Maria Riva, the only child of legendary actress Marlene Dietrich, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 100. Riva died at her son Peter Riva‘s home in Gila, New Mexico, where she had been residing since early 2022. Known for her work in early television, she was a prominent figure during the formative years of the medium.
Born December 13, 1924, in Berlin, Maria Elisabeth Sieber was the daughter of Marlene Dietrich and film editor Rudolf Sieber. After moving to Los Angeles at the age of five, she grew up in the shadow of her mother’s stardom. Riva’s early career included roles in films like The Scarlet Empress (1934) and The Garden of Allah (1936), where she shared the screen with her mother.
Despite a promising start in acting, Riva often described herself as a “Poor Man’s Dietrich” and chose to step away from the spotlight in the late 1950s. Instead, she managed her mother’s successful Las Vegas act and international tours. Following Dietrich’s death in May 1992, Riva authored a book that explored her mother’s life and legacy. In a 2009 interview, she stated, “I consider myself a biographer, not the daughter,” emphasizing her objective perspective on her mother’s storied career.
Television Career and Personal Life
Maria Riva’s television career began when she signed a contract with CBS for $250 a week, becoming a regular on anthology series such as Studio One and Suspense. She received Emmy nominations for Best Actress in both 1952 and 1953 and appeared alongside television icons like John Forsythe.
Riva’s career took her through various genres, from anthologies to commercials, where she famously demonstrated aluminum foil for Alcoa. Despite her success, Riva chose to leave the television industry as it moved to the West Coast, citing a desire to distance herself from the superficiality she observed among the industry elite.
In her personal life, Riva married scenic designer William Riva in 1947, a union that lasted until his death in 1999. Together, they had three sons, including J. Michael Riva, who served as production designer for the film Scrooged (1988), in which Maria played a supporting role. Riva’s other son, John-Paul, worked as a production assistant in the art department.
Legacy and Later Years
Throughout her life, Maria Riva remained connected to her mother’s legacy. She co-authored a photography book featuring previously unseen images of Dietrich and edited a volume of her mother’s poetry. Riva also wrote a novel, You Were There Before My Eyes, published in 2017, which tells the story of an Italian immigrant in Detroit.
In the years following Dietrich’s death, Riva sold much of her mother’s estate to be housed in Berlin’s Deutsche Kinemathek museum, ensuring that her mother’s contributions to cinema would be preserved for future generations. Riva is survived by her sons Peter and John-Paul, as well as another son, David, and her grandchildren.
Marlene Dietrich, known for her roles in films like Morocco (1930) and Judgment at Nuremberg (1961), remains an enduring symbol of glamour and talent in the film industry. The bond between Maria Riva and her mother shaped her life and career, reflecting both the challenges and rewards of growing up in the limelight.
