contract director josef von sternberg discovered marlene dietrich while making "the blue angel." e studio immediately signed her up for what were to be 6 movies with von sternberg back on hollywood soil in the early 30's. dietrich, she knew exactly how she wanted to be lit. she had been lit by von sternberg and she had gotten this certain kind of look from a high light coming down. and she knew exactly where she wanted that light up there. she was the only one that ever asked me to change a light up, because she thought it would be better if i moved it that way or this way. (charles lang) von sternberg developed a kind of a lighting that was very, very interesting. and it was different from what other lighting was. and it was important to change things. and at that time german film was really the best, especially, i think, modern in that they were way ahead. so that these germans, lubitsch and von sternberg and marlene dietrich and billy wilder, fritz lang. and naturally i didn't start out working with them. i just was a draftsman; it was a great learning period. quite literally t