Hedwig? Hedy? Hedly?

August 8, 2013 9:53 AM

Scandals of Classic Hollywood: The Ecstasy of Hedy Lamarr - Science! Fascists! Orgasms! Libel! Escapes From Literal Castles! (SoCH previously and Anne Helen Petersen previously)
posted by The Whelk (18 comments total)

That's HEDLEY!
posted by Danf at 10:01 AM on August 8, 2013 [17 favorites]

When Fritz Mandl first saw Lamarr onscreen, he was in his early thirties and already one of the top four munitions dealers in all of Europe.

Again, the internet shows me I'm a slacker and a good-for-nothing. Damn you, internet! Damn you, Fritz Mandl!
posted by filthy light thief at 10:20 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Some odd writing in that article. They thing we need to be spoon-fed the English translation for Extase, but don't think it'd be worth mentioning what year it came out?

Diese Jungen Leute heutzutage!
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:27 AM on August 8, 2013

I think I might have to find me some Hedy Lamarr tumblrs. *drool* (I'm pretty sure brains are an exponential multiplier of beauty on that whole desire scale thingie.)
(And that explains why my wife's asymptotic. If you know what I mean. *wink*wink*nudge*nudge*)
posted by DigDoug at 10:29 AM on August 8, 2013

"What the hell are you worried about? This is 1874, in 50 years, you'll be able to sue her!"

(in fact, Hedy Lamarr did sue and settled for a small sum)
posted by dances_with_sneetches at 10:30 AM on August 8, 2013

Was Hedy Lamarr, girl scientist, the inspiration for Britney's Guide to Semiconductor Physics?
posted by fredludd at 10:35 AM on August 8, 2013

I think that's Hedy Lamarr, lady scientist. She was 27 when she filed the secret communication device patent (Google patents view)
posted by filthy light thief at 10:52 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

"Any girl can be glamorous. All you have to do is stand still and look stupid."
posted by asperity at 10:57 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

OK, this is absolutely fascinating. Movie star, inventor, fashionable fascism fighter. What is there not to love? Well, the later years of her life seemed pretty unpleasant. Sigh. It seems a poor return on what should have been substantial accomplishment.
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:08 AM on August 8, 2013

I think the only reason her story hasn't been made into a movie is because they'll never find anyone beautiful enough to play her

and because Hollywood abhors a movie starring a woman
posted by jenlovesponies at 11:08 AM on August 8, 2013 [4 favorites]

I almost had to cut and paste the text of the article into another window because I couldn't read it because I couldn't stop looking at her. It's not even an appreciation as much as a fascination -- like you don't quite believe she's real.

But I am glad I read it because now near the top of my to do list when I get my time machine is 'go have drive-in burgers and cheesecake with Hedy Lamarr.'
posted by MCMikeNamara at 11:17 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

My mother was born in 1935 and I remember looking at her books of movie star photos (which she'd mailed off for as a young girl) with her when I was a child. Signed pictures of classic movie stars, handsome gentlemen and elegant ladies. And then I turned the page and there was Hedy Lamarr, who was the most breathtakingly beautiful woman I'd ever seen. When I decorated my room in high school with cheap reproduction classic film posters, one of them was a film she'd been in, so I could have her face on my wall.

Then, years later, I found out she was an inventor who'd developed an important patent, too, which was more important to my young-adult feminist self. I'm glad to see she's getting more recognition for her scientific talent and the guts it took to get out of her early situation.

I'll never grow up, but if I did, I'd want to be half as awesome as Hedy Lamarr.
posted by immlass at 11:59 AM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

We named our cat (clever, gorgeous, unusual, awkward, clever, alternately standoffish and cuddly) after Hedy Lamarr (and to be fair, after Hedley Lamarr, too!).

I find her just so fascinating, how she never could (bring herself to?) fit into the constraints of whatever world she found herself in. She fit in enough to get by, but she couldn't bring herself to just buckle under into whatever role that was outlined for her.
posted by julen at 12:24 PM on August 8, 2013

I LOVE reading the Scandals series. I always learn something new, and I am compelled to watch several classic movies that I wouldn't have been interested in otherwise. I can't wait for the book to arrive next summer.

So far, my favorite entry has been on Dorothy Dandridge.
posted by DRoll at 12:31 PM on August 8, 2013 [1 favorite]

Hedy Lamarr's divorce upstaged my parents' wedding.

(First wedding under "Hitched").
posted by ShooBoo at 12:50 PM on August 8, 2013 [6 favorites]

I think that's Hedy Lamarr, lady scientist.

I think that's Hedy Lamarr, scientist.
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:23 PM on August 8, 2013 [6 favorites]

Here is a 1968 episode of To Tell the Truth, featuring Hedy and her son, Anthony Loder. Pretty fascinating stuff.
posted by DRoll at 1:34 PM on August 13, 2013

My father had a huge crush on Hedy Lamarr when he was young, and I seem to have inherited it.
posted by homunculus at 5:53 PM on August 14, 2013