Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr - Co-inventor of Technology for Spread Spectrum, Family and Family

Violet FieldHome › AmericanHedy LamarrNovember 9, 1914798 views

0 based on 0 rates
Hedy Lamarr Biography Stories 

Hedy Lamarr's Personal Details

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who co-invented the technology for spread spectrum

InformationDetail
BirthdayNovember 9, 1914
Died onJanuary 19, 2000
NationalityAmerican
FamousJewish Actresses, Actresses, Inventors & Discoverers, Co-inventor of Technology for Spread Spectrum
SpousesFriedrich Mandl, Gene Markey, John Loder, Lewis J. Boies, Teddy Stauffer, W. Howard Lee
Known asHedwig Eva Maria Kiesler
ChildrensAnthony Loder, Denise Loder, James Lamarr Markey
Birth PlaceVienna
ReligionJudaism
GenderFemale
FatherEmil Kiesler
MotherGertrud Kiesler
Sun SignScorpio
Born inVienna
Famous asActress, Co-inventor of technology for spread spectrum
Died at Age85

Hedy Lamarr's photo

Who is Hedy Lamarr?

Hedy Lamarr was an Austrian-American actress and inventor who co-invented the technology for spread spectrum. A very famous actress of her time, she is credited to be one of the most beautiful women to have ever graced the silver screen. Fascinated by cinema from childhood, she decided early on to become an actress and began her acting career as a teenager after being discovered by a film producer. An Austrian by birth, she eventually moved to America after meeting MGM head Louis B. Mayer, who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood. A very glamorous and talented lady, she soon established herself as one of the most sought after actresses in Hollywood. Because of her sex appeal she was invariably typecast as the glamorous seductress and appeared opposite the era's most popular leading men such as Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and James Stewart. But Hedy Lamarr was no dumb beauty—she was a highly intelligent and smart woman with a keen interest in scientific pursuits. Along with the composer George Antheil, she co-invented the technology for spread spectrum and frequency hopping communications but did not receive immediate recognition for this invention. The significance of the invention was realized decades later and she was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2014

// Famous Inventors & Discoverers

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, best known for his development of alternating current electrical systems. This biography of Nikola Tesla provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Thomas Newcomen

Thomas Newcomen

Thomas Newcomen was a British inventor who developed the world’s first steam engine. Browse through this biography to learn in details about his life, career, works and timeline.

Erno Rubik

Erno Rubik

The famous inventor and educationist, Erno Rubik is known world-wide for his invention the ‘Rubik’s Cube’. To know more about the childhood, profile, timeline and career of this famous architect-inventor read on.

Childhood & Early Life

She was born as Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler on 9 November 1914, in Vienna, Austria-Hungary. She was the only child of Emil Kiesler, a successful bank director, and Gertrud "Trude" Kiesler, a pianist.

She was interested in acting from a young age and was discovered by the producer Max Reinhardt who brought her to Berlin. She received training in theater and returned to Vienna where she began to work in the film industry, starting out as a script girl before becoming an actress.

Career

She appeared in Gustav Machatý's film, ‘Ecstasy’ in 1933 as a young married woman who becomes involved in a passionate extra-marital affair with a soldier. She stirred considerable controversy with this role and became notorious for appearing in the nude in some of the scenes.

At that time she was married to a controlling man from whom she escaped and fled to Paris. There she met MGM head Louis B. Mayer who offered her a movie contract in Hollywood. She adopted the screen name ‘Hedy Lamarr’ at his suggestion.

In 1938, she appeared in her first Hollywood movie, ‘Algiers’ opposite Charles Boyer. The movie became a sensation as the American audiences were captivated by Lamarr’s stunning beauty and striking onscreen persona.

She became one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood over the next few years and appeared alongside several of the leading men of that era. She acted in 18 films during the 1940s which include ‘Boom Town’ (1940) with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, ‘Tortilla Flat’ (1942), co-starring Tracy, and ‘Samson and Delilah’ (1949), opposite Victor Mature.

During the 1940s, Hedy Lamarr also became involved in scientific research and in collaboration with George Antheil, an avant garde composer, she co-created a frequency-hopping system for which the duo also received a patent.

Throughout her acting career more emphasis had been laid on her glamorous looks rather than on her talent, and she had been typecast as a sexy seductress. As she began to age and her beauty started waning, her film career started declining.

In spite of being one of the most successful leading ladies in the 1940s, she could not find much success in the 1950s. She acted in only a few films and made one of her last appearances in ‘The Story of Mankind’ (1957).

Major Works

As an actress, her most memorable role was in the movie ‘White Cargo’ (1942), which was based on a Broadway hit play by Leon Gordon. The film, in which she plays a beautiful seductress, was one of her biggest commercial hits.

Hedy Lamarr in collaboration with George Anthiel co-created a frequency-hopping system to help combat the Nazis in World War II. The duo’s invention, though not much recognized during their lifetimes, served as a basis for modern spread-spectrum communication technology, such as Bluetooth, COFDM, and CDMA.

Awards & Achievements

She has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6247 Hollywood Blvd in recognition of her contribution to the motion picture industry.

She, along with George Antheil, was honored with awards from the Electronic Frontier Foundation in the 1990s in recognition of their contribution to technology.

Hedy Lamarr and Antheil were inducted into the Inventor's Hall of Fame in 2014.

Personal Life & Legacy

She married Friedrich Mandl, a wealthy merchant, in 1933 while she was still a teenager. Her husband was too controlling and thus she ended this marriage in 1937.

She was briefly married to screenwriter and producer, Gene Markey, from 1939 to 1941. She adopted a son during this marriage.

Her third marriage to actor John Loder, in 1943, produced two biological children. This marriage too ended in divorce in 1947.

She married three more times but none of these marriages too lasted for long. Her last three husbands were Ernest "Ted" Stauffer (married 1951–1952), W. Howard Lee (married 1953–1960), and Lewis J. Boies (married 1963–1965).

Hedy Lamarr suffered from several heart diseases during her later years and died in Casselberry, Florida on 19 January 2000, at the age of 85.

// Famous Jewish Actresses

Simone Signoret

Simone Signoret

Simone Signoret was a French actress who became the first French person to win an Academy Award. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and other facts related to her life.

Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow

Lisa Kudrow is an American actress best known for her role in the television sitcom ‘Friends’. This biography of Lisa Kudrow provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman

Sarah Silverman is a stand-up comedienne known for her performances in television shows and films. This biography provides detailed information on her childhood, life, career, achievements and timeline.

Hedy Lamarr biography timelines

  • // 9th Nov 1914
    She was born as Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler on 9 November 1914, in Vienna, Austria-Hungary. She was the only child of Emil Kiesler, a successful bank director, and Gertrud "Trude" Kiesler, a pianist.
  • // 1933
    She appeared in Gustav Machatý's film, ‘Ecstasy’ in 1933 as a young married woman who becomes involved in a passionate extra-marital affair with a soldier. She stirred considerable controversy with this role and became notorious for appearing in the nude in some of the scenes.
  • // 1933 To 1937
    She married Friedrich Mandl, a wealthy merchant, in 1933 while she was still a teenager. Her husband was too controlling and thus she ended this marriage in 1937.
  • // 1938
    In 1938, she appeared in her first Hollywood movie, ‘Algiers’ opposite Charles Boyer. The movie became a sensation as the American audiences were captivated by Lamarr’s stunning beauty and striking onscreen persona.
  • // 1939 To 1941
    She was briefly married to screenwriter and producer, Gene Markey, from 1939 to 1941. She adopted a son during this marriage.
  • // 1940 To 1949
    She became one of the most successful actresses in Hollywood over the next few years and appeared alongside several of the leading men of that era. She acted in 18 films during the 1940s which include ‘Boom Town’ (1940) with Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy, ‘Tortilla Flat’ (1942), co-starring Tracy, and ‘Samson and Delilah’ (1949), opposite Victor Mature.
  • // 1942
    As an actress, her most memorable role was in the movie ‘White Cargo’ (1942), which was based on a Broadway hit play by Leon Gordon. The film, in which she plays a beautiful seductress, was one of her biggest commercial hits.
  • // 1943 To 1947
    Her third marriage to actor John Loder, in 1943, produced two biological children. This marriage too ended in divorce in 1947.
  • // 1951 To 1965
    She married three more times but none of these marriages too lasted for long. Her last three husbands were Ernest "Ted" Stauffer (married 1951–1952), W. Howard Lee (married 1953–1960), and Lewis J. Boies (married 1963–1965).
  • // 1957
    In spite of being one of the most successful leading ladies in the 1940s, she could not find much success in the 1950s. She acted in only a few films and made one of her last appearances in ‘The Story of Mankind’ (1957).
  • // 19th Jan 2000
    Hedy Lamarr suffered from several heart diseases during her later years and died in Casselberry, Florida on 19 January 2000, at the age of 85.
  • // 2014
    Hedy Lamarr and Antheil were inducted into the Inventor's Hall of Fame in 2014.

// Famous Actresses

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson

Skai Jackson is an American child actress with huge fan following. Find more about her family & personal life, relationships, facts and more.

Riele Downs

Riele Downs

Riele Downs is a Canadian-American actress & Musical.ly star. Let’s take a look at her family and personal life including age, birthday, net worth, boyfriends and fun facts.

Kaylee Quinn

Kaylee Quinn

Kaylee Quinn is an American dancer, model, and actress. Let’s have a look at her family and personal life including age, date of birth, net worth, relationships, and fun facts.

Nora Fatehi

Nora Fatehi

Nora Fatehi is a dancer, model, and actress of Indo–Arabic descent. This biography profiles her childhood, family, personal life, etc.

Soni Nicole Bringas

Soni Nicole Bringas

Soni Nicole Bringas is an American dancer and actress. Let’s have a look at her family and personal life including age. Date of birth, boyfriends, net worth, and fun facts.

Rosalind Russell

Rosalind Russell

Rosalind Russell was an American stage and film actress best known for her comedic roles. Check out this biography to know about her childhood, family life, achievements and other facts related to her life.

Hedy Lamarr's FAQ

  • What is Hedy Lamarr birthday?

    Hedy Lamarr was born at 1914-11-09

  • When was Hedy Lamarr died?

    Hedy Lamarr was died at 2000-01-19

  • Where was Hedy Lamarr died?

    Hedy Lamarr was died in Casselberry

  • Which age was Hedy Lamarr died?

    Hedy Lamarr was died at age 85

  • Where is Hedy Lamarr's birth place?

    Hedy Lamarr was born in Vienna

  • What is Hedy Lamarr nationalities?

    Hedy Lamarr's nationalities is American

  • Who is Hedy Lamarr spouses?

    Hedy Lamarr's spouses is Friedrich Mandl, Gene Markey, John Loder, Lewis J. Boies, Teddy Stauffer, W. Howard Lee

  • Who is Hedy Lamarr childrens?

    Hedy Lamarr's childrens is Anthony Loder, Denise Loder, James Lamarr Markey

  • What is Hedy Lamarr's religion?

    Hedy Lamarr's religion is Judaism

  • Who is Hedy Lamarr's father?

    Hedy Lamarr's father is Emil Kiesler

  • Who is Hedy Lamarr's mother?

    Hedy Lamarr's mother is Gertrud Kiesler

  • What is Hedy Lamarr's sun sign?

    Hedy Lamarr is Scorpio

  • How famous is Hedy Lamarr?

    Hedy Lamarr is famouse as Actress, Co-inventor of technology for spread spectrum