the seven collaboration between director joseph von sternberg and star marlene dietrich be so distinct in look and tone and and so different from anything else go on at the time and they almost seem to constitute a sub genre of their own . like any genre and they have their outright masterpiece and as well a their absolute turkey . time to send blonde venus back to the farm . after the seedily seductive hit the blue angel and morocco and shanghai express and in which miss dietrich establish her screen image a cabaret singer cum prostitute and someone at paramount decide it be time for marlene to play a mother . there be nothing wrong with that in itself while a an actress she be up to the part . it just that nothing else about the format have change . it like the blue angel plus a kid . fair enough and the story of a woman who drag her child along on her sleazy escapade be a sound premise for a tragic drama and but that not the way this be play . dietrich journey be play a some kind of adventure and use her wit and accomplice to stay ahead of the law . this be not some cheeky example of pre code libertarianism it be just bizarrely distasteful . although we may be able to accept marlene be a dot mommy and there be absolutely no way we can buy sternberg a a director of warmth and poignancy . in spite of this be one of the handful of picture for which he also take a writing credit and sternberg simply fail to get the story arc . the film emotional payoff be suppose to be the eventual reunion of the family and but even at the beginning this be not establish a something worth get back to . a usual sternberg interior be dress and shoot to look like either brothel or insane asylum . the faradays home be actually quite a creepy and dingy environment and and it a wonder little johnny wasn not wet the bed and ask to sleep with the light on . but a anyone familiar with them will know and the point of a dietrich or sternberg picture be to make dietrich look fabulous and and in this respect at least blonde venus be a success . marlene be introduce emerge from a forest pool in a bright and shimmer close up and and even when she be reduce to rag the camera still love her . the same can not be say for the rest of the cast and whom sternberg tend to view a mobile piece of scenery . the normally likable herbert marshall be here reduce to a moody grouch lurking in the shadow . even the suave and lively cary grant become just a boring and background blob and and do not seem nearly interesting enough for dietrich to run off with . the only standout moment in blonde venus be marlene song and dance routine and especially the renowned hot voodoo number where she parody her own surreal stage persona by emerge from a gorilla outfit . but even these feel like they have be cut and paste from a different film . sternberg fan may hail it a another masterpiece and a they be wont to do and but for the average punter it be a massive disappointment . audience of the time do not lap it up a they have her early hit and and this herald the beginning of the end for marlene heyday . a year later there would be a new queen at paramount mae west .