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Margo Lion

istanbul, not constantinople

Marguerite Hélène Constantine Barbe Elisabeth Lion was a French Singer and Actress, born in Istanbul (then Constantinople) on February 28th 1899.

She first came to Berlin in 1921 and made her debut at Trude Hesterbergs cabaret ‘Wild Bühne’ (The Wild Stage) in 1923. She performed the songs of her long-term boyfriend, the lyricist Marcellus Schiffer, whom she married in 1928.

(Image: Archiv Der Akademie der Künst, Berlin)

(Image: Archiv Der Akademie der Künst, Berlin)

Her style and appearance was thought to be a huge influence on her friend, the young and then unknown, Marlene Dietrich.

She performed the controversial duet Wenn Die Beste Freundin with Dietrich in the revue Es Liegt In Der Luft in 1928. She also appeared in the famous Friedrich Hollaender revues Das Bist Du (That’s You) in 1927 and Bei Uns um Die Gedächtniskirche rum (With Us ’Round The Memorial Church) in 1928.

(Image: Archiv Der Akademie der Künst, Berlin)

(Image: Archiv Der Akademie der Künst, Berlin)

She appeared in ten films between 1926 and 1932, and in 1931 was cast as Jenny in the French language film adaptation of Brecht and Weill’s The Threepenny Opera (L’Opera des quat’sous).

In 1932, her husband Marcellus Schiffer died by suicide.

She left Berlin for Paris in 1933, when the Nazis came to power.

She continued to work as a singer and actress, specialising in the work of Brecht on stage, and made a further 18 films from 1935 to 1976.

In 1946 she appeared alongside Marlene Dietrich again in the French film Martin Roumagnac.

She made a return to Berlin in 1977, appearing at the Berlin Festival, performing Es Liegt In Der Luft accompanied by Mischa Spoliansky on the piano.

(image: Kabarett.es)

She died in Paris on February 25th 1989, 3 days before her 90th birthday.

The extensive Marcellus Schiffer/Margo Lion archive is located in Der Archiv Der Akademie Der Künste in Berlin.