Posted on 03/08/2018 12:25:24 PM PST by nickcarraway
Isn't it hard to believe how a beautiful actress wasn't taken seriously as the genius inventor that she was?
Along with digital video and consumer drones — cf. this week’s Leaning into the Wind — one of the greatest boons to documentaries over the past decade has been previously unheard recordings of deceased people, the latest beneficiary being Alexandra Dean’s excellent Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story. Tapes of Lamarr from 1990 are among the primary source for exploring her life, which was a prime example of how it’s not always easy being the best at something — and when you’re the best at having an aesthetically pleasing face, it can make it all the more difficult to be taken seriously in other departments. (To some, she’s the source of a running joke about Harvey Korman’s character’s name in Mel Brooks’ Blazing Saddles, hence Brooks being Bombshell’s first on-screen interviewee, followed by the Saddles gag in question.)
The fact that she appeared naked in the famously racy, pre-code film Ecstasy made it all the more difficult for men to believe she could be smart. Even though her big brain came up with the basic structure of what later became wifi during World War II, her innovations were ignored at the time because she was a pretty lady. One shudders to think how much worse it would have been if she were blonde. Because they’re dumb!
Not rated.
Opens Friday at the Clay Theater.
I saw this.She got screwed.
I’ve been familiar with the Hedy Lamarr story for a long time. When Bombshell came out, I wanted to see it, but the closest theatre it was playing in was 80 miles away. I keep checking to see when I can purchase it online.
Patents she came up with to help the military during WW II are now the basis of how your smart phone juggles its bandwidth.
Supposedly in Ecstasy she had the first ever on-screen orgasm.
Whaddya worried about? This is 1874 you’ll be able to sue HER!!!
According to IMDB she sued and Mel Brooks settled out of court.
She was one sharp cookie.
Sadly, whenever her name comes up, the first thing I think of is Harvey Korman.....
It’s up, it’s good!
LOL
CC
That’s a good one. Well, he did use her name!
LOL, I also have known the story for a long time, but every single time I think of “Blazing Saddles”, that recurring theme in the movie makes me snicker!
I love the Naked Gun names too...Dr. Papschmir!
She didn’t get screwed at all. I see this as more “women are victims” BS.
She was a famous actress for 20 years and made gobs of money at it.
Yes, she was also extremely intelligent and did come up with some technology for radio guidance of torpedoes - which, while patented by her, was never used by the Navy, or at least not for another 20 years. If anyone is to be blamed, you can blame the slow, bureaucratic culture of the Navy.
She was a very beautiful and successful actress - so she made a choice in her career, and by the $$ and status she earned, chose very wisely.
Sgt. Takeraway. Sgt. Booker.
“I’ve been familiar with the Hedy Lamarr story for a long time. When Bombshell came out, I wanted to see it, but the closest theatre it was playing in was 80 miles away. I keep checking to see when I can purchase it online.”
April 24 on Amazon. Taking pre-orders now.
KYPD
They sure painted it that way in the doc.
I don’t judge her on her career but rather her contribution to this country during WW-II. How many of today’s “A Listers” can claim the same love of country..........
Bkmrk.
A sad footnote is that even though she gave her invention to the government for free, the Navy didn’t understand what it had and didn’t use it during WWII.
Maybe she did, but I’ve never been able to have much sympathy for her after what she did to her son.
Well, yeah!
A blonde driver gets pulled over by a cop for speeding. The cop walks up to the side of the car, also a blonde.
BLONDE DRIVER: What did I do, Officer?
BLONDE COP: You were speeding. May I see your Driver's License and registration please.
BLONDE DRIVER: (rummaging in purse, looking puzzled, rummages more, then looks up helplessly) Officer...what does the Drivers License look like?
BLONDE COP: (rolling her eyes in exasperation) It is small. Rectangular. It has your face on it.
BLONDE DRIVER: (rummaging in purse, brightens, looks up triumphantly) I found it! (hands a small rectangular compact mirror to the Police Officer)
BLONDE COP: (rolling her eyes in irritation as she looks at the compact mirror) Good God. You know, you could have saved us both a lot of time if you just told me you were a police officer too!
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