Remarque was a self made-man - born into a poor family, he moulded himself into a connoisseur of art whose collection became one of the finest in Europe, and an author whose novels brought him wealth, fame and vast readership. He was also the lover of some of the world's most desirable women. At the core of his life was a long-lasting affair with Marlene Dietrich who helped him to flee from the Nazis as Europe went to war. Arch of Triumph, the bestseller he wrote while a stateless emigre in Hollywood, was inspired by the ecstacy and torment Dietrich caused him. Other lovers included Greta Garbo, Dolores del Rio, Maureen O'Sullivan (the 'Jane' of the Tarzan films), the tragic Lupe Velez, the double Oscar winner Luise Rainier, and Paulette Goddard, who became his second wife.