Hollywood Success But Boredom Lead To Inventing
In Hollywood, Hedy was cast to play in Algiers, a film destined to become a critical success and movie classic. Then a relatively unknown Austrian actress, Hedy wowed American audiences. Audience members report people being drawn into a gasp when she appeared on screen.
Hedy’s career was taking off just as World War II was breaking out. As already mentioned, part of her drive to invent frequency-hopping spread spectrum technology was to contribute to the war effort. Hedy also used her starlet power to sell war bonds in the United States. These bonds were essential for funding the war effort, and Lamarr was among the best at selling them.
Hedy worked with a sailor named Eddie Rhodes, who would sit in the audience during bond rallies. Lamarr would call Rhodes up to the stage, and would offer to kiss him if enough bonds were sold. Once the bonds were sold, Lamarr would give Rhodes a kiss and they would move on to the next bond rally.
Ironically, Lamarr was actually still a citizen of Austria. Her family was still in the country too, then under Nazi control. Lamarr was able to use fame to help secure her mother’s safe passage from Austria. As a person of Jewish descent, Lamarr’s mother was at risk of being persecuted.
Meanwhile, Lamarr continued to star in Hollywood films, appearing in 18 films from 1940 to 1950. She quickly carved out a role as an exotic seductress. Her beauty became legend, and she was frequently cast opposite many of Hollywood’s most famous male actors. Yet her stunning beauty also led to stereotypical roles that emphasized her sexuality and “exotic” origins. As a result, Hedy often received roles with few lines.
Due to this, Hedy actually grew bored with many of her roles. This boredom encouraged Hedy to turn to inventing, a field where she obviously has had some considerable success. By the 1950’s Lamarr’s acting career was in decline, and she only showed up in films sporadically. And in 1953 she became a naturalized citizen in the United States.