Anita Berber

Anita Berber was a famous icon in the 1930's, who spent most of her working life in Berlin. At the beginning of her career she featured in silent films, toured around Germany and Austria, was on the cover of glossy magazines and became a sought after model.

Otto Dix painted this iconic portrait of

 her called ‘The Dancer Anita Berber’. 

A she became more and more famous, her personal life started to appear in the Berlin newspapers and caused some controversy. There were rumours of lesbian affairs, S&M, cocaine, and spending fortunes on fur, shoes and jewellery. "She would spend her nights touring the hotels and elegant restaurants of the city, wearing nothing but a sable coat, and with her pet monkey around her neck along with an antique brooch packed full of cocaine." http://www.cabaret-berlin.com/?p=365 15/10

She also started to become a big cabaret star, and this flourished more than her film career as she had begun to become extrememly troublesome and unrealiable to work with because of her partying lifestyle.
Otto Dix painted this iconic portrait of her called ‘The Dancer Anita Berber’.

I have found it really interesting researching into Anita Berber, as I feel that it has given me a really good insight into what it was like to live in 1930's Berlin as a famous showgirl. Berber was a real person - so I think that it gives me more of a realistic view into what it was like to have this kind of partying lifestyle. This will also help me when designing my final makeup design - particularly if I use Sally Bowles as my chosen character - as I feel that this is the kind of lifestyle which she tried to have.