She was a Hollywood star and an inventor who changed the world. She made her mark on the history of both film and technology. Losangeleska.com tells more about the Hollywood Golden Age beauty and talented inventor whose ideas were far ahead of their time.
Hollywood Star
Hedy Lamarr was often called one of the most beautiful women in the world. Her gaze captivated men, yet few could have guessed at the beautiful woman’s secret life. During her acting career, the Austrian-born star co-starred with legends like Clark Gable, Judy Garland, and more.
Hedy’s father had Ukrainian roots, born and raised in a Jewish family in Lviv, while her mother was from Budapest. Hedy Lamarr was born in Austria. From childhood, it was clear she had a gift. She began attending theater school and acting in films at an early age.
Her debut was the 1930 German film “Girl in the Nightclub” (Geld auf der Straße). Max Reinhardt, a theatrical director, called the young actress “the most beautiful woman in Europe.”
The 1940s were the peak of her career, with over 18 films to her name. But it’s worth starting with the film that made a young Hedy famous: the Czechoslovakian-Austrian film “Ecstasy,” where the actress had a brief nude scene. The film’s release, and especially the nude scene, shocked a public that was not yet ready for it. Adding to the notoriety was the fact that Lamarr was the first actress to simulate an orgasm on screen. Church representatives immediately expressed outrage, and the film was even banned in some countries.
The actress last appeared on screen in 1958 in the film “The Female Animal.” In 1966, at the age of 52, she attempted a comeback, but it failed. The reason was her difficult temperament and negative statements. Over her acting career, she made many enemies in Hollywood, and a smear campaign was launched against her.
For her contribution to cinema, Hedy Lamarr was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Personal Life
Her personal life was extremely eventful. She was married 6 times and had 3 children.
At just 18, her parents married her off to Austrian millionaire Friedrich Mandl. Her first husband was an arms dealer who had ties to the Nazi government and even knew Adolf Hitler. It was an unhappy marriage that lasted 4 years. Escaping from the influential and dangerous man was difficult, but she managed. She slipped her maid a sleeping draught and fled on the steamship “Normandie” to New York.
Groundbreaking Work
Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr was a secret inventor who developed technology for the military during World War II. At first, it was a hobby, but she desperately wanted to find a way to help the American war effort. Another reason for her persistent work was the desire to safely bring her mother from London to the US.
In 1942, she and George Antheil patented a system for remotely controlling torpedoes, self-propelled underwater explosive weapons. They received patent number 2,292,387 for a “Secret Communication System.” The technology’s importance was reassessed after the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
Another invention was the development of a frequency-hopping system during WWII, which laid the foundation for modern wireless communication technologies. This was incredible work by Lamarr, who managed to revolutionize telecommunications in a field dominated by men.
Interestingly, November 9, Lamarr’s birthday, is celebrated as Inventor’s Day in German-speaking countries.
The Role of Women Inventors: Why Were They Overlooked for So Long?
At one time, most influential and intelligent women were kept in the shadows. Hedy Lamarr, a film icon and prolific self-taught inventor, is a prime example. She took great pleasure in working on the design flaws of existing technologies and improving them.
It’s worth mentioning George Antheil, whom Hedy met during the war years. Interestingly, just like Hedy, he had an inventive mind. George was a hardworking musician by day and an inventor by night. Hedy and George managed to devise three different inventions together.
It should be noted that Hedy Lamarr never received any financial compensation for her inventions. She didn’t think about it at the time, but late in life, it pained her that the world had not recognized or valued her achievements.
A Tragic End
The incredibly beautiful and intelligent Hedy Lamarr ended her life as a recluse. Over time, she withdrew more and more from the public. This was largely due to the public pressure regarding her beauty. She stated that her beauty was “her curse.” That is why she hid from everyone in the last years of her life, communicating with relatives only by phone. In Lamarr’s view, beauty allowed her to escape the Nazis and later made her a movie star. As she aged, she felt “crushed by the world.”
In her heyday, she was repeatedly called the most beautiful woman in the world. Hedy Lamarr’s face inspired the creation of Disney’s Snow White and the comic book character Catwoman.
Her story inspired the documentary “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story.” The film was co-produced by Susan Sarandon and directed by Alexandra Dean. Watching the film, viewers can dive deeper into the story of one of Hollywood’s most alluring stars. For many, the dissonance is truly incredible—a beauty by day and an inventor by night. One can only imagine the famous Hollywood star finishing a scene with film legends, then calmly returning to her trailer to work on her inventions.
This period was also difficult due to a lack of money, but here too, the woman’s ingenuity and cleverness helped. The graphics company Corel used her image on its products without her permission, as its representatives were convinced the legendary Hedy Lamarr was already dead. She sued them and won $3 million.
Later, she decided to contact the Smithsonian Museum to have the original patent for her frequency-hopping invention appraised. The woman died before learning that the patent’s estimated value reached $6 million. This meant that it wasn’t her beauty that prevailed, but her mind.
On January 19, 2000, the legendary Hedy Lamarr died in Orlando, Florida. According to her will, her ashes were to be scattered in her homeland, in Austria, among the Vienna Woods.
Beautiful and Talented
Although Hedy Lamarr was born in Austria, she found her path in Hollywood. Her acting, like her beauty, captivated millions. Modern authors and researchers often call the Hollywood actress “the Angelina Jolie of her time.”
However, her true legacy lies not only in film but also in science. Hedy succeeded in developing the frequency-hopping system that became the basis for modern wireless technologies. Thanks to Hedy Lamarr, the modern generation knows what Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth are.
While her invention did not receive proper recognition during her lifetime, today she is considered one of the most outstanding female inventors in history. Hedy Lamarr’s legacy inspires new generations of scientists, engineers, and creative individuals. She became an example of how any one of us can make our own contribution to the development of humanity.
