Both films were directed by Josef Von Sternberg about two years apart. Of course, they are different breeds of film.Docks of New York was silent, released in 1928. The Blue Angel was a talkie, the first in German, released in 1930.
The Blue Angel also was the debut of Marlene Dietrich and the first of eight collaborations with Von Sternberg. Oddly, typically when there are this many opportunities to work together, there is more than likely some kind of relationship. Reading both of Von Sternberg's and Dietrich's bios, they apparently didn't have, at least, a very open relationship. Anyway, it's not reported and the idea that Von Sternberg never got to sleep with Dietrich is sort of tragic.
Dietrich's portrayal of Lola Lola was the apparent inspiration for Madeline Kahn as Lili von Schtupp in Blazing Saddles, despite I thought it was built more around Dietrich's character in Destry Rides Again (a film in which she co-starred with James Stewart ... and they had an affair ... what was Von Sternberg doing?)
The film was also a collaboration between Von Sternberg and Emil Jannings, the first being The Last Command. The pair had a massive dispute before reconciling and starting a project about Rasputin and finally doing The Blue Angel.
Von Sternberg died of a heart attack at the age of 75. Having never slept with Marlene Dietrich. We think.
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