No Detail Escapes the Obituary Writer

Marlene Dietrich, Willian Riva, Maria Riva

The New York Time's Penelope Green seems to get the obits that allow her to deliver the sauciest of tidbits. Take the one just one published for Maria Riva, 100, Marlene Dietrich's daughter.

It would be hard to ignore the elephant in the room in Maria's life. The obit has a lot about her, but also some great reminders of her mother's life, described effortlessly in the lede as: "the audacious, androgynous, libidinous, Teutonic screen siren and cabaret singer..." I don't know which word ending in "ous" had me at the start.

For those who know of Marlene, seen her films, and absorbed all the stories about her, there is nothing new about her in Maria's obituary. What is probably new, unless you've read Maria's 1993 book about her famous mother, "Marlene Dietrich, The Life," many things in the obit will surprise you regarding the child rearing of Maria.

Maria was basically raised by her mother's as her maidservant. Playing with other children didn't happen, and going to school was out until there was a stint at Swiss finishing school.

After shaking off her alcoholism, being a dresser to a drag queen, and an early divorce, Maria moved to New York and did create an acting career of her own, appearing in many teleplays on early television, commercials and several movies. She helped her mother produce a one-woman show that was basically Marlene's farewell to the limelight. Maria married William Riva and had four children, three of whom survive her.

That Maria's mother had a Rolodex of lovers, male and female, is no surprise. Names appear in the obit, but the six columns wouldn't be enough to able to hold all the people Marlene had sexual intimacy with. Marlene is described as not really enjoying sex, but rather putting up with it. The obit writer, Ms. Green, tells us:

Dietrich, "despite all the action, was not a fan of the act itself. At least not with men. She preferred fellatio, or better, impotent men. 'They are nice" she told her daughter." I know I never read an obit that used the word fellatio in any context.

As Maria got older, Marlene her reviews of her male encounters. In a Diane Sawyer interview in 1993 upon the publishing of Maria's book, Diane reads a list of names that included General Patton and General Gavin, presumably men she entertained after U.S.O. shows during WW II. There are so many names that Diane runs out of breath,

In one such review, Marlene shared her rating of Eddie Fisher. She told Maria that she can understand why Liz Taylor left Eddie Fisher for Richard Burton in the '60s.

Poor Eddie. The American public never forgave him for dumping America's sweetheart, Debbie Reynolds, for that vamp Elizabeth Taylor. Now, in 1993, we get Marlene's review of how good, or not good, he was in bed. Insult to injury. Marlene lived to be 90, passing away in 1992. There are shown in the photo at the left together in 1945; Maria is on the left. 

There's a point in the Diane Sawyer interview where Maria talks of a discussion her mother has with her regarding her funeral. Marlene wants those who slept with her, male and female, to wear a red carnation at the services; those who said they slept with her but didn't, to wear a white carnation.

Maria said, "Great. Why don't you have the 82nd Airborne Division jump in?" Marlene thought it was a good idea. 

When your mother lives to be 90, it is no surprise that you live to be 100. And when your mother was Marlene Dietrich, you share her name in your obituary.

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