Book description
Hedy Lamarr's life was punctuated by salacious rumors and public
scandal, but it was her stunning looks and classic Hollywood glamour
that continuously captivated audiences. Born Hedwig Kiesler, she escaped
an unhappy marriage with arms dealer Fritz Mandl in Austria to try her
luck in Hollywood, where her striking appearance made her a screen
legend. Her notorious nude role in the erotic Czech film Ecstasy (1933),
as well as her work with Cecil B. DeMille (Samson and Delilah, 1949),
Walter Wanger (Algiers, 1938), and studio executive Louis B. Mayer
catapulted her alluring and provocative reputation as a high-profile sex
symbol. In Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in Film, Ruth Barton
explores the many facets of the screen legend, including her life as an
inventor. Working with avant-garde composer and film scorer George
Antheil, Lamarr helped to develop and patent spread spectrum technology,
which is still used in mobile phone communication. However, despite her
screen persona and scientific success, Lamarr's personal life caused
quite a scandal. A string of failed marriages, a lawsuit against her
publisher regarding her sensational autobiography, and shoplifting
charges made her infamous beyond her celebrity. Drawing on extensive
research into both the recorded truths of Lamarr's life and the rumors
that made her notorious, Barton recognizes Lamarr's contributions to
both film and technology while revealing the controversial and
conflicted woman underneath. Hedy Lamarr: The Most Beautiful Woman in
Film illuminates the life of a classic Hollywood icon. Ruth Barton, a
lecturer in Film Studies at Trinity College Dublin, is the author of
three books on Irish cinema: Jim Sheridan: Framing the Nation, Irish
National Cinema, and Acting Irish in Hollywood: From Fitzgerald to
Farrell.
