Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr Argentinean Magazine AD

Hedy Lamarr in The Heavenly Body 1944

Algiers 1938 (3)

Clark Gable and Hedy Lamarr Publicity Photo for Comrade X 1940

Hedy Lamarr - Screenland (October 1942)

Hedy Lamarr (born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler; November 9, 1914 – January 19, 2000) was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who was a prominent figure in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Known for her striking beauty and magnetic screen presence, Lamarr's film career spanned over three decades. She starred in numerous successful films, including Algiers (1938), Samson and Delilah (1949), and Ecstasy (1933), the latter of which gained notoriety for featuring her in arguably the first onscreen depiction of female orgasm. Beyond her acting career, Lamarr was also a pioneering inventor. Her most significant contribution to technology was her co-invention, with composer George Antheil, of an early technique for spread spectrum communications and frequency hopping, which laid the foundation for modern Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth communication systems.

Early Life

Hedy Lamarr was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary, into a Jewish family. Her father, Emil Kiesler, was a bank director, and her mother, Gertrud "Trude" Kiesler, was a pianist. Lamarr showed an early interest in acting and was fascinated by theater and film from a young age. Despite her initial focus on the performing arts, Lamarr also exhibited a keen interest in science and technology, influenced by conversations with her father.

Career

Acting

Lamarr's acting career began in Europe, where she worked on several films, including Ecstasy. Her performance in Ecstasy, particularly the controversial scenes, made her famous but also scandalous. Seeking to escape the limiting prospects in Europe and an oppressive marriage to Friedrich Mandl, a wealthy Austrian arms manufacturer, Lamarr moved to Hollywood in the late 1930s.

In Hollywood, she quickly signed a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), becoming one of its biggest stars. Throughout her career in Hollywood, Lamarr was often typecast as the archetypical glamorous seductress of exotic origin. Despite this typecasting, she delivered numerous acclaimed performances.

Inventing

Parallel to her acting career, Lamarr had a passion for inventing. Her most notable invention, developed during World War II, was a secret communication system intended to help combat the Nazis by preventing the interception of Allied torpedoes. She co-invented this early version of frequency hopping spread spectrum communication with George Antheil, a composer and her neighbor. In 1942, they received a patent for their invention. Although the U.S. Navy did not adopt the technology until decades later, it became a precursor to modern wireless communications.

Legacy

Hedy Lamarr's contributions to both film and science have received significant recognition posthumously. She was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014 for her contributions to the development of spread spectrum technology. Lamarr's life and work have been the subject of various documentaries and books, highlighting her dual legacy as a Hollywood icon and a pioneering inventor.

Filmography

• Ecstasy (1933)
• Algiers (1938)
• Samson and Delilah (1949)

See Also

• Women in science
• Golden Age of Hollywood
• Spread spectrum
• Frequency hopping