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Topic: Lili Marlene

Something that I found puzzling growing up in the 1950s in England was why, on radio and television, a German song, Lili Marlene was sometimes featured, reminiscing about the war that had happened.

By Vera Lynn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSMuTm649Hk

or by Anne Shelton

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HaR1nzQYQk

> Orders came for sailing ...

So lyrics linked to our island country surrounded by sea.

Interestingly, there are other versions with different English lyrics.

Marlene Dietrich sang as follows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAfiw-OPBXU

Lale Andersen sang as follows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0P_m7SZBvQ

Two renditions of the original German version.

One from 1939,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjXC4N1HXf0

One from 1993,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swxBxs3cE1c

In French, sung by Marlene Dietrich

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcP2lm6u15c

An interesting karaoke version with lyrics in French and many pictures.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMJfq3RK9SY

William

2 Reply by GB

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Re: Lili Marlene

Marlene Dietrich became an American citizen before outbreak of WW2.

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Re: Lili Marlene

Yes.

As an entertainer for the troops, so that she could not be deemed a spy if captured, she was an American Army officer and wore uniform.

I read somewhere once the following.

Either very late in the war, or just after, in Germany, she was seeking information about her sister.

Apparently at where she enquired, an assistant went into an office to say to someone in authority that there was an American officer wanting to see him.

"Send him in", was the reply!

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

From ‘Marlene Dietrich: Life and Legend’: Page 301

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams
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Re: Lili Marlene

A Trip Down Memory Lane: Marlene Dietrich’s Lost Sister

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams
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Re: Lili Marlene

Here is a version with singing by Lale Andersen in German, on screen lyrics of an English translation of the German lyrics if one turns on the subtitles, and archive photographs.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nilDHzva2Gg

The English translation of the German lyrics is different from the English lyrics of the English versions.

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

Another song sung by Lale Andersen.

Blau Nacht am Hafen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ijw-Wm1OFWo

https://lyricstranslate.com/en/blaue-na … arbor.html

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

As a military march

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgkfvVirkaI

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

The military march version mentioned in the previous post plays in My Mix here sometimes.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgkfvVirkaI

One time while watching the video I noticed something interesting in the way that the video has been constructed.

If you watch the video, do you notice anything interesting in the way that the video is constructed?

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

It’s very noticeable that the Chilean Army shield is visible front and centre most of the time, only disappearing when the static images give way to short stretches of moving images.

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams
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Re: Lili Marlene

Yes, true, but that is not what I noticed.

Another look?

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

Indeed, until Alfred mentioned it, I had not noticed that the shield was not in the movie sequences.

Have you spotted the answer yet?

A clue is available if needed.

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

William wrote:

A clue is available if needed.

A clue is clearly needed!

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams
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Re: Lili Marlene

Clue: What feature do all those images that have the name of the song included in the subtitle of the image have in common?

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

All the images that have the name of the song included in the subtitle of the image have at least one thing in common: they have the name of the song included in the subtitle! https://punster.me/images/biggrin.gif

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams
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Re: Lili Marlene

Yes, that is true, but please look at the people in each such image. What do those people have in common that the people featured in the other images do not?

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

Once one notices it, it leaps out! Clearly part of the design of the video.

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

Do you want me to post the answer?

William

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Re: Lili Marlene

When Lili (or Lilí!) is mentioned, women are shown in the accompanying image. Have I won a prize yet?

"Has it ever struck you that life is all memory, except for the one present moment that goes by you so quick you hardly catch it going?"
― Tennessee Williams
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Re: Lili Marlene

Correct.

As your prize, you are invited (though need not accept) to discuss, in a new thread, the practicalities of making on a basically zero budget a movie based on the idea of the movie speculated about in the following chapter of my first novel, in the hope that Albert might join in and, provided with artwork, actually produce the movie and put it on YouTube.

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~ngo/l … er_017.pdf

William