Hedy Lamarr The Most Beautiful Woman In Film

Hedy Lamarr's life was punctuated by rumors and scandal, but it was her looks and Hollywood glamour that captivated audiences. Born Hedwig Kiesler, she escaped an unhappy marriage in Austria to try her luck in Hollywood. 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. Film historian Ruth Barton explores her many facets, including her turn as an inventor: working with composer George Antheil, Lamarr helped to develop the basic technology behind cellular telephony. However, despite her successes, her personal life created scandals. A string of failed marriages, a lawsuit against her publisher regarding her sensational autobiography, and a shoplifting incident, made her infamous. Drawing on extensive research into both the record and the rumors, Barton recognizes Lamarr's contributions to both film and technology while revealing the conflicted woman underneath. --From publisher description.