Supersluts of History: Hollywood's Marlene Dietrich

Supersluts of History: Hollywood's Marlene Dietrich

Author: History Hit June 26, 2026 Duration: 48:46

Marlene Dietrich was unapologetic in her love of sex, and she had a lot of it.


She took Hollywood by storm in the 1930s and slept with some of tinsel town's most famous men and women.


What made her so unique and create such a legacy? As a sexually liberated German woman what did the Nazis make of her? And did she really sleep with JFK and his father?!


This is the final instalment of our mini-series, Supersluts of History, where we're exploring and celebrating women whose sexuality was used to define them. Have we saved the best til last?


Joining Kate for this episode is author and journalist Mick LaSalle.


This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.


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All music from Epidemic Sounds.

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Ever wondered about the unspoken rules and private lives that shaped our past? Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society pulls back the curtain on the intimate forces that have influenced civilizations across time. Guided by sex historian Dr. Kate Lister, this History Hit podcast explores the fascinating intersections of desire, power, and social norms. Each episode digs into the questions rarely found in textbooks, examining how personal behavior and public scandal have driven political change, shaped laws, and defined cultural identities. You’ll hear about the surprising realities of Victorian domesticity, the unexpected social advantages for women following the Black Death, and even speculative curiosities about the private habits of figures like Julius Caesar. Lister bed-hops through eras with a scholar’s rigor and a storyteller’s flair, moving from ancient worlds through the medieval and Renaissance periods into more recent history. The conversations are insightful and engaging, transforming taboo topics into a legitimate lens for understanding human progress and conflict. Tuning in offers a unique perspective on the past, revealing how the most personal aspects of life are inextricably woven into the broader tapestry of society. It’s a deep and often surprising dive into the histories that happened, quite literally, behind closed doors.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
Podcast Episodes
Sex Work in Colonial India [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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When the British Empire colonised India, how did it treat their different ideas about sex? How did they treat sex workers like the Devadasi, meaning 'slave of God'? And did the Victorians fetishise Indian sexuality?Joini…
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Sadism - the derivation of pleasure from inflicting pain, suffering and humiliation on others - is named after this man. So what exactly did he do?Kate is joined by journalist and author Joel Warner to discuss the Marqui…
Inside the Moulin Rouge [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:58
The Moulin Rouge opened its doors in 1889, at the height of the Belle Epoch - 'the Beautiful Age'.Its famous windmill structure stood on the fringes of Paris, where intellectuals and artists mixed with thugs and criminal…
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Duration: 42:42
What is a mermaid? Do sirens, selkies and Aquaman fit into this category? And how far back in history do they go?Kate is joined by Diane Purkiss to discuss the Little Mermaid, both the Disney and Hans Christian Anderson…
Inside the Brothels of New Orleans [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:59
Storyville was the red-light district in New Orleans, created in 1897.What was it like in this neighbourhood, and inside the brothels there? How was race and segregation a factor in Storyville? And what triggered the dow…