Marlene Dietrich in Rancho Notorious – Original RKO Radio Pictures Press Photograph – Fritz Lang – 1952

Description

A striking original black-and-white RKO Radio Pictures press photograph of Marlene Dietrich in Fritz Lang’s Rancho Notorious, dating from the film’s original 1952 release period.

Dietrich is shown in a highly theatrical full-length costume portrait, seated against a draped studio backdrop in corseted showgirl dress, stockings and lace-up boots. The pose is unmistakably star-driven and visually much stronger than a routine scene still, presenting Dietrich in the flamboyant Western-cabaret persona that makes Rancho Notorious one of the more distinctive films of her later Hollywood career.

The reverse retains an original typed publicity caption headed:

“MARLENE DIETRICH RETURNS.”

The caption promotes Dietrich’s return to the screen and specifically connects the image with Rancho Notorious, naming Arthur Kennedy and Mel Ferrer as co-stars and describing the production as a Technicolor Fidelity Production.

It also carries the original RKO Radio Pictures Ltd. property and reproduction stamp, confirming that the photograph was distributed for contemporary press use. The stamp states that the photograph remained the property of RKO Radio Pictures Ltd. and could only be reproduced for publication under the stipulated conditions.

A Shields Gazette Library stamp and manuscript archive annotations are also present on the reverse.

The combination of image, original RKO copyright/provenance stamp and surviving contemporary production caption gives this photograph substantially greater documentary value than an unidentified or later Dietrich print.

Rancho Notorious

Released in 1952, Rancho Notorious was directed by Fritz Lang and starred Marlene Dietrich, Arthur Kennedy and Mel Ferrer. Dietrich plays Altar Keane, the enigmatic owner of the Chuck-a-Luck ranch, around whom much of the film’s mythology and mystery develops.

The film is one of Lang’s most distinctive American Westerns, combining revenge drama, psychological tension, stylised Technicolor and an unusually theatrical treatment of the genre.

The surviving publicity caption is particularly interesting because it explicitly frames the film as a return vehicle for Dietrich, recalling her earlier screen success and using her glamour as a central part of the production’s marketing.

RKO Provenance

The reverse preserves particularly strong primary evidence:

• original contemporary Rancho Notorious publicity caption;
• direct identification of Marlene Dietrich;
• identification of Arthur Kennedy and Mel Ferrer;
• original RKO Radio Pictures Ltd. property/reproduction stamp;
• Shields Gazette Library provenance;
• manuscript working annotations.

These features support the photograph’s status as an original release-period publicity print rather than a later reproduction.

Condition

Very good condition overall for an original working press photograph dating from the early 1950s.

The image remains sharp and strongly contrasted, with excellent detail to Dietrich’s face, costume, stockings and boots.

There is light age-related toning, minor surface and handling wear and modest edge and corner wear consistent with genuine newspaper use.

The reverse retains the original typed publicity caption, RKO Radio Pictures property/reproduction stamp, Shields Gazette Library stamp and manuscript annotations. There is some light age-related staining and adhesive marking associated with the attached caption.

Please study both photographs carefully as they form an integral part of the description.

Subject: Marlene Dietrich
Character: Altar Keane
Film: Rancho Notorious
Director: Fritz Lang
Co-stars: Arthur Kennedy and Mel Ferrer
Date: 1952
Production / distribution: Fidelity Production / RKO Radio Pictures
Photographer: Uncredited
Provenance: Shields Gazette photographic archive
Size: 23.4 × 18.8 cm
Format: Original black-and-white press photograph
Verso: Original publicity caption, RKO Radio Pictures Ltd. property/reproduction stamp, Shields Gazette Library stamp and manuscript annotations
Modern reproduction: No

Authenticity

This photograph has been handled, inspected and catalogued in-house at Hornseys.

Its attribution and period status are supported directly by the surviving original publicity caption identifying Rancho Notorious, Dietrich, Kennedy and Ferrer, together with the contemporary RKO Radio Pictures Ltd. property and reproduction stamp.

It is an original release-period press photograph and not a modern reproduction.

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