Hedy Lamarr
Born 1914 · Age 111
Austrian‑American film actress and self‑taught inventor whose co‑patented frequency‑hopping spread spectrum technique became a foundation for modern wireless communications.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in Vienna
Born to Gertrud (a concert pianist) and Emil Kiesler (bank director) in Vienna, Austria-Hungary.
Won a Vienna beauty contest
At age 12 Lamarr won a local beauty contest in Vienna, an early sign of public recognition.
First film role — Money on the Street
Has a role as an extra in the German film Geld auf der Straße (Money on the Street).
Small speaking part in Storm in a Water Glass
Small speaking role in the comedy Storm in a Water Glass (Sturm im Wasserglas).
Lead role in The Trunks of Mr. O.F.
Cast by Alexis Granowsky in his directorial debut Die Koffer des Herrn O.F. (The Trunks of Mr. O.F.).
Lead in No Money Needed
Given the lead role in the German comedy No Money Needed (Man braucht kein Geld).
Starred in Ecstasy (Extase)
Played the lead in Gustav Machatý's Ecstasy — a controversial film noted for nudity and an on-screen orgasm; won attention at Venice Film Festival.
Mandl controls acting career
During the marriage Mandl forbade her acting and tried to suppress Ecstasy prints; Lamarr exposed to military/munitions business through Mandl's social circle.
Married Fritz (Friedrich) Mandl
Married Austrian arms dealer Fritz Mandl at Karlskirche; marriage curtailed her film career and exposed her to weapons/industry meetings.
Secured MGM contract ($500/week)
Persuaded Mayer and booked passage to New York; secured a reported $500/week MGM contract and changed screen name to Hedy Lamarr.
Escaped from Mandl and left Austria
Fled her marriage (accounts: disguised as maid or left after wearing jewelry to a dinner) and left Austria for Paris, then London, ultimately distancing herself from Mandl and the fascist circles.
Met Louis B. Mayer in London
Met MGM head Louis B. Mayer in London; initially turned down $125/week offer but later secured a higher contract and went to Hollywood.
Hollywood debut — Algiers
Loaned to Walter Wanger to star opposite Charles Boyer in Algiers (1938); film launched her Hollywood stardom.
Lady of the Tropics (1939) — Hollywood role
Played Manon de Vargnes Carey in Lady of the Tropics (1939) opposite Robert Taylor.
Married Gene Markey (m.1939–div.1941)
Married screenwriter/producer Gene Markey in 1939; they later adopted a boy (later contested); divorce finalized 1941.
Selected 'most promising new actress' (Philadelphia poll)
Poll of Philadelphia film fans named Lamarr the most promising new actress of 1938.
Named 'ideal type' in Pomona College poll
Poll by Pomona College newspaper selected Lamarr as the 'ideal type' of woman.
Named 'most beautiful actress' in Look magazine poll
A secret poll of 30 Hollywood correspondents named Lamarr the 'most beautiful actress'.
Boom Town box office success
Co-starred in Boom Town (1940) with Clark Gable; the film grossed about $5,000,000 at the box office.
Met composer George Antheil
Met George Antheil at a dinner party; later collaborated on a frequency-hopping concept for secure radio control.
I Take This Woman (reshoot) and Comrade X (1940)
Worked on I Take This Woman (reshoots) and co-starred with Clark Gable in Comrade X (1940).
Submitted initial invention idea to National Inventors Council
Late December 1940: Lamarr and Antheil submitted their frequency-hopping concept (a 'Secret Communication System') to the U.S. National Inventors Council.
Ziegfeld Girl and Come Live with Me (1941)
Featured in Ziegfeld Girl (1941) with Judy Garland and Lana Turner; teamed with James Stewart in Come Live With Me (1941).
Introduced to Caltech consultant Samuel S. Mackeown
Early 1941 the NIC introduced Antheil to Prof. Samuel Stuart Mackeown (Caltech) to consult on electrical systems.
Navy rejects frequency-hopping system
U.S. Navy judged the invention impractical for torpedoes (too large); Lamarr and Antheil's system was not adopted operationally in WWII.
Tortilla Flat, Crossroads, White Cargo (1942)
Appeared in Tortilla Flat and Crossroads; starred as Tondelayo in White Cargo (1942), a huge commercial hit.
U.S. Patent granted for 'Secret Communication System' (No. 2,292,387)
U.S. Patent 2,292,387 issued to Hedy Kiesler Markey and George Antheil for a frequency-hopping spread spectrum system intended to prevent radio jamming.
Married John Loder (m.1943–div.1947); children born
Married actor John Loder; they had daughter Denise and son Anthony during this marriage (divorced 1947).
Recognized by Max Factor Jr. for voice appeal
Included among ten glamorous Hollywood actresses with appealing voices in a December 1943 list by Max Factor Jr.
The Heavenly Body and Experiment Perilous (1944)
Returned in comedies and melodramas including The Heavenly Body (1944) and Experiment Perilous (1944).
Left MGM contract
Left MGM in 1945 after a string of films; sought more control over projects.
Founded production company with Jack Chertok
Formed a production company with Jack Chertok; produced The Strange Woman (1946) and later Dishonored Lady (1947).
Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945)
Played a princess in the popular romantic comedy Her Highness and the Bellboy (1945); last film under her MGM contract.
Produced and starred in The Strange Woman
The Strange Woman (1946) was produced by Lamarr's company; the film went over budget and returned only modest profits.
Produced Dishonored Lady
Lamarr co-produced and starred in Dishonored Lady (1947); production again went over budget and was not a commercial success.
Starred as Delilah in Samson and Delilah
Played Delilah in Cecil B. DeMille's Samson and Delilah (1949), her most successful film; the picture became the highest‑grossing film of 1950 and won two Oscars.
Designed Villa LaMarr ski resort (late 1950s, with W. Howard Lee)
Along with then‑husband W. Howard Lee, designed and developed the Villa LaMarr ski resort in Aspen, Colorado (late 1950s).
British moviegoers list — 10th best actress
In 1951 (for her role in Samson and Delilah) British moviegoers voted her the year's 10th best actress.
A Lady Without Passport and Copper Canyon (1950)
Returned to MGM for A Lady Without Passport (flop) and had more popular outings at Paramount including Copper Canyon (1950).
My Favorite Spy (1951)
Appeared in the Bob Hope spy spoof My Favorite Spy (1951).
Married Teddy (Ernest) Stauffer (1951–1952)
Short marriage to bandleader/nightclub owner Teddy Stauffer.
Married W. Howard Lee (1953–1960)
Married Texas oilman W. Howard Lee; later collaborated on Villa LaMarr ski resort in Aspen.
Naturalized as U.S. citizen
Lamarr became a naturalized U.S. citizen on April 10, 1953.
Produced and starred in Loves of Three Queens (Italy)
Played multiple roles and produced Loves of Three Queens (1954); lacked distribution, lost millions of dollars.
The Story of Mankind (1957)
Played Joan of Arc in Irwin Allen's critically panned epic The Story of Mankind (1957).
Final film: The Female Animal (1958)
Released her last feature film, The Female Animal, and effectively retired from motion pictures.
Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
Honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6247 Hollywood Boulevard for contributions to motion pictures.
Arrested for shoplifting (charges dropped)
Arrested in Los Angeles on a shoplifting charge; charges were eventually dropped.
Autobiography 'Ecstasy and Me' published
Ecstasy and Me was published (ghostwritten); Lamarr later stated it was not written by her and sued the publisher over fabricated material.
Filed $10M lawsuit over 'Hedley Lamarr' in Blazing Saddles
Sued Warner Bros. claiming parody of her name infringed privacy; studio settled for a nominal sum and apology.
Withdrew from public life; moved to Miami Beach
With failing eyesight and increased seclusion, Lamarr retreated from public life and settled in Miami Beach, Florida.
Arrested for shoplifting in Orlando (1991)
Arrested for stealing $21.48 worth of laxatives and eye drops; pleaded no contest and charges were dropped in exchange for a promise to obey the law for a year.
CorelDRAW contest image controversy
A Corel-drawn image of Lamarr won a contest and was used on software boxes; Lamarr sued, Corel countered, and parties settled in 1998.
Electronic Frontier Foundation Pioneer Award (with Antheil)
Jointly honored by the EFF for pioneering work in spread spectrum/frequency hopping.
Received Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award
First woman to receive the Invention Convention's Bulbie Gnass Spirit of Achievement Award (the 'Oscars of inventing').
Settlement with Corel finalized
Reached an undisclosed settlement with Corel over the use of her image.
Estate contested by estranged son
Son James Lamarr Loder sued for control of the roughly US$3.3M estate; eventually settled for US$50,000.
Died in Casselberry, Florida
Died of heart disease on January 19, 2000; estate reported at approximately US$3.3 million.
Hedy-Lamarr-Weg named in Vienna
A street (Hedy-Lamarr-Weg) in Vienna Meidling (12th District) was named in her honor.
Quantum telescope named after her (installation)
IQOQI installed a quantum telescope on the University of Vienna roof; named after Lamarr in 2014 (installation 2013).
Posthumously inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame
Inducted for frequency‑hopping spread spectrum technology.
Partial burial/urn interred at Vienna Central Cemetery
Part of Lamarr's ashes were interred at Vienna Central Cemetery in Group 33 G, Tomb No. 80; memorial unveiled the same year.
Google Doodle honors 101st birthday
Google celebrated Lamarr's 101st birthday with an animated Google Doodle highlighting her film and inventing legacy.
Documentary 'Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story' premieres at Tribeca
Alexandra Dean's documentary about Lamarr's life premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival; theatrical release Nov 24, 2017.
Asteroid 32730 Lamarr named in her honor
Minor planet/asteroid 32730 was officially named 'Lamarr' on August 27, 2019.
Google Doodle on 109th birthday
Google again honored Lamarr with a doodle on what would have been her 109th birthday.
Star Trek: Prodigy names Lamarr-class starship
The second season of Star Trek: Prodigy uses a Lamarr-class USS Voyager-A in tribute to her contributions to science and technology.
Key Achievement Ages
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