During the height of World War II, one of Hollywood’s brightest stars dreamed up a plan that sounds like something straight out of a spy thriller. Marlene Dietrich, the glamorous German-born actress who built her career on breaking rules and redefining womanhood, once considered taking down Adolf Hitler herself.
German Star Marlene Dietrich Refused To Give In To Hitler’s Vision
Dietrich was a woman who lived on her own terms. With her daring fashion, smoky voice, and androgynous appeal, she had already become a global icon by the 1920s. But as Germany fell deeper under the Nazi regime, she made a choice that would define her legacy; she walked away.
Related: Who Are Adolf Hitler’s Last Surviving Relatives? Where Are They Now?
Hitler’s government, desperate to claim her as one of their own, tried to lure her back with offers of luxury and stardom. She wanted no part of it. Dietrich left Germany for Hollywood and refused to be used as Nazi propaganda. Later, she didn’t mince words when talking about Hitler, reportedly calling him an “idiot” and telling young men not to throw their lives away for a war she described bluntly as “crap.”
Still, the bizarre irony remained there. While she despised him, Hitler admired her. That twisted dynamic became the seed of an idea that was as daring as it was dangerous. According to ‘Marlene Dietrich: A Personal Biography‘ by Charlotte Chandler, Dietrich shared a secret plan with her friend, actor Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
One night, she confessed that she couldn’t stand by while millions were dying and that she wanted to do something; something drastic. Her idea was that she would use her fame and allure to get close enough to Hitler to kill him. She knew he had a fascination with her; friends like filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl and Nazi minister Joseph Goebbels had hinted at it, and she figured that was her way in.
Dietrich Turned Out To Be A War Hero
The plan was to pretend to accept one of the Nazi film offers she’d been rejecting for years. She’d agree to return to Germany under one condition that she meet Hitler privately. Once she was alone with him, she told Fairbanks, she’d pour on the charm. Ultimately, she’d claim to admire him, even to love him, until he was completely disarmed.
Dietrich thought through every detail. She knew that security around Hitler was airtight. That’s why she planned to wear almost nothing, except for one hidden weapon: a hairpin tipped with poison. It was the only thing small enough to pass through inspection unnoticed. She admitted to Fairbanks that she didn’t expect to survive.
In case you missed it: 25 Most Important Holocaust Movies Ever Made, Ranked
She loved life, she said, but ending Hitler’s would be worth her own. “To kill Hitler would be wonderful,” she reportedly told him. “We all have to die sometime, and that would be something to die for.” In the end, the plan never moved beyond fantasy, though. Whether she realized it was too risky or simply impossible to execute, Dietrich didn’t go through with it.
However, her willingness to even consider such a mission spoke a lot about her courage. After all, we are talking about a time when speaking out against the Nazis could have meant death. Even without pulling off her assassination plot, Dietrich played a huge role in the Allied war effort. She performed for troops on the frontlines, often in dangerous conditions, and boosted morale wherever she went. She also helped Jewish refugees flee Germany and worked alongside filmmaker Billy Wilder to get them to safety.
After the war, the United States awarded her the Medal of Freedom. It was an ideal tribute for someone who risked everything to stand on the right side of history. Marlene Dietrich may never have gotten the chance to face Hitler herself, but she fought him in her own way.
