Good bombshell Hedy Lamarr, the Austria-born Hollywood hottie who carved out a concurrent profession as a pioneer of weapons and communication know-how in World Struggle II, died on this present day in historical past, Jan. 19, 2000.
She was 85 years previous.
Lamarr was dubbed ”essentially the most stunning girl in movie” by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer co-founder Louis B. Mayer.
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Her beautiful visage impressed Walt Disney’s imaginative and prescient of Snow White and the DC Comics character Catwoman.
She proved a stupendous thoughts, too.
August 4, 1943: Austrian-born actress Hedy Lamarr (1913-2000) fashions a protracted flowing gown whereas reclining on a crescent moon in a publicity shot for her movie ”The Heavenly Physique.” (Clarence Sinclair Bull/John Kobal Basis/Getty Photographs)
”As if being a stupendous, proficient actress was not sufficient, Hedy was additionally a gifted mathematician, scientist and innovator,” boasts HedyLamarr.com, the official web site of the late movie icon.
”The Hollywood actress launched the know-how that might function the muse of modern-day WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth communication programs.”
Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna on Nov. 9, 1914, she was an ideal American patriot on and off the silver display screen.
”Hedy was additionally a gifted mathematician, scientist and innovator.” — HedyLamarr.com
”Although years away from getting her U.S. citizenship, Lamarr … performed a public function in bolstering the warfare effort by touring to 16 cities in 10 days to promote $25 million in warfare bonds,” Alice George of Smithsonian Journal wrote in 2019.
”She additionally began an MGM letter-writing marketing campaign that generated 2,144 letters to servicemen and appeared on the Hollywood Canteen, the place she signed autographs for off-duty GI Joes.”
Lamarr’s fledging appearing profession in Europe led to an encounter in London with Mayer.
She arrived in Hollywood at his urging in 1938, adopted her stage title and in her first function co-starred reverse Charles Boyer in ”Algiers.”
”Comrade X” poster that includes Clark Gableand Hedy Lamarr, 1940. ( LMPC through Getty Photographs)
”She continued to land components reverse essentially the most widespread and proficient actors of the day, together with Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart,” states her web site.
Main roles included the movie model of the John Steinbeck novel ”Tortilla Flat,” ”White Cargo” and ”Samson and Delilah.”
Lamarr’s arrival in America in 1938 coincided with the German annexation of Austria — a startling Nazi takeover of her homeland (and Hitler’s) made memorable in American tradition by the film ”Sound of Music.”
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The destiny of Austria, and her unimaginable aptitude for mechanics and know-how, fueled her want to assist the Allied effort in World Struggle II.
”Lamarr’s curiosity in invention had begun at age 5, when she dismantled a music field and reassembled it, and she or he by no means relinquished her curiosity,” Smithsonian Journal famous.
Amongst different improvements, she helped Howard Hughes, whom she briefly dated, enhance his airplane designs.
Hedy Lamarr obtained a patent for a ”secret communication system” in 1942 that pioneered torpedo radio know-how; it turned the muse for main world communications programs within the later twentieth century. (U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace)
”Lamarr mixed the fins of the quickest fish and the wings of the quickest hen to sketch a brand new wing design for Hughes’ planes,” experiences the web site An Artwork 4 Life.
”Upon exhibiting the design to Hughes, he mentioned to her, ‘You’re a genius.’”
”You’re a genius.” — Howard Hughes to Hedy Lamarr
”Enhancing issues comes naturally to me,” Lamarr was typically quoted as saying.
Her biggest innovation got here within the subject of radio know-how for weapons programs.
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Working with famed composer and fellow inventor George Antheil, she conceived of a system that allowed torpedo radio steering transmitters and receivers to leap from frequency to frequency.
The innovation made it doable for the weapons to keep away from being jammed by the enemy.
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She filed the patent for her ”Secret Communication System” on June 10, 1941 — simply six months earlier than the assault on Pearl Harbor hurled the US into World Struggle II.
Austrian-American actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr (1914-2000), circa 1945. Hollywood govt Louis Mayer dubbed Lamarr ”essentially the most stunning girl in movie.” (Silver Display screen Assortment/Getty Photographs)
It serves as the muse of main world communications programs right now.
”Her patent on ‘frequency hopping’ had expired earlier than widespread implementation of the thought, however she lived lengthy sufficient to see her brainstorm start increasing into an unlimited business late within the twentieth century,” notes Smithsonian Journal.
”Enhancing issues comes naturally to me.” — Hedy Lamarr
”In 1997 … she was honored with the Pioneer Award of the Digital Frontier Basis. Though she by no means made cash from any of her innovations, ‘frequency hopping’ alone is estimated by to be value $30 billion.”
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Lamarr was honored with a star on the Hollywood Stroll of Fame in 1960.
Each she and Antheil have been inducted into the Nationwide Inventors Corridor of Fame in 2014.
Her good technological achievement ”led Lamarr to be dubbed ‘the mom of Wi-Fi’ and different wi-fi communications like GPS and Bluetooth,” writes the Nationwide Ladies’s Historical past Museum.
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