So Who Was Hedy Lamarr?
Hedy Lamar was an Austrian-born American actress. In her day, she was quite famous for starring in numerous popular movies, including Algiers, Comrade X, I Take This Woman, and Samson and Delilah. She was born “Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler” to a Jewish family living in Vienna, and was an only child. Her father was a successful banker, while her mother focused on creative arts, which included playing the piano. Hedy herself later converted to Catholicism but her Jewish heritage would become important during the Second World War.
In the late 1920’s Hedy was discovered by Max Reinhardt, a successful Austrian director and producer. Reinhardt convinced Hedy to move to Berlin and oversaw her training as an actress. In 1933 she got her big break, landing a role in Gustav Machatý’s film, Ecstasy. This film was quite controversial for its day, featuring nude shots of Hedy, as well as a close-up of her face during a simulated orgasm. This was the first ever simulated orgasm portrayed by a female on camera.
Also, in 1933 Hedy married an Austrian businessman by the name of Friedrich Mandl who was believed to be the third richest man in Austria. Mandl made much of his money off of weapons manufacturing and arms trading. He was also significantly older than Hedy, and prone to jealousy. Hedy’s role in Ecstasy didn’t sit well with him, and he began to mistreat Hedy, practically holding her prisoner.
Unable to bear the marriage, Hedy fled to Paris. According to her autobiography, which was actually ghost written, Lamarr hid from her husband in a brothel. Her husband turned up and allegedly Lamarr hid in an abandoned room. A man then entered and Lamarr ended up having sex with him in order to protect her identity. Afterwards, she dressed up as a maid and fled. However, it’s likely that this story was fictionalized. Others claim that she actually dressed up for a dinner with all of her expensive jewelry before absconding in a much less dramatic fashion.
Either way, while in Paris, Heidi was discovered by Louis B. Mayer, who was in Europe scouting for talent. Eventually, Mayer arranged for Lamarr to move to Hollywood, where she would become a famous starlet.