Maria Riva, actress Ghosts attack the boss, Suspended o Studio Onehas died at 100 years old. The only daughter of Marlene Dietrich—interpreter of The Blue Angel, Shanghai Express y witness for the prosecution— died of natural causes last Wednesday, October 29 in Gila (New Mexico), as confirmed by his son Peter Riva. “We will all miss María’s intelligence, advice and deep human understanding,” her son lamented in a statement released by The Wrap. “The family is comforted to know that she is now reunited with her husband of 50 years, William, and her eldest son, Michael, and his parents, Marlene and Rudi.”
Riva was an American actress of German origin, who followed in her mother’s footsteps, but also forged her own path. She spent her childhood in Hollywood, educated at home by her mother’s decision. Her career took off when she was 9 years old with a small role in Capricho Imperialthe film by Josef von Sternberg, where she played Catherine the Great as a child, since her mother had the lead role. During World War II, as a teenager, he performed for Allied troops in Europe, entertaining the soldiers. In the 1950s, Riva was part of more than 500 live soap operas for CBS, some of them The Milton Berle Show, Studio One y Your Show of Shows. In 1952 and 1953 she was nominated for an Emmy for best actress. At the end of the decade she retired from acting and moved to Switzerland with her husband, set designer William Riva, and their four children.
After his mother’s death in 1992, he wrote Marlene Dietrich for her daughter Maria Rivaa book of almost 800 pages. In his narrative, Riva portrayed his mother—whom he was an assistant for years—as manipulative, narcissistic, selfish, and addicted to alcohol and love. All supported by letters, telegrams and Dietrich’s intimate diaries. Regarding the mother and daughter relationship, he declared to the Television Academy website in 2009: “(People) do not understand how it is possible to be the son of an ephemeral creature that is beyond the normal. It is very difficult.”