The Hot Voodoo scene in Blonde Venus has been commented on by film critics since its release in 1932. The surprising performance begins with a chorus of black show girls dressed in 'savage' costume parading a dancer dressed in a black gorilla suit though the audience. The gorilla takes centre stage and unmasks the performer as Marlene Dietrich. Dressed in a bodice extravagantly adorned with ostrich feathers, rhinestones and sequins, Dietrich's look is completed with a large blonde afro-style wig embellished with sequin covered arrows, worn while she sings Hot Voodoo. This unforgettable routine pays tribute to Joseph Von Sternberg's statement in his autobiography regarding Blonde Venus that it was ...written swiftly to provide something other than the sob stories that were being submitted.
Also see footnote to lot 12.