Unusual relationship – Marlene Dietrich and Eddie Fisher

In his autobiography „Eddie: My Life, My Loves”, American singer and entertainer Eddie Fisher (1928-2010) wrote that when he was young, he had an “unusual relationship” with German  actress and singer Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992).

During her life, famous German actress, whose real name was Maria Magdalene Dietrich, was never ashamed of her love affairs. She even boldly admitted that she slept with American President John F. Kennedy when she was 62 years old.

However, when an auction of her books was held in one Parisian bookstore, they found her copy of Fisher's autobiography. Next to the section where he described their „unusual relationship“, Marlene scrawled:

“You said it, kid. We never met.”

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Banana peel – Charlie Chaplin

Famous actor David Niven (1910-1983) wrote in his autobiography an anecdote when screenwriter Charles MacArthur (1895-1956) asked Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) for advice on how to design a gag in which a fat lady is walking down the street, slipping on a banana peel and falling down. Since such a stunt was performed thousands of times before, how to do it and make the audience laugh?

Should he first show the banana peel, then the lady approaching, and then the fall? Or, to show the fat lady first, and then the banana peel on which she slips?

Charlie Chaplin immediately replied:

"You show the fat lady approaching; then you show the banana peel; then you show the fat lady and the banana peel together; then she steps OVER the banana peel and disappears down a manhole."

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