Maria Elisabeth Riva (née Sieber; born December ) is an American
actress, writer and activist. She worked on television in the s. She
is the daughter of actress Marlene Dietrich, about whom she published
a memoir in .Maria Elisabeth Sieber was born in Berlin, the only child
of actress Marlene Dietrich and assistant film director Rudolf Sieber
(and later Paramount Pictures director of dubbing, Paris, France). In
, at age five, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles, California.
She spent most of her time at home, on the Paramount Studios lot, and
in the company of her mother's friends. In , aged nine, she had a
small role in Josef von Sternberg's film The Scarlet Empress, based on
the life of Catherine the Great, in which she played Catherine as a
child. As no young actress could be found who resembled her mother,
she was given the part. In her scenes in the film she was filmed in
bed, as she was much older in real life than the character she played.
She was also an extra in the David O. Selznick production, The Garden
of Allah.In order for Dietrich to keep her daughter close to her, Riva
was not permitted to attend school; instead she had governesses who
saw to her education. Her mother relented in the late s, allowing her
to attend Brillantmont International School in Switzerland. During her
time at Brillantmont, her roommate was actress Gene Tierney. During
her childhood, she would often join the Kennedy family on vacation
along with her mother. Despite the six-year age difference between the
two, she became good friends with Rosemary Kennedy, saying of their
friendship, "Perhaps being two misfits, we felt comfortable in each
other's company".
actress, writer and activist. She worked on television in the s. She
is the daughter of actress Marlene Dietrich, about whom she published
a memoir in .Maria Elisabeth Sieber was born in Berlin, the only child
of actress Marlene Dietrich and assistant film director Rudolf Sieber
(and later Paramount Pictures director of dubbing, Paris, France). In
, at age five, she moved with her mother to Los Angeles, California.
She spent most of her time at home, on the Paramount Studios lot, and
in the company of her mother's friends. In , aged nine, she had a
small role in Josef von Sternberg's film The Scarlet Empress, based on
the life of Catherine the Great, in which she played Catherine as a
child. As no young actress could be found who resembled her mother,
she was given the part. In her scenes in the film she was filmed in
bed, as she was much older in real life than the character she played.
She was also an extra in the David O. Selznick production, The Garden
of Allah.In order for Dietrich to keep her daughter close to her, Riva
was not permitted to attend school; instead she had governesses who
saw to her education. Her mother relented in the late s, allowing her
to attend Brillantmont International School in Switzerland. During her
time at Brillantmont, her roommate was actress Gene Tierney. During
her childhood, she would often join the Kennedy family on vacation
along with her mother. Despite the six-year age difference between the
two, she became good friends with Rosemary Kennedy, saying of their
friendship, "Perhaps being two misfits, we felt comfortable in each
other's company".
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