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Hedy Lamarr: The Life and Legacy of the Influential Actress and Inventor
*Includes pictures
*Includes further reading
“Films have a certain place in a certain time period. Technology is forever.” – Hedy Lamarr
The “Golden Age” of American film that began in the pre-World War II years has never truly ended, moving from its early connection with “film noir” to the epics of the 1960s and beyond. Similarly, movie stars still enjoy a degree of exoticism they have possessed since the days of silent film. However, in the modern day, the screen actor is not so narrowly constrained by public image as to prevent the leading of a double life, once impermissible for powerful studio heads. A sideline of political and social activism is not uncommon, and even academic pursuits are now mere points of interest, where they were once forbidden. Put simply, for much of Hollywood’s early history, brains and beauty were considered mutually exclusive.
During the first half of the 20th century, American crowds developed a fascination with foreign actors whose native accents lent an enhanced air of mystery to their on-screen personae. Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, and Marlene Dietrich, all European-born, ruled at the box office. Amid their prolific careers stood the curious case of Hedy Lamarr, acclaimed as the most beautiful star of her time, and living with a professional pastime that looms large in the modern day as new information technology emerges.
The “Big Five” movie studios all have roots in these years, including Universal Studios, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Columbia, and even Disney. In the early days, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was created in a merger between Metro, belonging to Marcus Loew, one owned by Louis B. Mayer, and a third enterprise resulting in the still-famous logo of the MGM lion. In the United States and overseas, agents and studio heads were on the lookout for talent, and Western agents flooded Europe searching for the next foreign heartthrob.
In an age less socially sensitive to matters of gender, the Austrian-born Lamarr, then hailed as “the most beautiful woman in the world,” dared to possess a daunting intellect and the mind of a scientist. For the cinematic peddlers of escapist on-screen seduction, such a problematic reality required total public suppression. As such, people are only now becoming aware of Lamarr’s scientific designs that led to the development of the globe’s most ubiquitous communications network, the internet, mobile phones, GPS, and Bluetooth, not to mention military and satellite technologies. Much of Lamarr’s early life and the seeming paradox of it was well-documented in Richard Rhodes Hedy’s The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World . The Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb applied equal thoroughness to Lamarr’s biography, while featuring a cover in which she is dressed as Delilah sitting on a torpedo.
*Includes further reading
“Films have a certain place in a certain time period. Technology is forever.” – Hedy Lamarr
The “Golden Age” of American film that began in the pre-World War II years has never truly ended, moving from its early connection with “film noir” to the epics of the 1960s and beyond. Similarly, movie stars still enjoy a degree of exoticism they have possessed since the days of silent film. However, in the modern day, the screen actor is not so narrowly constrained by public image as to prevent the leading of a double life, once impermissible for powerful studio heads. A sideline of political and social activism is not uncommon, and even academic pursuits are now mere points of interest, where they were once forbidden. Put simply, for much of Hollywood’s early history, brains and beauty were considered mutually exclusive.
During the first half of the 20th century, American crowds developed a fascination with foreign actors whose native accents lent an enhanced air of mystery to their on-screen personae. Greta Garbo, Ingrid Bergman, and Marlene Dietrich, all European-born, ruled at the box office. Amid their prolific careers stood the curious case of Hedy Lamarr, acclaimed as the most beautiful star of her time, and living with a professional pastime that looms large in the modern day as new information technology emerges.
The “Big Five” movie studios all have roots in these years, including Universal Studios, Paramount, Warner Brothers, Columbia, and even Disney. In the early days, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer was created in a merger between Metro, belonging to Marcus Loew, one owned by Louis B. Mayer, and a third enterprise resulting in the still-famous logo of the MGM lion. In the United States and overseas, agents and studio heads were on the lookout for talent, and Western agents flooded Europe searching for the next foreign heartthrob.
In an age less socially sensitive to matters of gender, the Austrian-born Lamarr, then hailed as “the most beautiful woman in the world,” dared to possess a daunting intellect and the mind of a scientist. For the cinematic peddlers of escapist on-screen seduction, such a problematic reality required total public suppression. As such, people are only now becoming aware of Lamarr’s scientific designs that led to the development of the globe’s most ubiquitous communications network, the internet, mobile phones, GPS, and Bluetooth, not to mention military and satellite technologies. Much of Lamarr’s early life and the seeming paradox of it was well-documented in Richard Rhodes Hedy’s The Life and Breakthrough Inventions of Hedy Lamarr, the Most Beautiful Woman in the World . The Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Making of the Atomic Bomb applied equal thoroughness to Lamarr’s biography, while featuring a cover in which she is dressed as Delilah sitting on a torpedo.
82 pages, Paperback
Published November 7, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
March 17, 2025
A super short, super quick listen. I think the author(s) focus far more energy on Lamarr being the first woman depicted having an o*g*s* on screen than her being the "mother of WiFi". I suppose both are remarkable in their own way, and I am all for women being seen as whole people and not defined by their castity/virtue or sexual prowess, it does seem a disservice to not give Lamarr her due for her mind and not just her body. The attempt is there, but it is poor.
Honestly, this book was way too short to have "the life" in its title. It covers her life in short bits and pieces at best. I wanted more that just what amounts to a readily available Wikipedia page.
Much better biographies exist. Disappointed.
Honestly, this book was way too short to have "the life" in its title. It covers her life in short bits and pieces at best. I wanted more that just what amounts to a readily available Wikipedia page.
Much better biographies exist. Disappointed.
February 20, 2024
Very brief bio. I want to read more in-depth books.
February 19, 2024
What is most interesting about this book is not her beauty or acting ability but her considerable intelligence and inventive ability.
The book says where she was born, other actresses she was similar to and the idea that she had the 'mind of a scientist.' She made around 30 films. She also was involved in devising something that would have been very useful in WWII but as so often happens that fact that she was female resulted in her not being taken as seriously as if had been a male.
One different thing she was noted for was that she was a model for Snow White. It goes into the awards that she did receive and her later life.
It's interesting and a good example of how women are not taken as seriously as men in certain fields.
The book says where she was born, other actresses she was similar to and the idea that she had the 'mind of a scientist.' She made around 30 films. She also was involved in devising something that would have been very useful in WWII but as so often happens that fact that she was female resulted in her not being taken as seriously as if had been a male.
One different thing she was noted for was that she was a model for Snow White. It goes into the awards that she did receive and her later life.
It's interesting and a good example of how women are not taken as seriously as men in certain fields.
March 1, 2025
Hedy Lamarr is a one-of-a-kind of beauty. I consider her the most stunning actress of her time. Though it is her good looks that made her name, there is a lot more that she should be remembered by. It is a shame that her contribution to modern technology wasn’t acknowledged back then and is now somewhat overlooked. It is also sad to think that she never benefited from it and that she wasn’t doing well later in life. This book is very brief and only scratches the surface of her life, but the documentary about her - Bombshell, is really good.
May 28, 2025
This was too short but despite many of the reviews, I did enjoy this. I learned a few things I did not know about Hedy like about Ecstasy and her many marriages. I will look for a longer book about her. She lived quite a life and the end was quite sad.
Another woman not credited for her inventions. She died poor when she should have been a billionaire. She's a huge part of the reasons we have cell phones! She was the Mother of Wifi yet she was too beautiful to be taken seriously at a time where they didn't believe beautiful women could also be smart.
Another woman not credited for her inventions. She died poor when she should have been a billionaire. She's a huge part of the reasons we have cell phones! She was the Mother of Wifi yet she was too beautiful to be taken seriously at a time where they didn't believe beautiful women could also be smart.
November 12, 2021
A brief history
I have enjoyed reading a brief history of a very intelligent magnificently beautiful woman. She is only now being recognized for some of her inventions. Mentioned as being mother of Wi Fi. Unbelievable need to read more.
I have enjoyed reading a brief history of a very intelligent magnificently beautiful woman. She is only now being recognized for some of her inventions. Mentioned as being mother of Wi Fi. Unbelievable need to read more.
December 23, 2022
Not only beauty, but brains.
Who knew it would be Heddy Lamarr(not Al Gore) who developed the technology that would lead to WI-FI and BLUETOOTH. She had beauty AND brains,but street smart she was not. I highly recommend this book.
Who knew it would be Heddy Lamarr(not Al Gore) who developed the technology that would lead to WI-FI and BLUETOOTH. She had beauty AND brains,but street smart she was not. I highly recommend this book.
August 10, 2024
I enjoyed the book and the pictures included. It was very short, but it would be a good introduction if you knew little about Hedy Lamarr. I have read some online and watched several television shows on Ms. Lamarr, so I didn't learn anything new. I was hoping for more detail in the book.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews