, von Sternberg looked at him and said, "Your hair is parted on the wrong side." So Grant parted it on the other side and kept it that way the rest of his career.

Quotes:

Ben Smith:What'd you say your name was?
Helen Faraday, aka Helen Jones:Helen Faraday.
Ben Smith:Nah, we gotta get something different. Something unusual, something that's easy to say and hard to forget.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Day of the Locust (1975)

Soundtrack:

You Little So-and-So

Fascinating Dietrich

Marlene Dietrich is spellbinding as a woman who takes her son and flees her jealous husband who threatens to take him away. The husband (Herbert Marshall) goes to Europe for his health, but on the money Dietrich makes as the Blonde Venus. When he finds out she's also had an affair with Cary Grant, he goes ballistic. Thin plot has Marshall sending detectives around the world to follow Dietrich as she sinks lower and lower. She finally gives up the boy and returns to nightclub stardom. All ends well. Dietrich sings a few songs along the way and looks gorgeous, but it's her "Hot Voodoo" number, emerging from a gorilla suit via a slow strip, that is sexy and mesmerizing. The storyline is not terribly logical, but hell ... it's Marlene Dietrich doing what she did best: hypnotizing her audience with glamorous, allure, and wit.