Crowds greet Marlene Dietrich

Aug. 7, 1946: After three years entertaining the troops, Marlene Dietrich returned to Los Angeles, arriving at Lockheed Air Terminal (now Bob Hope Airport), The Times reported in a front-page story.

She said she was “so happy to be home I would kiss anybody.” Then she “proved it by kissing an unglamorous Times reporter,” the newspaper said.

The story appeared with a photo of Dietrich perched on the side of a car, one long leg crossed over the other. She was kissing the cheek of Times reporter Clark Roberts, who sat beside her, notebook in hand.

“Miss Dietrich, who spent three years visiting front lines entertaining troops, bounced away from a TWA plane at Lockheed Air Terminal under a barrage of flowers, movie and still cameramen and greetings from hundreds of old friends who hadn’t seen her since she made her last movie in 1943,” The Times said.

“Among the well-wishers were patients from Sawtelle Veterans’ Hospital, whom she had entertained overseas. The actress visited Italy, Africa and all the Mediterranean area during 1943, then formed her own troupe and toured European camps until a month ago.”