korevette
This is a wonderful documentary about the woman of the century..As an Imigrant, citizen later ( 1953 ) she contributed so much to this country, especially during the war years. Selling war bonds more than any other person at that time, invented a frequency hopping product to sink German U-boats during WW2., plus used during the '60's Cuban crisis, when we almost went to war with Russia. Because of her outstanding beauty, she was more admired for it, than her brains, so she wasn't taken seriously even with a patent on her invention. Susam Sarandon, co-producer said in an interview, that her story really should be made into a major motion picture, for what she did, and went through, while living in Europe during her younger years. In the DVD version, there are extras, with more in depth info from Mel Brooks, who was asked why he used her name as the butt of a joke in his movie, "Blazing Saddles". ..and more interviews. I was so taken by the DVD, that when it was shown for the first time on PBS's, "American Masters", I had to watch it again. Of course, you do not get to see any extra's as on the DVD. Till this day, I do not see why this woman hasn't even been put on a US postage stamp icon...but, you do see on occasions, other less accomplished celebs, and even Mickey Mouse .
TxMike
This is the story of Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler, Austrian who came to the USA and became one of the biggest film stars briefly. As was common back in the 1930s and 1940s she assumed what was considered a more suitable name for her career and she forever became known as Hedy Lamarr.She was unique in that although she had a pretty face, some consider her the most beautiful actress ever, she wanted people to know her and appreciate her for what she really was behind that face. She always seemed to attract the wrong kind of man and was married a number of times.Much of this documentary, supported with audio tapes from an interview that she did after her film career, focuses on her talent as an inventor. In the early parts of WW2 she observed that many torpedoes missed their mark and, along with musician George Antheil, was granted patent # 2,292,387 for a "Secret Communication System." A system that would allow the ship to guide the torpedo after it was launched. She used her then married name, Hedy Kiesler Markey. The patent was never used as intended and was buried by the military but much later it was discovered that another inventor used it for a communication system between ocean buoys and aircraft, and many attribute her ideas to technology that led to such applications as GPS and WiFi. Regardless she and her co-inventor never got any money from the invention.In later life her vanity did get the best of her, she had a number of cosmetic surgery procedures and her looks deteriorated. But listening to the tapes she comes across as a pretty much normal, bright person and not much like the glamorous star we saw in her movies.Good documentary.Edit: I went back and watched the DVD of the 1949 movie "Samson and Delilah" and Hedy was indeed both beautiful and talented, in fact her character is very smart but scheming and not very happy when she doesn't get her man.
MartinHafer
I mentioned that the documentary was even-handed because all too often, I've seen biographies of various celebrities which either only focus on the bad or only the good about folks. Folks have positive and negative qualities...and Hedy Lamarr is no exception.The film is a biography of the actress that also focuses on her inventing the concept of rotating frequencies...enabling a sub, for example, to launch a radio-guided torpedo without worries about the enemy jamming the signal. It's a strange invention for an actress to have made...and the film helps to show that Lamarr was not just a pretty face. It also, sadly, talks about her personal life...which was filled with husband and husband and disappointment after disappointment. And, it talks about Lamarr's drug use (created by the studio) and her odd personality quirks. All put together, it makes for an intriguing look at a fascinating lady. Well worth seeing...and a nice film about a feminist in 1930s-40s Hollywood.
Sober-Friend
Hedy Lamarr has a true story to tell you that it full of more drama than anything she ever did on screen. Heddy was not only beautiful but smart. The film follows the life story of Lamarr from her youth as the daughter of assimilated Austrian Jews through her rise to fame, the Nazi onslaught, her departure for the United States, six marriages, her acting career, her landmark invention, decline, and finally her death at the age of 85 in 2000. The focus of the film is on her co-creation with George Antheil of the technology of frequency hopping.This is a well made documentary about one remarkable woman! The film also has the benefit of using an audio interview of the famed actress as well as vintage interview she gave on Merv Griffin.
AD
