Hollywood icon Hedy Lamarr (Ziegfeld Girl, Samson and Delilah) was celebrated as the world’s most beautiful woman, inspiring the looks of Snow White and Cat Woman. Yet, her striking appearance and glamorous lifestyle overshadowed her remarkable contributions as an inventor. An Austrian Jewish emigrant, Lamarr created a covert communication system aimed at defeating the Nazis, only to be dismissed and encouraged to sell kisses for war bonds. It wasn’t until late in her life that tech innovators recognized her work as the foundation for secure WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth technologies.
“Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story” explores Lamarr’s true legacy as a pioneering technologist. As Lamarr never publicly discussed her inventive work, her family believed her story ended with her passing. However, in 2016, director Alexandra Dean and producer Adam Haggiag discovered four previously unheard audio tapes of Lamarr detailing her extraordinary life, allowing her to finally share her story. Family, friends, and colleagues, including Mel Brooks and the late Robert Osborne, recount personal memories of Lamarr, shedding light on the disconnect between her intelligence and her beauty.
