Which 1930 German film was Marlene Dietrich's breakthrough as cabaret singer Lola Lola?

The 1930 German film that made Marlene Dietrich famous as cabaret singer Lola Lola is The Blue Angel. Directed by Josef von Sternberg, it casts Dietrich as the performer whose relationship with a respectable professor leads to his social and psychological collapse.

The film was adapted from Heinrich Mann’s 1905 novel Professor Unrat. Emil Jannings plays Professor Immanuel Rath, a stern teacher who visits the Blue Angel cabaret while pursuing students who attend it. There he becomes fascinated by Lola Lola, whose independence and stage presence overturn his carefully controlled life.

Dietrich’s performance introduced the song “Falling in Love Again (Can’t Help It),” written by Friedrich Hollaender, which became her signature number. The film’s success brought her international fame and helped lead to a Paramount contract; she soon reunited with von Sternberg in Hollywood productions including Morocco.

The Blue Angel was filmed in German and English versions during the early sound era, when studios often made multiple-language versions for international markets. It is frequently confused with Dietrich’s later films Shanghai Express, Dishonored, and Morocco, but Lola Lola belongs specifically to this breakthrough role.