She was a German actress and singer who became an American citizen in 1939. She acted on stage and in silent films in Berlin in the 1920s. However, her performance in The Blue Angel (1930) is what brought her international fame as well as a contract with Paramount Pictures. She was one of the highest-paid actresses of the era, starring in Hollywood films such as “Morocco,” “Shanghai Express,” and “Desire.” Besides being an actress and a marquee live-show performer, she was also noted for her humanitarian efforts during World War II. In the late 1930s, she created a fund to provide financial support for Jews and help them escape Germany. Her entire salary for “Knight of Armor” (1941) was also put into escrow to help refugees. After the United States entered World War II, Dietrich became one of the first celebrities to sell war bonds. According to Dietrich, her proudest accomplishment was being awarded the Medal of Freedom from Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor for her “extraordinary record entertaining troops overseas during the war.”