Blonde Venus

Definitely one of Marlene Dietrich's more sensitive and powerful - though not sentimental - performances as a wife and mother whose husband (Herbert Marshall) becomes ill with Radium poisoning. Faced with mounting bills for his expensive treatment in Germany, she returns to her previous work as a cabaret singer and is soon involved with millionaire "Nick Townsend" (Cary Grant). Marshall is heartbroken to discover her infidelity and there ensues a sort of cat-and-mouse game as she and her son flee and try to stay one step ahead of her chasing husband and authorities. The three principals deliver strong performances and who will ever forget "Hot Voodoo" performed in the gorilla costume? The son (Dickie Moore) is quite cute and albeit briefly, contributes to the tensions later in the film quite convincingly. Allegedly, the censors had a field day with this but what is left still flows well under Von Sternberg's able, if not exactly flamboyant, direction.