Femme Fatale - An Origin Story

Seduction, danger, and the birth of the femme fatale.
Decades before her time, Marlene Dietrich was already dismantling the gender binary in a top hat and tails. The origin story of Hollywood’s first femme fatale aka Marlene Dietrich.

I created this as an homage to the sensual, enigmatic power of the femme fatale archetype.

In Morocco (1930), Dietrich’s Hollywood debut, she famously kisses a woman in the audience while dressed in a tuxedo and top hat. This was no ordinary leading lady.

Scenes from The Blue Angel and the shadowy, bat-like villain of The Bat Whispers, heightened the atmosphere of the "dark temptress". Just like the bat villain, the essence of the femme fatale is looming in the shadows.

What makes it more interesting is that these films were made in the Pre-Code Hollywood. A brief window of time before censorship laws dictated how sexuality, women’s independence, and crime could be shown on screen.

This piece was submitted to the 2026 public domain remix contest.

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"Morocco" Directed by: Josef von Sternber. 1930

"The Bat Whispers" Directed by: Roland West. 1930

"The Blue Angel" Directed by: Josef von Sternber. 1930

Soundtrack: "Sky 5: The Rise, The Walk, The Hope" by Monplaisir